✅ VPS Hosting & Website Management: Learning Roadmap

🗂️ 1. Foundations (Beginner Level)

Learn basic Linux commands: cd, ls, mkdir, nano, chmod, chown, sudo, apt
Understand file system structure: /var/www, /etc, /home, etc.
Work with services: systemctl, service (e.g. systemctl restart apache2)
Use SSH securely: login, public/private key setup

⚙️ 2. Web Stack Setup

Install and configure Apache or Nginx
Install and configure PHP (latest version)
Install and configure MySQL or MariaDB
Set up virtual hosts for multiple domains
Configure php.ini: error logging, max upload size, timezone
Enable mod_rewrite for clean URLs and .htaccess support

🔐 3. Security Essentials

Create a non-root user and disable direct root SSH access
Set up UFW firewall (allow only ports 22, 80, 443)
Install Fail2ban to block brute-force SSH attempts
Use Let’s Encrypt and Certbot to enable HTTPS
Disable directory listing and server signatures
Regularly update software: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

⚡ 4. Performance Optimization

Enable OPcache in PHP
Use gzip or mod_deflate to compress server responses
Configure browser caching in .htaccess
Use a CDN (e.g., Cloudflare) to serve static assets
Optimize database queries and use indexes
Minify JS, CSS; optimize images

💾 5. Backups & Recovery

Automate file backups using rsync, tar, or scp
Backup databases with mysqldump
Set up cron jobs for daily/weekly backups
Store backups offsite (e.g., AWS S3, remote server)
Practice restoring from backups

📊 6. Monitoring & Logs

Use tools like htop, top, df, free, uptime
Monitor Apache logs: /var/log/apache2/error.log
Monitor MySQL logs: /var/log/mysql/error.log
Install Netdata or Monit for real-time metrics and alerts

🌐 7. Domain & DNS

Point your domain to server via A/AAAA records
Manage subdomains and DNS using Cloudflare
Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for mail validation

📤 8. Website Deployment

Use Git for version control (git clone, git pull)
Upload files securely via SFTP, rsync, or scp
Set proper file/folder permissions
Automate deployments with bash scripts or Git hooks

🧪 9. Testing & Validation

Test mobile responsiveness and form workflows
Validate HTML, CSS, JS using linters
Fix mixed content issues (HTTPS with HTTP assets)
Run scans: SSL Labs, SecurityHeaders, Sucuri

🛠️ 10. Optional (Advanced)

Learn Laravel or modern PHP frameworks
Set up Docker for isolated environments
CI/CD with GitHub Actions or GitLab CI
Advanced logging and analytics with journald/logrotate