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# Easy steps to get your domain and web server

While it's fresh in my memory, I'd like to share some tips with you folks. Also may this be notes for self later, when I buy other domains or VPS.

So here are some general lines to follow to get a server running.

## Buy a domain

To buy a domain, you need to buy it through a registrar. Choose any registrar as it doesnt matter where you buy it really. You can get a domain for as low as 0.99$ (as advertised on some site's promo). Keeping in mind though that some registrars offer different endings that others dont have (.io, .dev). A good classic **.com** is usually cheaper, same with **.net**.

> **Before you buy, choose a cool name** like : *myfunnycatvideos.com*.

Your registrar will let you know right away if the name is available. Give the registrar your paypal /credit card info and the house keys are yours.

## Get a host

Now you have the keys, but you are still homeless. Where is your house? You have no address yet.

**You still need to host your domain somewhere.**

Some registrar company will also offer you to host your domain. The company might offer you a nice server and options like a database, a https certificate and other interesting gizmos. All for extra lots of $$$. If you're rich, then Bob's your uncle! If not, keep smiling anyway. Life is still good, as **you can host your domain anywhere else cheaper**.

Some **VPS (Virtual Private Server)** can be less than 5$ per month if you shop around, or even 2$ I have seen. Depends how much you can afford for speed and power.
> Do you really need a powerful server for *myfunnycatvideos.com?*
>> You could just make a site that uses youtube as a sort of database / filesystem, a site that serves only embedded links to youtube videos. A site that doesnt technically serve any videos. Therefore, no need for a powerful server.

Personally, all I need is **Linux** on tin can.

If you decide to buy a VPS, again you get the paypal / credit card out and buy your VPS.
> Although one could make his own host in his basement for free. That is for another talk.

## Make a web server

Now you decided to host away from your registrar and you bought a VPS.

It's highly possible that your VPS company sends you an email with your root login password for SSH.

You go in **Termux** on your phone for example and try login in.
```
ssh root@myvpsserver12345.smthg.com
password:
...
connected to myvpsserver12345.smthg.com
root:
```
It works! You have a server, just not a web server yet.

**You also need to install your web server.**

So go on google and find a tutorial how to install a webserver (then you probably find **Apache** and **PHP** tutorials,🤮). Better yet, maybe you know how to code a webserver in some cool programming language like **Go** or **NodeJS**. Anyway, for this, it all comes down to personal preferences.

So install / code your web server. Cost 0$.

## Name servers

At this point you have a host machine with an IP address(example: 111.11.111.11) and a webserver running on it. So you can view a web page in a web browser with a wonky address like :
```
http://111.11.111.11
```
It works.

But still nothing at *myfunnycatvideos.com*

**That's because you need to change name servers.**

Your registrar, upon registration of the domain, likely already assigned you some name servers that belongs to this registrar, and your host is using different name servers.

Your VPS company has likely an option to list other domains registered elsewhere. You type in the domain names you would like transfered and then you receive 2 addresses : those are the name servers for your VPS.

Now you can go back to the registrar, where you bought the domain, and give those name servers to do a change in the registration of that domain.

Once the change initiated, some say it can take 24-48 hours for this change to propagate to the entire internet. That seems like a lie : cause it took me less than an hour. But for the domain to work, **you also need to set the records straight.**

## "A" records

The VPS hosting service will likely have an area like DNS zone rules.

This is where you can tell this VPS company service, which machine you intend to use for a specific domain.

Look for something that mentions "A records".

So when setting an "A record", it can be for
- *@ .myfunnycatvideos.com*
- *www .myfunnycatvideos.com*
- *mail.myfunnycatvideos.com*

And for each of those records you can set the same IP or set different IPs to have your subdomains served by different separate machines.

Once the "A records" are done, you can try in the browser again.

```
- http://www.myfunnycatvideos.com
```
It now works but your browser gives you a warning that this site is not secure and could be phishing site or with other malicious intent.

Now you can also access SSH like:

```
ssh user@myfunnycatvideos.com
```

## https and green padlock

Browsers nowadays complain about site security if the site is not served through https protocol / port 443.

You can half-solved the problem by creating your own self signed SSL certificates. That would allow for a SSL encrypted connection on port 443. Still the browser complains because the certificate is not signed by a recognized certicate authority.

You can buy an official certificate, which is a good thing really, if you can pay 100$ a year for it or more. But Bob is not your uncle, so you gotta improvise something. Here comes ***Let's Encrypt*** and ***Certbot***. **SSL certificate for free.**

I will not go over the details on how to use **Certbot** for a free **Let's Encrypt** certificate. The installation process might be different from different machines depending on the operating system. All the details can be found on [Certbot](https://certbot.eff.org/).

Once you get the pair of certificate and private key, just make sure the web server knows where to find them and configurations / coding is made to use https protocol on port 443.

© Paul Caron, aka ChillPill

Buying a domain and hosting : general lines