Start with Servestead

Servestead guides the full server setup in your terminal. You provide the server and repository details, review the plan, then follow each local and remote task as it runs.

Before you begin

Prepare the local, server, SSH, domain, and DNS requirements, then build and launch Servestead.

Choose a starting point

Connect an existing VPS

You already have a fresh Ubuntu server, its public address, and SSH key access. This is the clearest first run.

Connect an existing VPS

Provision with DigitalOcean

Create a billable Droplet through the guided provider catalog, then review server setup separately.

Provision a VPS

The terminal workflow

1. Run servestead setup.
2. Choose an existing profile, Set up a new server profile, or Provision a new DigitalOcean VPS.
3. Enter the profile, SSH, domain, and certificate values Servestead needs.
4. Create a local configuration repository, use an existing checkout, or clone a GitHub repository.
5. Read the full review screen. Servestead has not prepared the repository or opened an SSH connection yet.
6. Press r to start. Follow stage progress and logs in the run view.
7. Return to the saved profile and press h when you need the persisted run history and redacted log detail.

Expected result

The profile dashboard shows completed setup stages and a known repository path. Pangolin and the observability services run on the VPS, while the configuration repository records the deployment input.

Start with a disposable VPS

Servestead changes SSH access, firewall policy, packages, Docker networking, reverse-proxy configuration, and cloud resources. Learn the workflow on a fresh server before using it on a machine that holds important data.

Direct commands

Use servestead setup --ip <address> for an interactive run that starts from a known address. Add --yes only after supplying every required value for automation. See CLI commands for the one-stage and recovery commands.