So can I handle an unmanaged VPS, really?

Hello,

I'd like to host my new Wordpress blog with an Unmanaged VPS, because of super blazing speed.
But the real question is can I handle an unmanaged VPS?, specially with no prior linux server administration at all.

I have extensive experience with Wordpress blogging, setting up plugins and cPanel. But it frightens me to try an unmanaged VPS however I am up for the challenge if it's doable and not so time taking.

Have any one of you tried this? Thinking about Linode, DigitalOcean or AfterBurst.

 

You will spend a lot of time searching for information. Do you have the time to learn?

If you are doing something important and make money from your websites, I would not recommend an unmanaged VPS (and if you do an unmanaged, WHM/cPanel will be helpful to you) without any experience. If you are not doing something important and want to learn and play a bit, then go for it.

If you want to learn what managing a server (or VPS) is like, you can download a copy of VirtualBox and install the Linux OS of your choice and practice and learn on a virtualized Linux OS running within your computer's current OS. You can find out what managing a server will be like, updating and installing software, and maybe you will run into problems and find out what it is like to try and solve them.

So you can find out what it will be like to manage your own server before you actually purchase a VPS plan if you download VirtualBox and install a Linux distribution.

 

Good reply. Thanks. I've used VirtualBox for a couple of purposes and indeed VMware as well. I've also used Debian and Ubuntu as well. But that's just to basic usage and no commands. I've come to know about ServerPilot.

Anyone has experience with ServerPilot and how beneficial is the free version? How will we manage email accounts on unmanaged VPS? how about FTP? upload/download files etc.

 

First of all, if you're asking this question, it's unlikely you could manage your own VPS.

That being said, I doubt you would even need a VPS to host a blog. A reseller hosting plan with a good web host company is more than sufficient.

 

@dcristo - Respect your views. In past few years, I've been hosting with JustHost, FatCow and a number of other hosts. Yes, shared hosting seems to be okay for a basic wordpress blog and maybe a little more. However, I want my new blog to load at a blink of an eye. That's purely why I need such a VPS, even the basic ones does a better job at loading Wordpress sites fast. That's what I've read and believe that's true. Definitely, heavier plugins and stuff will effect, but that's the bottom line.

 

If you're using wordpress, you can install a caching plugin to speed up your website. You don't need a VPS to host a blog. The only time I did was when hosting a popular forum website, but such sites are a lot more resource intensive.

 

I agree with you. I've used all kinds of popular caching such as W3 and Super and a few others. Yes, it creates a huge difference. But even than I think there's quite some difference between actually using SSD drivers with dedicated core and ram, do you agree? And what if am planning to make wordpress posts full of many images, such as inspiration posts.

 

I just think your time would be better spent writing content for your site rather than trying to learn how to manage your VPS.

If your blog posts contain lots of images, make sure you optimize the images so they load quicker.

 

Well said. But what if I use an unmanaged VPS with ServerPilot? Do you think that will help me to focus on writing?

 

A VPS is not necessarily faster than a shared server. That is a misconception many have. A VPS is a virtualized server with limited CPU and RAM resources. As Wordpress is a bloated script, depending on your VPS, it could very well load faster on a good shared host. (The two shared hosts you mention here are both "unlimited" hosts and those types of host can have problems with server overloading resulting in slow load speed due some customers actually trying to take advantage of "unlimited" resources).

And I don't think Wordpress is capable of loading in the blink of an eye just due to how bloated it is. When I had a VPS, it was a 2-core with 3 GB or RAM and while the first page load after a long break in loads is always the longest, I could get page loads in 350 - 400 milliseconds for the main home page HTML. That's with 80 file includes and a number of database queries.

If you do go with a VPS, you should do a 2 core with at least 2 GB of RAM. A 1 core is really under-powered, especially for Wordpress. It all depends on your budget. There are a number of VPS providers and even "elastic" cloud providers you can look at. And these days, you can get a managed dedicated server with a single 4-core CPU, 4 GB of RAM, WHM/cPanel, and 128GB SSD or 1 TB mechanical drive for $99 a month. That should be quite fast. It all depends on how much you want to spend.

 

Agreed. As of now, I was looking in to Linode, AfterBurst and due to price factor and quality, DigitalOcean as well. So yes I'd like to get it started under $5/month - I know it's not the best budget, should be around $10/month at-least. However, I think $5 package from DigitalOcean maybe sufficient to well manage it. I've heard many good things about it so am really assuming things here.

Again, it's all what I think and trying to draw a conclusion with my limited knowledge. That's why I ask help from you folks. It's always great to start a thread and get in touch with great people too!

 

Running a WP-blog (insecure by default) on an unmanaged VPS with no real experience with managing a *nix-server, I see lots of potential problems. There are so many things you'll have to learn, not to mention keep an eye on, especially if the blog becomes very popular (becoming a target). There are a LOT of ways to attack your site, and with no prior experience managing such a server, my guess is that you'll leave at least some attack vectors open for abuse.

 

Makes sense indeed. Well, so which hosts do you prefer or you've had good experience with in past? I mean shared hosts.

 

Its depends on how much work involved.. If you have cpanel in an unmamaged vps there's nothing much to be done using the console etc.. I am using an unmanaged vps for 5+ years and after so many years I have logged in to ssh maybe around 5 times only.. If you are ready to learn then umanaged will be fine but for a serious website generating revenue etc its always safer to stick with managed vps.

 

in there lots of tutorial posted in various site you can try to learn and without start first step you can't be done so all the best for you.

 

If you are REALLY, REALLY new to it, I suggest that you try using one of the sets of "perfect Server" installation guides form HowToForge. Their ones for Debian are usually very well written and easy to follow -- and include ISPConfig 3 which is kind of a poor man's CPANEL without the ridiculous licensing, illegible font sizes or it doing things that really have no business being done from a retard panel (like installing CMS or forum software).

For example Jessie just dropped in September so:
https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/perfect-server-debian-8-jessie-apache-bind-dovecot-ispconfig-3/

Usually most VPS systems will bring it up to the point where SSH is configured, so you can usually skip ahead to step 3 or 4.

If "nervous" about it on real hardware, I suggest downloading Oracle VirtualBox and trying to install it in a local VM first so you have some idea and experience before you go in via SSH to your VPS. You can get a handle on the basics before you shell out anyplace for it, figuring out if you are ready or not to go it on your own.

Personally I prefer Debian as it tends to lean more towards stable tested versions of software instead of bleeding edge unstable that some other distros like. I also have an utter and complete distaste for anything Red Hat legacy (fedora, centOS) as how they do things just feels utterly and completely back-assward to me. (since I have experience with REAL Unix systems) - the laugh of that being Red Hat Enterprise was supposed to be about making Linux more like a real business class UNIX, but somehow they managed to go the exact opposite direction.

 

Wow, that's really, REALLY useful. Thanks

 

unmanaged translates to "Do It Yourself..."
This also means you manage *EVERYTHING*
Short of a server blowing up, you are responsible
for all your security & software updates, and if you
screw something up, then it is all on you....

If you want to run a business and a Host then great.
If you want to focus on your business and not the host...
Then always go with a managed hosting....

personally, I would rather focus on the business, and
let the host do the work they are paid to do...