Need a Linux Server Quickly? Create a Linux VM

Published on: August 19, 2026

CloudTrips needs a Linux server quickly for administration, development, or an application test. An Azure virtual machine can provide an Ubuntu Server system within minutes without purchasing physical hardware.

An Azure virtual machine, or VM, supplies software-defined CPU and memory on physical infrastructure operated by Microsoft. Azure manages the underlying host, but you remain responsible for the Linux guest operating system, updates, applications, identities, and administrative access.

This trip creates one small Ubuntu VM with a temporary public IP address. SSH uses a key pair instead of a password, and the network security group permits TCP port 22 only from your current public IPv4 address. Production servers should normally use private connectivity and a controlled management path such as Azure Bastion, VPN, or ExpressRoute.

Understand SSH Key Authentication

An SSH key pair has two related parts:

Part	Location	Purpose
Public key	Stored in the Linux user’s `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` file	Lets the VM recognize the matching private key
Private key	Kept only on your laptop or approved administration device	Proves that you are allowed to sign in

The public key is not a password and can be placed on the VM. The private key must remain secret. Do not upload it to source control, paste it into the trip, email it, or share it with another user. If Azure generates the pair, download the private key when prompted; Azure does not provide another download later.

Plan the Deployment

Use this isolated TEST environment:

Subscription: CloudTrips TEST
Resource group: rg-cloudtrips-compute-test-weu
Region: West Europe
Virtual machine: vm-cloudtrips-linux01-test-weu
Image: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS - x64 Gen2
Preferred size: Standard_B2s
Fallback size: Standard_D2s_v3
Authentication: SSH public key
Administrator username: azureuser
Key pair name: sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu
OS disk: Standard SSD, image default size
Virtual network: vnet-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu
Subnet: snet-servers

VM-size availability depends on the region, subscription quota, selected image, and security configuration. Select See all sizes and use Standard_B2s when available. If the portal offers only Standard_D2s_v3, use that size; it is sufficient for the exercise but normally costs more.

The VM, managed disk, and Standard public IP can incur charges. Shutting down Ubuntu inside the VM does not necessarily release its Azure compute allocation. To stop compute charges while retaining the VM, use Stop in the Azure portal and wait for Stopped (deallocated). Disk and some networking charges can continue until the resources are deleted.

Reuse the Compute Resource Group

Reuse the resource group created by the Windows VM trip:

Resource group: rg-cloudtrips-compute-test-weu

In the Azure portal, open Resource groups and confirm that it exists in the CloudTrips TEST subscription. If you started directly with this Linux trip and the group does not exist, select Create and configure:

Subscription: CloudTrips TEST
Resource group: rg-cloudtrips-compute-test-weu
Region: West Europe

Do not delete this shared resource group during the Linux exercise. It can also contain vm-cloudtrips-win01-test-weu from the Windows trip.

Configure the Linux VM

Search for Virtual machines, open the service, and select Create > Azure virtual machine.

Azure Virtual machines page with the Azure virtual machine creation action available

On Basics, configure:

Subscription: CloudTrips TEST
Resource group: rg-cloudtrips-compute-test-weu
Virtual machine name: vm-cloudtrips-linux01-test-weu
Region: West Europe
Availability options: No infrastructure redundancy required
Security type: Trusted launch virtual machines
Image: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS - x64 Gen2
VM architecture: x64
Size: Standard_B2s, or Standard_D2s_v3 if B2s is unavailable

One VM without availability redundancy is suitable for this disposable lab, not for a production service that must survive host or zone failures.

Under Administrator account, configure:

Authentication type: SSH public key
Username: azureuser
SSH public key source: Generate new key pair
SSH key type: RSA
Key pair name: sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu

RSA is used here for broad client compatibility. If your organization requires a different supported key type, follow that standard instead.

Under Inbound port rules, configure:

Public inbound ports: None

Do not let the Basics tab create a broad default SSH rule. You will create an explicit rule limited to one source address on the Networking tab.

Configure the Disk

On Disks, configure:

OS disk size: Image default
OS disk type: Standard SSD (locally-redundant storage)
Delete with VM: Enabled

Do not add a data disk yet. A later trip will attach, format, mount, and persist a separate managed data disk.

Create the Network and Restricted SSH Rule

On Networking, create or select:

Virtual network: vnet-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu
Address range: 10.81.0.0/16
Subnet: snet-servers
Subnet range: 10.81.1.0/24
Public IP: Create new Standard SKU public IP
NIC network security group: Advanced
Configure network security group: Create new
Delete public IP and NIC when VM is deleted: Enabled, if displayed

Name the NSG nsg-cloudtrips-linux01-test-weu. Under Inbound rules, add:

Source: IP Addresses
Source IP addresses/CIDR ranges: <YOUR-CURRENT-PUBLIC-IP>/32
Source port ranges: *
Destination: Any
Service: SSH
Destination port: 22
Protocol: TCP
Action: Allow
Priority: 1010
Name: Allow-SSH-MyIP

<YOUR-CURRENT-PUBLIC-IP> is the internet-facing IPv4 address of the laptop or workstation from which you will connect. Obtain it from an approved organizational IP-check service or your network administrator. /32 matches exactly that one IPv4 address.

VM Networking tab and NSG dialog showing SSH restricted to one public IPv4 address

Do not select Any or the Internet service tag as the SSH source. If your public IP changes, replace the /32 source in Allow-SSH-MyIP with the new address instead of broadening the rule.

Review and Create

Leave advanced settings at their defaults. On Tags, add:

Application: CloudTrips
Environment: TEST
ManagedBy: Portal

Select Review + create. Check the validation results and estimated cost, then select Create.

When Generate new key pair appears, select Download private key and create resource. Save the downloaded .pem file securely. This guide refers to it as:

sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu.pem

Generate new key pair dialog with the private-key download action

Wait for deployment to complete, and then select Go to resource.

Verify the Azure Configuration

On the VM Overview, confirm:

Status: Running
Operating system: Linux
Size: Standard_B2s or Standard_D2s_v3
Public IP address: Assigned
Private IP address: Assigned from 10.81.1.0/24

Running Ubuntu VM Overview showing its status, size, public IP, and private IP

Open Networking > Network settings. Confirm that Allow-SSH-MyIP permits TCP destination port 22 only from your current public IPv4 /32. The source must not be 0.0.0.0/0, Any, or Internet.

Protect the Private Key on macOS or Linux

On your laptop, open Terminal and move the key from Downloads into your SSH directory:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
mv ~/Downloads/sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu.pem ~/.ssh/
chmod 400 ~/.ssh/sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu.pem

chmod 400 permits only your local user to read the private key. OpenSSH can reject a key file that other users can access.

On Windows, use the built-in OpenSSH client from PowerShell and provide the downloaded key’s Windows path. Protect the file according to your organization’s Windows file-permission policy.

Connect with SSH

Copy the VM’s public IP address from Overview, then run:

ssh \
  -i ~/.ssh/sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu.pem \
  azureuser@<VM-PUBLIC-IP>

Replace <VM-PUBLIC-IP> with the actual address. On the first connection, SSH displays the server’s host-key fingerprint because your client has not seen this VM before. Confirm that you are connecting to the public IP displayed by this VM before accepting the prompt.

After signing in, run:

hostname
cat /etc/os-release
nproc
free -h
ip -brief address

Confirm:

The hostname is vm-cloudtrips-linux01-test-weu.
/etc/os-release identifies Ubuntu.
The CPU and memory are consistent with the selected VM size.
The primary network interface has an address from 10.81.1.0/24.

SSH session showing the Ubuntu hostname, operating-system release, CPU, memory, and private address

Run exit to close the SSH session. The Linux server is now ready for the following Resize VM and Add data disk trips.

Keep the VM for the Next Trips

Keep vm-cloudtrips-linux01-test-weu if you are continuing with the resize and data-disk trips. To pause first, stop the VM from the Azure portal and wait until its state becomes Stopped (deallocated).

Do not run a resource-group deletion command here. The shared rg-cloudtrips-compute-test-weu group can also contain the Windows VM and its related resources. Deleting the group would remove both labs.

If you are not continuing, open the Linux VM in the portal and select Delete. In the deletion dialog, select only the associated Linux VM resources shown for deletion, such as its OS disk, NIC, and public IP. Afterward, remove vnet-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu, nsg-cloudtrips-linux01-test-weu, and sshkey-cloudtrips-linux-test-weu only after confirming that no remaining resource uses them. Keep the resource group and the Windows resources. Securely delete the downloaded private key from your laptop when it is no longer needed.