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Use Ansible to Manage Multiple VPS Instances Efficiently

hosteons July 22, 2025 July 22, 2025 Leave a Comment

Managing several VPS instances manually can be time-consuming and error-prone. With the power of Ansible, system administrators can automate repetitive tasks, deploy configurations, and maintain consistency across all their VPS servers — all from a single control node.

In this guide, we’ll explore how you can use Ansible to efficiently manage your VPS instances hosted with Hosteons.

🚀 What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool that allows you to manage systems using simple YAML-based playbooks. It doesn’t require any agent installation and communicates over SSH, making it ideal for managing Linux VPS environments.

✅ Benefits of Using Ansible with Hosteons VPS

Agentless: No need to install additional software on your VPS.
Scalable: Manage 2 or 200 servers with the same effort.
Consistent: Standardized deployments ensure fewer mistakes.
Efficient: Automate updates, security patches, and software installs.

🛠️ Prerequisites

To get started with Ansible, you’ll need:

A local machine (control node) with Ansible installed (Ubuntu/Mac/Linux).
SSH access to your Hosteons VPS instances.
All VPS servers should have a common user with SSH key access (preferably with sudo privileges).

🔧 Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install Ansible on Your Local Machine

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ansible -y

For macOS (using Homebrew):

brew install ansible

2. Create an Inventory File

Ansible uses an inventory file to keep track of the VPS instances you want to manage.

Example: hosts.ini

[webservers]
vps1 ansible_host=192.0.2.1 ansible_user=root
vps2 ansible_host=192.0.2.2 ansible_user=root

Replace 192.0.2.x with the IPs of your VPS servers from Hosteons.

3. Test Connectivity

Use the ping module to verify connection:

ansible -i hosts.ini all -m ping

You should see a “pong” response if the connection is successful.

4. Create and Run a Playbook

Example: Install Apache on all VPS servers

---
- name: Install Apache on VPS
  hosts: webservers
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Update apt packages
      apt:
        update_cache: yes

    - name: Install Apache
      apt:
        name: apache2
        state: present

Save this file as apache.yml, then run it:

ansible-playbook -i hosts.ini apache.yml

🔁 What Can You Automate?

Initial server setup
Firewall configuration
Software installation
Security updates
Deploying web applications
Monitoring tools setup (e.g., Fail2Ban, UFW, Zabbix)

📦 Combine with Hosteons Initial VPS Setup Script

Hosteons also offers an open-source initial VPS setup script on GitHub to secure and configure your new servers. You can run this once and then switch to Ansible for ongoing automation.

GitHub: https://github.com/hosteons/Initial-VPS-Setup-Script-for-Linux

Blog: https://blog.hosteons.com/2025/06/05/instantly-secure-and-set-up-your-vps-with-hosteons-initial-vps-setup-script/

🔒 Pro Tip: Use SSH Key Authentication

To avoid entering passwords for every VPS, use SSH key-based login and disable password authentication for improved security.

🏁 Final Thoughts

Ansible is a powerful way to save time and reduce errors when managing multiple VPS instances. Whether you’re running WordPress sites, managing Docker containers, or deploying custom apps — Ansible and Hosteons VPS make a powerful combination.

🖥️ Ready to scale your server management?

👉 Order a Hosteons VPS and start automating with Ansible today!

What is Webmin and How to Install It on Your Hosteons VPS

hosteons April 9, 2025 April 9, 2025 Leave a Comment

When managing a Linux server, command-line control is powerful — but not always beginner-friendly. That’s where Webmin comes in.

In this post, we’ll explain what Webmin is, why it’s useful, and how to install it on your Hosteons VPS in just a few steps.

🌐 What Is Webmin?

Webmin is a web-based system administration tool for Unix/Linux servers. It allows you to manage your VPS using a graphical interface right from your browser — no need to memorize long terminal commands.

🧰 With Webmin, you can:

Create/manage users & groups
Install and configure services (Apache, MySQL, FTP, etc.)
Manage firewall rules and cron jobs
View logs, system info, and performance
Configure network settings
Mount/unmount disks
Restart services — all from a clean web UI

This makes it a fantastic tool for VPS users — especially those who are new to Linux.

✅ Why Use Webmin on a Hosteons VPS?

Hosteons VPS plans come with full root access, allowing you to install and configure tools like Webmin easily.

Whether you’re using your VPS for hosting websites, databases, VPNs, or just learning Linux, Webmin makes daily management simpler — without giving up power or flexibility.

🛠️ How to Install Webmin on Your Hosteons VPS

We’ll walk through the steps to install Webmin on Debian/Ubuntu, which are two of the most popular operating systems available with Hosteons VPS.

🔐 Note: Webmin uses HTTPS by default. Make sure port 10000 is open in your firewall.

📥 Step 1: Update Your System

SSH into your VPS:

ssh root@your_vps_ip

Then update your package list:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

🔑 Step 2: Add Webmin’s Repository & Key

Install required dependencies:

apt install wget gnupg2 -y

Add Webmin’s GPG key:

wget -qO- https://download.webmin.com/jcameron-key.asc | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/webmin.gpg

Add the Webmin repository:

echo "deb https://download.webmin.com/download/repository sarge contrib" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/webmin.list

📦 Step 3: Install Webmin

Update and install Webmin:

apt update
apt install webmin -y

🌐 Step 4: Access Webmin in Your Browser

Once installed, Webmin runs on port 10000 by default.

Visit:

https://your-vps-ip:10000

🛡️ You’ll likely see a browser warning about the SSL certificate. This is normal for self-signed certs — just proceed.

🔐 Step 5: Log In

Use your root username and password (or sudo user) to log in.

Once inside, you’ll find a powerful web dashboard to manage your VPS.

🔄 Optional: Enable Webmin on Boot

It usually starts automatically, but to make sure:

systemctl enable webmin

You can also manage the service manually:

systemctl start webmin
systemctl stop webmin
systemctl restart webmin

🔁 Need to Allow Port 10000?

If you’re using UFW:

ufw allow 10000/tcp

Or with iptables:

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 10000 -j ACCEPT

✅ That’s It! You Now Have Webmin on Your Hosteons VPS

Webmin is a fantastic tool to make server administration easier and more visual. It’s lightweight, secure, and works great with all major Linux distributions.

💻 Need a VPS to get started?

Check out our plans at https://hosteons.com

🧠 Bonus Tip: Want even more features?

Webmin also supports:

Virtualmin (a cPanel-like module for website hosting)
Let’s Encrypt SSL setup
Scheduled backups
Package updates & monitoring

Perfect for developers, self-hosters, and small businesses.

How to Turn Your VPS from Hosteons into a Unix Shell Account for IRC (with ZNC, Bots, IPv6 vHosts, and Identd)

hosteons April 9, 2025 April 9, 2025 Leave a Comment

If you’re an IRC enthusiast looking to replicate the classic Unix shell account experience, a VPS from Hosteons gives you everything you need — and more.

With support for ZNC bouncers, IRC bots, custom vHosts using IPv6, and Identd (for network compliance), you can build a full-featured, personalized IRC setup in minutes.

🚀 Why Use Hosteons for IRC?

🧠 Full root access on all VPS plans
🌍 Global server locations with great latency
🧾 rDNS support for both IPv4 and IPv6
🧮 Up to 20 IPv6 IPs per VPS — perfect for vHosts
💳 Crypto and global/local payment options supported
⚡ Instant setup via https://hosteons.com

🛠️ Step 1: Choose Your OS & Access Your VPS

We recommend Debian or Ubuntu for IRC-related software.

After provisioning, connect to your VPS:

ssh root@your_vps_ip

Update packages:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

👤 Step 2: Create a Non-root IRC User

For security and shell access:

adduser ircuser
usermod -aG sudo ircuser

Switch to your new user:

su - ircuser

🔄 Step 3: Install and Configure ZNC (IRC Bouncer)

ZNC keeps you connected to IRC even when you’re offline.

Install ZNC:

sudo apt install znc -y

Create configuration:

znc --makeconf

Follow prompts to:

Set admin user/password
Choose a port
(Optional) Bind to a specific IPv6 for vHost use

Start ZNC:

znc

Access via web panel:

http://your_vps_ip:port

Edit config later at:

~/.znc/configs/znc.conf

🤖 Step 4: Install an IRC Bot (Optional)

🐍 Option 1: Sopel (Python)

pip install sopel
sopel configure
sopel start

🥚 Option 2: Eggdrop

sudo apt install eggdrop -y
eggdrop -m eggdrop.conf

🧭 Step 5: Assign IPv6 for vHost (Up to 20 Per VPS!)

List your available IPv6 IPs:

ip -6 addr

Bind ZNC to an IPv6:

Edit ~/.znc/configs/znc.conf:

<Listener listener0>
    Port = 6697
    IPv6 = true
    BindHost = your_ipv6_here
</Listener>

Restart ZNC:

znc --reload

🔁 Step 6: Set Reverse DNS (rDNS) for IPv4 and IPv6

Go to https://vps.hosteons.com
Select your VPS → Network tab
Set rDNS records for both your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
This helps your vHost appear clean and improves IRC acceptance

🧾 Step 7: Install and Configure Identd (Required by Some IRC Networks)

IRC networks often require an Identd response on port 113.

🔧 Install oidentd:

sudo apt install oidentd -y

Edit config:

sudo nano /etc/oidentd.conf

Example:

global {
    default {
        deny spoof
        deny spoof_all
        allow random
    }
}

user "ircuser" {
    default {
        force "ircuser"
    }
}

Enable and start:

sudo systemctl enable oidentd
sudo systemctl start oidentd

🔓 Open Port 113 in Firewall (if applicable)

sudo ufw allow 113/tcp

Or:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 113 -j ACCEPT

🧪 Step 8: Test Your Setup

Connect to IRC from your local client using your VPS
Ensure your vHost and ident show up correctly
Use services like mxtoolbox.com to verify RDNS

🧠 Extra Tips

You can install screen or tmux to keep sessions running in the background.
Use crontab -e to auto-start ZNC or bots on boot.
Set up fail2ban or a firewall like ufw to secure your VPS.
Always use strong passwords and keep software updated.

✅ Ready to Get Started?

Choose a VPS plan and start building your IRC shell-like environment today:

👉 https://hosteons.com

Need help? Contact us via https://my.hosteons.com