From Zero to Production: My HNG DevOps Stage 0 Journey

I just completed a hands-on Linux server setup and deployment no Docker, no automation, just raw DevOps fundamentals. Here’s exactly how I approached it: Server Provisioning & Access Spun up a Linux server on the cloud Connected via SSH using key-based authentication Created a secure non-root user: hngdevops Granted sudo privileges Security Hardening Disabled root SSH login Disabled password authentication (keys only) Configured Uncomplicated Firewall: Allowed only ports 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP),