How to host 2FAuth on Contabo VM Instance - ServerAvatar

2FAuth is a Web application designed to manage your Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) accounts and generate their security codes. It is a self-hosted alternative to OTP generators like Google Authenticator, designed for both mobile and desktop. The 2FAuth library allows you to implement this security measure with ease. Hosting 2FAuth on Contabo provides a dependable and scalable solution. Contabo provides various instance types and configurations to match various performances with flexible deployment options. ServerAvatar simplifies the process by providing a clear, step-by-step guide to setting up your 2FAuth application on Contabo VPS.

Create VM Instance in Contabo

What Is Contabo?

Contabo is a web hosting company that provides a variety of internet hosting services. Founded in Germany in 2003, Contabo offers services such as:

1. VPS Hosting: Virtual Private Servers with scalable resources for various needs, from small projects to larger applications.
2. Dedicated Servers: Physical servers dedicated to a single user, offering high performance and control.
3. Web Hosting: Shared hosting solutions for websites, which include storage, bandwidth, and various management tools.
4. Object Storage: Scalable storage solutions for managing large amounts of data.
5. Domain Registration: Services for registering and managing domain names.

Contabo is known for its competitive pricing, high-performance hardware, and customer service, making it a popular choice for both individual users and businesses looking for reliable hosting solutions.

To set up a server in Contabo, begin by logging into your Contabo account. Once logged in, proceed with the following steps.

Step 1: Create an account on Contabo

Login to your Contabo account, select "VPS" from the dropdown menu, and then click on "Cloud VPS".

Step 2: Select your Cloud VPS plan

Contabo offers a variety of Cloud VPS options. Here, you should select the plan that best meets your requirements as shown in the below image.

Step 3: Select Region

• First, you need to select the term length (in months) according to your requirements.
• Next, you will need to select the location for your VPS. Contabo offers multiple options for selecting the location.
• It's recommended to select the region closest to your audience. This ensures that your sites load faster for the majority of your audience due to reduced latency.

Step 4: Select your Storage Type

Contabo provides different types of storage space, including both complimentary and paid options. Here, you should select the storage type based on your specific requirements. As shown in the image below.

Step 5: Select an Image or an OS

In this step, you need to select the Operating System for your cloud VPS. Generally, the 2FAuth application requires Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or a later version for compatibility and support.

We recommend using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS x64 or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS x64. Ubuntu is known for its ease of configuration and management. If you are using ServerAvatar to manage your cloud VPS, these operating systems are recommended.

Step 6: Setting a Password

Here, it's recommended to create a strong password for your root user, as it holds all privileges on the Linux OS.

Step 7: Select Object Storage

Now, you need to select object storage space for backing up your VPS. You will find several options ranging from 250 GB to 1 TB. If you do not require object storage you can select the None option from the dropdown.

Step 8: Select Network

• In the Network section, you will find three options, You should select these according to your specific requirements:
  • Private Network
  • Bandwidth
  • IPv4

Step 9: Selecting Additional Options

• Backup Space: This option allows you to add additional storage space dedicated specifically for backups of your VPS data.
• Server Management: Contabo offers server management services where they handle the day-to-day operations of your VPS.
• Monitoring: This option provides monitoring services for your VPS. It includes monitoring server uptime, resource usage (CPU, RAM, disk), and network connectivity.
• SSL: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are crucial for securing communication between your website and its visitors.

After completing all the necessary steps, click on the "Next" button to proceed to the payment method where you can finalize your details.

Step 10: Finalize Details

In this step, you can review all your selections for your Cloud VPS, finalize your details, and proceed with the payment. In a few minutes, your Cloud VPS will be ready. Now, we need to perform the initial configuration to host PHP-based frameworks and software.

Initial Server Configuration

The Initial server configuration includes the installation and configuration of various packages required to host your website. Usually, You have to write commands and modify configuration files. Luckily, With ServerAvatar, Your full server configuration and optimization can be automated.

Here are the three ways to automatically configure your server with ServerAvatar.

wget https://srvr.so/install
chmod +x install
./install

Install and Setup 2FAuth on Cloud using ServerAvatar

Self-Hosting 2FAuth Application: Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction:

In an age where cybersecurity is paramount, adding an extra layer of security through Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a must. The 2FAuth library allows you to implement this security measure with ease. This guide will walk you through the steps to self-host 2FAuth on your own web server, whether on a local machine or a hosted environment, using Apache2 or NGINX as your HTTP server.

Requirements:

1. HTTP Server: You need a web server such as Apache or NGINX. These are the most popular web servers, and you likely have one of them installed if you are using a web hosting service.
2. PHP: Ensure you have PHP 8.1 or higher installed with the following extensions:
   • BCMath
   • Ctype
   • Fileinfo
   • JSON
   • Mbstring
   • OpenSSL
   • PDO
   • Tokenizer
   • XML
3. Database: 2FAuth supports various databases such as:
   • MariaDB 10.2+
   • MySQL 5.7+
   • PostgreSQL 9.6+
   • SQLite 3.8.8+
   • SQL Server 2017+
4. Composer: Composer is required to manage PHP dependencies for 2FAuth. Follow the Composer installation guide.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide:

Step 1: Create a GitHub application

Start by creating a GitHub application using ServerAvatar. This will allow you to easily manage and deploy your 2FAuth instance. Follow these steps:

1. Open ServerAvatar: Log in to your ServerAvatar account.
2. Navigate to the Application Dashboard: In the dashboard, find the option to create a new application.
3. Create the GitHub Application:
   • HTTP URL: Enter https://github.com/Bubka/2FAuth.git
   • Branch Name: Set this to master
   • Deployment Script: Use the script composer install --prefer-dist --no-scripts --no-dev

This configuration will clone the 2FAuth repository and install the necessary dependencies.

Step 2: Set Custom Webroot

Set the custom webroot as public for your application. This can be done from the application dashboard in the application settings. The webroot directory is where your web server searches for the application files to serve.

Step 3: Create a Database

From the server dashboard, navigate to the databases section and create a new database. This database will store your application's data.

Step 4: Enable SSH Credentials

To securely access your server, enable SSH credentials. SSH (Secure Shell) provides a secure way to log in to your server remotely, ensuring that your data and commands are encrypted. This step is crucial for managing your server and deploying your 2FAuth application.

Step 5: Login Using SSH Credentials

• Once you have your SSH credentials enabled, you can log in to your server. Open a terminal and use the following command: sudo ssh {username}@{ip}
• Replace {username} with your actual username and {ip} with your server's IP address. You will be prompted to enter your password. After successful authentication, you will have remote access to your server.

Step 6: Navigate to the Application Path

With SSH access established, navigate to your application's directory on the server. This is where you will set up your 2FAuth project. Use the cd command to change directories to your application's root path.

Step 7: Execution

Run the following command and answer the wizard questions. php artisan 2fauth:install

At the conclusion of the wizard, the 2FAuth setup process will be complete.

Step 8: Verify Installation

To confirm that your 2FAuth installation is successful, visit your application domain in a web browser. You should see the 2FAuth page, indicating that your setup is complete and your application is ready for development.

Conclusion:

By following this guide, you have successfully set up and deployed your 2FAuth application. This process included creating a GitHub application, setting a custom webroot, creating a database, enabling SSH credentials, logging into your server, navigating to the application path, executing the installation script, and verifying your installation. Your 2FAuth application is now up and running, providing an extra layer of security for your users through Two-Factor Authentication. With 2FAuth, you can enhance the security of your web applications, protect sensitive data, and offer your users a more secure login experience. This setup ensures a robust environment for managing your application's security features effectively. Start leveraging the power of 2FAuth to safeguard your application and provide peace of mind to your users.