Amazon EC2 VPS Setup

My immediate goal is to get a brand-new VPS up and running on Amazon EC2. The primary task is server setup and configuration; I’m not focusing on security hardening or ongoing maintenance right now—just a clean, reliable build that I can start using straight away.

I’ve marked “AWS” as my operating-system preference and will be spinning this on EC2, so every step should align with AWS best practices—from choosing the right AMI to configuring networking, storage, and user access. If you have a preferred AWS-flavoured Linux distribution that streamlines future updates, feel free to recommend it as part of the setup.

Deliverables
• Launch and configure the EC2 instance in my AWS account
• Apply initial OS settings (hostname, users, SSH, time zone, locales)
• Configure security groups, key pairs, and basic firewall rules so I can connect safely
• Install and verify core software packages I specify (e.g., web server or database, if needed)
• Provide a concise hand-over document (commands run, configuration paths, and how to log in)

Once everything is live and I can log in without issues, the job is complete.