# Linux web hosting: first steps

> Start with HyperDC Linux hosting: open your service, find your connection details, point your domain, upload your site and create a database and mailbox.

Difficulty: Beginner

HyperDC Linux web hosting runs your sites fast on NVMe storage, protects them with free SSL, Web Shield and the firewall, and keeps copies of them with backups. You manage everything on your **service page in the client area**, and we run and maintain the server, with full support 24/7. This guide takes you from a new service to a live site. Plans: [Linux web hosting](/linux-web-hosting).

## Before you start

- Your Linux hosting service is active. WordPress hosting works the same way, and so does your own website on Linux reseller hosting.
- Your domain, registered with HyperDC or elsewhere.

## Step 1: Open your service

1. In the client area, open **Services › My Services** and select your hosting service.
2. The page opens on **Overview**. The other tabs hold everything else: **Websites**, **SSL**, **File Manager**, **Databases**, **Mail**, **Disk Access**, **DNS**, **Backups** and more. On a phone, the tabs become a **Sections** list.

If the page says your hosting is being set up, refresh it in a moment.

## Step 2: Find your connection details

On **Overview**, the cards at the top count what you use, such as add-on domains, subdomains, websites, mailboxes, MySQL and PostgreSQL databases and disk accounts. The **Usage** panel shows your disk space and this month's traffic, and under **All your websites together** what your whole account may use: processor, memory, processes at once, disk speed, disk operations and files and folders.

The **Connection details** panel lists what you need later, with a copy button on each line: the **Disk address** and **Disk user** under **Website files**; under **Mail**, the server addresses for your mail app and the **Webmail** address; the **MySQL host**, **PostgreSQL host** and **Database Manager** under **Databases**; and the nameservers and the **Server IP address** under **Domain**.

## Step 3: Point your domain

Where your domain is registered, set our nameservers, `ns1.hyperdc.com` to `ns4.hyperdc.com`, and nothing else is needed; see [DNS and Cloudflare on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-cloudflare-dns). To keep your DNS where it is, point the A records of `example.com` and `www.example.com` to the **Server IP address** from **Connection details** instead; see [point a domain to your server](/guides/point-domain-to-server). Changes can take a while to reach the whole internet.

## Step 4: Upload your site

Your main domain's files go into the `httpdocs` folder. Work on them in the browser with **File Manager**, or open your hosting as a drive on your computer with **Disk Access**; see [upload files on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-disk-access). Both work over HTTPS.

- For WordPress: see [install WordPress on Linux hosting](/guides/install-wordpress-linux-hosting).
- For another application in one click: see [one-click PHP applications](/guides/linux-hosting-one-click-apps).
- For a site at another host: see [move your website to Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-migration).

**Verify:** your site loads at `http://example.com`.

## Step 5: Turn on HTTPS

Open **SSL**. The free certificate is issued by itself once your domain points to the server; select **Issue Free** next to the domain to ask for it at once. See [free SSL on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-ssl).

**Verify:** `https://example.com` loads with a padlock.

## Step 6: Choose the PHP version

Open **Websites**, select **Settings** next to the site and choose the **PHP version** under **PHP settings**; the newest versions are offered. See [domains, PHP and .htaccess on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-domains-php).

## Step 7: Create a database

Open **Databases** and select **New Database**. Choose the **Engine**, **MySQL** for MariaDB or **PostgreSQL**, then enter a name and a password. Copy the **Connection String** into your application. See [databases on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-databases).

## Step 8: Create a mailbox

Open **Mail**, select **New Mailbox** next to your domain and enter the name before `@`, a password and a size. See [email on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-mail); to read it in the browser, see [webmail on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-webmail).

## Step 9: Back up

Open **Backups** and select **Create Backup** before you change anything important, then download a copy. In the tab's **Schedule** panel, you set backups to run every day, week or month by themselves. See [back up and restore on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-backup-restore).

## Next steps

- What protects your account and what happens on your sites: [security, logs and isolation on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-security-logs).
- More sites on one service and the PHP version of each: [domains, PHP and .htaccess on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-domains-php).
- Recurring jobs: [scheduled tasks on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-scheduled-tasks).
- DNS kept at Cloudflare: [DNS and Cloudflare on Linux hosting](/guides/linux-hosting-cloudflare-dns).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a control panel to sign in to?

No. Websites, files, SSL, databases, mail, disk access and backups are all on your service page in the client area. You only need your client area login.

### Can each site use its own PHP version?

Yes. The newest PHP versions are offered, each kept at its latest release, and you choose the version for each website on its own.

### Which databases are included?

MySQL-compatible (MariaDB) and PostgreSQL databases, as many as you need: they are unlimited, and only the server can reach them. MariaDB appears as MySQL in the Engine list.

### Is an SSL certificate included?

Yes. A free Let's Encrypt certificate is issued and renewed by itself once your domain points to the server, and Force HTTPS is on from the start.

### Can I bring my site from another host?

Yes. The Migration & Restore tab of your service page restores your old host's full backup or copies a running server; the migration guide has the steps.

### Do my .htaccess files work?

Yes. .htaccess rules work as on Apache, so WordPress, Laravel-style and other CMS rewrites work as they are.

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Source: <https://hyperdc.com/guides/products/linux-hosting-first-steps>\
Updated: 2026-11-07
