SSH Hardening Checklist for Production Linux Servers (2026)
Actionable 2026 SSH hardening checklist: keys only, PermitRootLogin, fail2ban, MFA basics, and config snippets that survive real ops.
Actionable 2026 SSH hardening checklist: keys only, PermitRootLogin, fail2ban, MFA basics, and config snippets that survive real ops.
WordPress contact form not sending? Fix Cloudflare, reCAPTCHA, plugin conflicts, and SMTP — a practical checklist that works.
RDP not connecting on Windows? Check RDP enablement, firewall, NLA, network profile, listeners, and VPN — an admin checklist.
Load average high but CPU idle? Learn runnable vs uninterruptible wait, iowait, disks, NFS, and how to read top/vmstat properly.
Cron job not running? Check crond, crontab user, PATH, absolute paths, mail, timestamps, and systemd timers — the pro checklist.
DNS not resolving on Linux? Check resolv.conf, systemd-resolved, NetworkManager, dig/nslookup, and split-DNS without guesswork.
EADDRINUSE / Address already in use on Linux: find the process with ss/lsof, free the port safely, and prevent bind conflicts.
Unit failed to start? Read systemctl and journalctl like a pro: exit codes, dependencies, ExecStart mistakes, and safe restarts.
Fix SSH Permission denied (publickey) without locking yourself out: keys, permissions, sshd config, and break-glass console steps.
Disk full at 2 AM? Walk through df, du, lsof, deleted-but-open files, and inode exhaustion — the checklist seniors actually use.