Your first server in 5 minutes

⏱ 5 min read 🟢 Beginner Last updated: April 2026

This guide walks you through creating, launching, and connecting to your first BareMeta server. By the end you'll have a running Linux server accessible from your browser — no prior cloud experience required.

Before you start

You'll need:

A BareMeta account — create one free
A verified email address (check your inbox after signing up)
A payment method (billing starts when your server is created)

ℹ️ Not sure which server size to pick? Start with Starter (£3.99/mo). You can always create a larger one later.

Launching your server

After signing in, you'll land on the Virtual Machines page. Click the + New Instance button in the top right.

Choose what you're building

The wizard will ask what your server is for. Pick the option that best describes your use case — this helps set sensible defaults. Don't worry, you can use the server for anything regardless of what you pick here.

Pick a size

Choose how much CPU, RAM, and storage you need. For most personal projects and small websites, Starter or Small is plenty. You can see the exact specs (vCPUs, RAM, storage) under each option.

💡 Not sure? Pick Small (£6.99/mo) — it handles most workloads comfortably and you can create a new larger server if you outgrow it.

Give it a name

Enter a name for your server — letters, numbers, and hyphens only. Something like my-website or dev-server-01 works well.

Agree to terms and launch

Tick the Terms of Service checkbox and click 🚀 Launch Server. Your server will be created and ready in about 60–90 seconds.

✅ You'll see your new server appear in the Virtual Machines list with a running status indicator once it's ready.

Connecting to your server

Once the server is running, click the SSH button on your server row. A terminal will open directly in your browser — no software to install.

You'll be logged in as the ubuntu user on Ubuntu servers. From here you can install software, configure your server, and get to work.

ℹ️ Want to connect using a local terminal instead? See Connecting to your server for SSH key instructions.

Next steps

Secure your server — the first thing you should do after connecting
Set up a web server — get Nginx running and host a website
Install a database — MySQL or PostgreSQL setup guide
Understand billing — how charges work and how to manage costs