Getting Started with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS on Bare Metal
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) is a long-term support release that offers five years of security updates and patches, making it an excellent choice for production dedicated servers. Whether you are running web applications, databases, or containerized workloads, Ubuntu 24.04 provides a stable and performant foundation.
At BRHOSTING.COM, our dedicated servers starting from $158/month come pre-configured with IPMI access, allowing you to install your preferred operating system remotely. In this guide, we walk through the complete installation process on bare metal hardware powered by AMD EPYC processors.
Prerequisites
- A dedicated server with IPMI or iKVM remote console access
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS ISO image mounted via virtual media
- At least 2 GB RAM (8 GB+ recommended for production)
- Minimum 25 GB disk space (NVMe SSD recommended)
- Network connectivity with a static IP address assigned by your provider
Step 1: Access the Remote Console
Log into your server's IPMI web interface. Navigate to the Remote Control section and launch the iKVM console. Mount the Ubuntu 24.04 ISO via the Virtual Media option. Reboot the server and ensure the boot order prioritizes the virtual CD/DVD drive.
Step 2: Boot the Installer
Once the server boots from the ISO, you will see the GRUB menu. Select Try or Install Ubuntu Server. The installer uses the new Subiquity framework, which provides a streamlined, text-based interface ideal for server deployments.
Step 3: Configure Networking
Select your primary network interface (typically eno1 or enp1s0). For a dedicated server, configure a static IP address:
Subnet: 192.0.2.0/24
Address: 192.0.2.10
Gateway: 192.0.2.1
Name servers: 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8Replace with the actual values provided by your hosting provider. At BRHOSTING.COM, these details are available in your client area immediately after server provisioning.
Step 4: Storage Configuration
For production servers, we recommend using LVM for flexible disk management. If your server has multiple NVMe drives, consider configuring software RAID 1 for redundancy. The installer supports guided LVM setup or manual partitioning for advanced configurations.
A recommended partition layout for a 1 TB NVMe drive:
/boot- 1 GB (ext4)/boot/efi- 512 MB (FAT32, for UEFI systems)/- 100 GB (ext4 on LVM)/var- 200 GB (ext4 on LVM)/home- remaining space (ext4 on LVM)- Swap - 16 GB (on LVM)
Step 5: User and SSH Setup
Create your admin user account and set a strong password. Enable the OpenSSH server when prompted. You can also import SSH keys from GitHub or Launchpad for passwordless authentication from the start.
Step 6: Package Selection
The installer offers featured server snaps such as Docker, Kubernetes, and PostgreSQL. For a clean installation, skip these and install packages manually after the base system is ready. This gives you full control over versions and configurations.
Post-Installation Configuration
Update the System
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y ufw fail2ban htop net-toolsConfigure the Firewall
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw enableHarden SSH
Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and set:
PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication no
MaxAuthTries 3
ClientAliveInterval 300Restart SSH with sudo systemctl restart sshd.
Performance Tuning for EPYC Processors
AMD EPYC processors like the 9354P and 9555P available at BRHOSTING.COM benefit from specific kernel parameters. Add to /etc/sysctl.conf:
vm.swappiness=10
net.core.somaxconn=65535
net.ipv4.tcp_max_syn_backlog=65535
fs.file-max=2097152Apply with sudo sysctl -p.
Conclusion
You now have a production-ready Ubuntu 24.04 LTS installation on your dedicated server. This foundation supports any workload from simple web hosting to complex containerized microservices architectures. BRHOSTING.COM offers servers in Frankfurt, St. Louis, Strasbourg, Miami, Singapore, and New York, ensuring low latency for your target audience.