updates · Aug 8, 2026
How to Keep a VPS Updated Without Breaking Everything
Learn which server updates are safe to automate, which ones deserve a slower look, and how to reduce security risk without turning maintenance into a gamble.
Server Manager blog
The Journal
Guides and stories about running your own server — without living in the terminal.
How to Read Server Logs When Something Breaks
Learn what server logs are, where errors usually appear, and how to use them to narrow down website or app problems without guessing.
Coolify, Dokploy, or a raw VPS: where the self-hosted PaaS tools stop
Coolify and Dokploy make deploying your app on your own server feel like Heroku. But they run on top of a server that someone still has to secure, update, and keep alive. Here's an honest map of where they end and the sysadmin part begins.
Docker on a VPS for Beginners: What It Is, When You Need It, and When You Don’t
A plain-English guide to Docker on your server: what it does, when it helps, and when it just adds another layer to manage.
Why Is My VPS Slow? A Beginner’s Guide to CPU, RAM, Disk, and Traffic Problems
Learn the common reasons a server feels slow, how to tell them apart, and what each one usually means.
How to Host Multiple Websites on One VPS Without Making a Mess
Run several sites or apps on one server by giving each project its own domain, route, HTTPS certificate, and tidy boundaries.
What Size VPS Do You Need? A Plain-English Guide to CPU, RAM, and Storage
Choose the right server size for a website, app, or self-hosted service without paying for power you do not need.
How to back up your server — and actually be able to restore it
Most people either have no backups or have never tested the ones they have. A backup you can't restore from isn't a backup. Here's what to save, where to keep it, and how to know it actually works.
How to deploy a small web app to a VPS without DevOps
Your app runs fine on your laptop — the hard part is the gap between "works on my machine" and "live on the internet." Here's what deploying actually involves, the four things every app needs, and how to skip the tooling.
How to move from cPanel shared hosting to your own VPS
Shared hosting got you started, but the renewal price, resource limits, and noisy neighbors add up. Moving to your own server sounds like a leap — it's really a short checklist. Here's what moves, in what order, without downtime.
Self-hosting Nextcloud: a private cloud you actually own
Your files live in someone else's cloud — paid for monthly, capped, and quietly scanned. Nextcloud is a self-hosted Dropbox or Drive you run yourself. Here's what it is, why it's worth owning, and what it takes to set up.
How to set up a firewall on your VPS (and why you need one)
A brand-new server is reachable by the entire internet within minutes — bots included. A firewall decides which doors stay open. Here's what it does, the one rule that keeps you safe, and the mistake that locks you out.
How to get free HTTPS on your own server
The padlock in the address bar isn't a luxury anymore — it's free, automatic, and expected. Here's what HTTPS actually does, why it stopped costing money, and how it gets set up without you ever managing a certificate.
I bought a VPS — now what? A beginner's first steps
You rented a server and got an IP address, a password, and a blinking cursor. Here's what a server actually is, the four things every new one needs, and how to get going without learning to be a sysadmin.
Managed hosting vs. your own VPS: which should you choose?
Managed hosting is easy, but you pay for it and give up control. A VPS is cheaper and fully yours, but you're the sysadmin. Here's an honest comparison — and a third option that splits the difference.
How to point a domain at your server (without editing config files)
You have a server with an IP address and a domain you bought somewhere else. Connecting them is one small DNS change — here's what it means, the single record you need, and how the padlock follows.
Self-hosting Vaultwarden: a password manager you actually own
Your passwords currently live on someone else's server. Vaultwarden is a lightweight, Bitwarden-compatible password manager you run yourself — here's what it is, why it's worth owning, and what it takes to set up.
Why isn't my website loading? The three layers that decide if it's reachable
You deployed your site, it works for you, but visitors get a spinning tab or "can't be reached." The problem is always one of three layers between a browser and your server — here's how to tell which.
How to host WordPress on a VPS without touching the terminal
You rented a server to run your own WordPress — then hit a wall of SSH, web servers, and DNS. Here's the shortcut: describe what you want in plain English and let the app do the sysadmin work.