How to host 2FAuth on UpCloud Cloud Server - ServerAvatar

2FAuth is a Web application designed to manage your Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) accounts and generate their security codes. It serves as a self-hosted alternative to OTP generators like Google Authenticator. When selecting a hosting provider for 2FAuth, UpCloud stands out as a leading cloud infrastructure provider known for its simplicity, scalability, and user-friendly approach. ServerAvatar simplifies the deployment of 2FAuth on UpCloud VPS (Virtual Private Servers) through an intuitive interface, automating complex setup procedures, and allowing users with minimal technical knowledge to efficiently configure and manage their server environments.

Create a Server in UpCloud

Getting Started with UpCloud:

UpCloud is a high-performance VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting platform designed for developers, businesses, and IT professionals. Renowned for its speed and reliability, UpCloud features the unique MaxIOPS storage technology, delivering performance significantly faster than traditional SSDs. This makes it an excellent choice for applications with high I/O demands, such as databases and web hosting. With its user-friendly control panel, UpCloud simplifies server management, making it an attractive option for anyone needing superior VPS hosting solutions.

To deploy any application on UpCloud, we must first set up a server. Therefore, our initial step will be to deploy a server and complete its initial setup.

Step 1: Server Deployment

• Log in to your Upcloud account. If you don’t have an account, create an account on UpCloud.
• Then, Navigate to Server → Server List and click on the Deploy Server button, as shown in the image below.

Step 2: Select Location

• The first thing you have to do is select the location for your server. UpCloud provides different options for selecting the location.
• The general rule is to select the region that is closest to your audience. It means that for the majority of your audience, Your sites will load faster due to lower latency.

Step 3: Select the plan for your Server

• Here you have to select the plan of your Droplet. UpCloud offers a variety of plans. Select the one that best meets your requirements.
• The minimum requirements for hosting 2FAuth are 1GB or more of RAM for better performance and a minimum of 2 GB of free disk space to accommodate the application and its dependencies. The exact amount will depend on your usage and data storage needs. Select the one that fits best for your project.

Step 4: Add New Storage Device

• In the Storage section, you can attach new storage devices as needed. Your initial storage is based on the selected server plan. You can attach up to 16 storage devices, each with a maximum size of 4 TB.
• To add more disks, click the "Add new device" button and adjust the storage size with the slider. You can modify the storage configuration later by adding, removing, or resizing disk devices.

Step 5: Automated Backups

• You can also enable Automated Backups by clicking the toggle button on the right side. You can choose from Day, Week, Month, or Year plans.
• After selecting the appropriate plan, you can set a backup schedule using the drop-down menu below.

Step 6: Choose an Operating System

• In this step, you need to select your server operating system. We recommend selecting Ubuntu 20.04 LTS x64 or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS x64. If you are using ServerAvatar to manage your servers, these operating systems are required.

Step 7: Select Network Configuration

• In this step, by default network configurations are set that include IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and a private Utility Network connection is set. You can customize these settings and attach your private network by clicking on the “Attach Private Network” option.

Step 8: Additional Options

• In this step, you can enable or disable IPv6 support and metadata service. Also, you can set the desired TimeZone and select between network and display adapters.
• If it suits you, we suggest keeping these options at their default settings.

Step 9: Select Login Method

• Now you have to select the Login method. There are two types of login methods. They are:
  1. Authentication via SSH Keys
  2. Authentication via One-Time Password
• If you are using SSH keys for authentication, It is the best option. You can also click on the “Add New” button to import your keys.
• If you do not know what is SSH key, You can go with the One-Time password method. You have to set a new password after the first time you log into this server.
• Make sure to set a strong password for your root user, which is the most powerful user with all the privileges on Linux OS. You can select the convenient way to have the password.

Step 10: Enter Initialization Script

• The Initialization scripts are user-defined automation scripts supported by all Linux public templates. When you select one of your stored scripts, it will appear in the edit field.
• You can make changes to the scripts or write a new one. The server will execute the script during the first bootup.

Step 11: Finalise Details

• In the last step of this process, We have to enter the Host Name, Server Name, and number of servers you want to deploy. Click on the Deploy button to create a server.

• In a few minutes, You will have the Server up and running.
• Now, We have to perform the initial step to allow the Serveravatar port from the firewall configuration.
• To allow the Serveravatar port from firewall configuration, Click on the Server → Server List Option and then click on the icon next to your server as shown in the below image.

• Now, navigate to the Firewall Section and Click on “Add Rule”.

• Create a rule to allow ServerAvatar Communication Port - 43210 as shown in the below image. Click on the Ok to add the firewall rule.

• Now, click on the “Save Changes” button to save the changes to Firewall Rules as shown in the below image.

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.