Use when setting up, hardening, or reviewing a cloud server for self-hosting, including DNS, SSH, firewalls, Nginx, static-site hosting, reverse-proxying an app, HTTPS with Let's Encrypt or ACME clients, safe HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects, or optional post-launch network tuning such as BBR.
Detected risks:
The `secure-linux-web-hosting` skill is designed to help users transform a cloud-based Linux server into a secure, reliable web host. It addresses common challenges faced by those setting up self-hosted websites or apps, including outdated tutorials, distro-specific quirks, and security pitfalls. By following a structured workflow, the skill ensures servers are properly hardened, safely accessible, and correctly configured for web service hosting. It emphasizes verification against official documentation before issuing commands, helping prevent mistakes caused by assumptions or outdated guides.
Key features include guidance for secure SSH access, firewall configuration, Nginx setup, static site hosting, reverse-proxying small applications, HTTPS provisioning with Let's Encrypt or ACME clients, and safe HTTP-to-HTTPS redirection. The workflow is broken into phases covering prerequisites, access, exposure, server setup, hosting strategy, HTTPS, validation, and optional advanced tuning such as network performance improvements. Users are instructed to validate package names, service units, and configuration paths against their specific Linux distribution to maintain accuracy and security.
This skill is ideal for developers, sysadmins, or hobbyists who need to self-host a website or small application on a Linux server. It is best suited for single-tenant cloud servers, virtual machines, or droplets where the user has root or administrative access. Typical use cases include connecting a domain via DNS, hosting static sites, running small apps behind Nginx, and enabling HTTPS securely. The skill is not intended for container orchestration, Windows/macOS hosting, or large-scale multi-tenant production environments, focusing instead on practical, verifiable guidance for secure web hosting on Linux.
The skill is designed to work with common Linux distributions, but always verifies package names, service units, and configuration paths against the user's specific distro before providing commands.
No, this skill is intended for self-hosted Linux servers. It does not cover Kubernetes, PaaS, or full container-orchestrator deployment design.
Yes, it provides guidance for obtaining HTTPS certificates via Let's Encrypt or other ACME clients, but only after DNS resolves correctly to the host.
No, it is specifically designed for Linux hosts and does not provide guidance for Windows or macOS administration.
It ensures that key-based login is working in a second SSH session before recommending any changes such as disabling password authentication or root login.
Quick Setup:
.claude/skills/Repository
xixu-me/skills