2-3 years ago I opened a digital ocean account and created a lamp ubuntu droplet for my web server and apart from a few html updates have pretty much ignored it and now I want to update it and get more into maintaining my droplet and making better use of it.
With the help of Bobby Iliev I ran sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade -y but it didn’t quite work out and my web site stopped working (but restored a snapshot and all ok…again thanks to Bobby).
Would it be easier to just create a new droplet? if so is there some way I can avoid all the setup/config e.g. clone or something?
Now I want to learn more about running and maintaining the droplet and be more involved.
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Hey!
I just updated your initial question. Indeed, both creating a new Droplet and updating your existing setup are valid approaches, each with its own set of advantages.
Given the issues you faced with the update process, starting fresh with a new Droplet might be better, especially to avoid potential configuration conflicts and to take advantage of the latest software and security enhancements. This approach allows you to set up a clean environment, which can be beneficial for learning and for ensuring that your applications run smoothly. The guides I provided in the initial response on using tools like
rsyncand FileZilla will be invaluable for this process, enabling you to transfer your files securely.On the other hand, updating and maintaining your existing Droplet provides a great learning opportunity but can indeed take some time and you mighr run into unexpected issues which could take longer to resolve then just migrating to a fresh new Droplet. Though it can help you understand the intricacies of your server’s configuration, troubleshoot issues, and apply fixes, which are essential skills for any server administrator the problems that might arise could be quite a few.
As someone who has been running a Droplet for over 5-6 years, starting with Ubuntu 16.04, regularly upgrading it, and now running 22.04, I can share from experience that both maintaining and periodically updating your server are crucial practices. But in many cases it is easier to go with a fresh new Droplet instead.
Whether you decide to update your existing Droplet or start with a new one, the key is to stay involved and continuously learn 🙌! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
Best,
Bobby