# How to Create a Plain Server with xCloud

> Create a Plain server in xCloud: a secured Ubuntu VPS with no web server, PHP or database, then add Nginx or OpenLiteSpeed whenever you need one.

A **Plain server** is an Ubuntu VPS that **[xCloud](/)** sets up and secures, without a web server, PHP, a database or Redis. You get a clean server for your own software, such as a Go or Rust service, a game server, a VPN, a build runner or anything you prefer to install yourself. xCloud still manages its users, SSH keys, firewall and security updates, so you do not give up any protection to get a clean machine.

When you later want to host websites on it, you can install **Nginx** or **OpenLiteSpeed** from the dashboard in a few minutes, without rebuilding the server.

> **Note:** A Plain server is not a weaker server. It skips the software that serves websites and keeps every security layer xCloud puts on its other servers. See [what is installed on a Plain server](#what-is-installed-on-a-plain-server) for the full list.

## When to choose Plain

Choose **Plain** when you will not host PHP or WordPress sites on the server, or when you want to choose the web server later. Choose **NGINX** or **OpenLiteSpeed** when you plan to host sites straight away, since those stacks also install PHP, MySQL and Redis for you.

| You want to | Choose |
| --- | --- |
| Run your own application, worker, VPN or tool on a clean Ubuntu server | **Plain** |
| Keep the server free of a web server and database until you need them | **Plain** |
| Host WordPress, Laravel or PHP sites right away | **NGINX** or **OpenLiteSpeed** |
| Run AI agent platforms | **Agentic** |

## What is installed on a Plain server

xCloud runs the same operating system setup on a Plain server as on its web server stacks. Only the application layer is left out. The table below shows what you get.

| Area | On a Plain server |
| --- | --- |
| **Firewall** | UFW is enabled. It allows SSH (port 22, or your custom SSH port), HTTP (80) and HTTPS (443), plus the xCloud infrastructure IPs on the SSH port so xCloud can keep managing the server. |
| **Brute-force protection** | Fail2Ban is installed and enabled for SSH. You can ban and unban IP addresses from **Firewall Management**. |
| **SSH** | Password login is turned off. The root user can log in with an SSH key only, and xCloud creates the `xcloud` user with your keys. |
| **Kernel and OS security** | Known local privilege-escalation fixes are applied, all packages are upgraded during setup and Ubuntu installs security patches automatically. |
| **System setup** | Hostname, timezone, a 1 GB swap file, Cloudflare and Google DNS resolvers and a cleanup job that removes old xCloud task files and trims large logs. |
| **Base tools** | `git`, `curl`, `zip`, `unzip`, `supervisor`, `python3`, `build-essential`, `acl`, `zsh`, `ncdu` and other common utilities. |

The following software is **not** installed on a Plain server:

- **Web server:** no Nginx and no OpenLiteSpeed.
- **PHP and its tools:** no PHP, Composer or WP-CLI.
- **Data services:** no MySQL, MariaDB or Redis.
- **Containers and agents:** no Docker and no xCloud monitoring agent.

For the full package list on the Nginx and OpenLiteSpeed stacks, see [What Is Installed on Your xCloud Server?](/docs/what-is-installed-on-your-xcloud-server/).

## Before you start

You need an xCloud account with permission to create servers. To connect a server from another provider, it must be a fresh **Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04 LTS x64** server and you need root access to it. See [How to Set up a Server with Other Providers](/docs/how-to-set-up-server-with-other-providers/) if you have not connected one before.

## Step 1: Choose Plain when you create the server

Click **Servers** in the left menu, then add a new server with xCloud or with your own provider. Enter a **Server Name**, leave **App Type** empty and select **Plain** under **Choose Web Server**. Then pick your provider, plan and region as usual and create the server.

![Selecting the Plain tile under Choose Web Server while creating a server with xCloud](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-1.png)

The **Plain** tile is greyed out while an **App Type** is selected, because a Plain server cannot host an app until it has a web server. Clear the app type to make it available.

## Step 2: Or connect your existing server as Plain

To use a VPS you already have, open **Connect Your Existing Server**. Fill in the **Server Name**, select **Plain**, then enter the **IP Address**, **SSH Port** and **SSH Username** of your server. The database and app type fields are disabled while Plain is selected, since nothing will be installed for them.

![Connecting an existing server with the Plain stack selected](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-2.png)

xCloud then connects to the server and runs the operating system setup described above, with the same security steps as a web server stack.

## Step 3: Check the server and its security

When setup finishes, open the server. The header shows the stack as **Plain** along with the IP address, RAM and region. The **Security & Access** card on the **Overview** page shows the firewall rules xCloud created.

![The server overview showing the Plain stack and the Security and Access card](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-3.png)

Open **Security**, then **Firewall Management**, to see the rules. You will find SSH, HTTP and HTTPS, and an **xCloud Infrastructure** rule that lets xCloud reach your server over SSH. You can add your own rules here and manage Fail2Ban bans on the same page, exactly as on any other xCloud server.

![Firewall Management on a Plain server with the xCloud Infrastructure rule and Fail2Ban Management](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-4.png)

> **Warning:** Do not delete the **xCloud Infrastructure** rule. Without it, xCloud cannot connect to your server to manage users, keys, updates or a later web server install. See [How to Configure Firewall Management in xCloud](/docs/how-to-configure-firewall-management-in-xcloud/).

Under **Security**, the **Security Update** page confirms that the server installs security patches automatically. You can turn on **Automatic Reboot** so the server restarts at a time you choose when an update needs it. [How Automated Security Updates and Auto Reboot Work in xCloud](/docs/how-automated-security-updates-and-auto-reboot-work-in-xcloud/) explains both settings.

![The Security Update page on a Plain server with the Automatic Reboot toggle](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-5.png)

## Step 4: Use the server for your own software

You can now log in over SSH as the `xcloud` user or as a sudo user and install what you need. **Sudo Users**, **Commands**, **Events** and **Open Terminal** all work on a Plain server. Pages that need a web server, such as **Sites**, show a notice with an **Install web server** button instead of an empty list.

![The Sites page of a Plain server showing that it has no web server yet](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-6.png)

If your software listens on a port other than 80 or 443, add a rule for that port in **Firewall Management**. The firewall blocks every other incoming port by default.

> **Tip:** Run long-lived processes under `supervisor`, which is already installed, so they restart after a crash or a reboot.

## Step 5: Install a web server when you need one

When you want to host sites on the server, open **Management** in the server menu. The **Install Web Server** card lists two choices:

- **NGINX:** the Nginx web server. PHP is installed when you create your first site.
- **OpenLiteSpeed:** the OpenLiteSpeed web server with LiteSpeed PHP.

Select one and click **Install**. Your sudo users, SSH keys and firewall rules stay as they are.

![The Install Web Server card with NGINX and OpenLiteSpeed options](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-7.png)

The install takes a few minutes and you can leave the page while it runs. Package installs such as FFmpeg are paused until it finishes, so two installs do not compete for the package manager.

![The Install Web Server card while NGINX is being installed](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-8.png)

When the install succeeds, the stack changes to **NGINX** or **OpenLiteSpeed**, xCloud starts monitoring the server and you can add sites. A database and Redis are not part of this step. Install them from the server's settings when you need them, for example with [How to Install MariaDB with xCloud](/docs/how-to-install-mariadb-with-xcloud/).

> **Important:** Installing a web server is one way. The server cannot be turned back into a Plain server afterwards.

## If the web server install fails

If the install does not finish, the server is left unchanged. It stays **Plain**, with no half-installed web server, and the card shows which install failed.

![The Install Web Server card reporting that the last OpenLiteSpeed install did not finish](/_landing/docs/create-a-plain-server-with-xcloud-image-9.png)

Open **Events** to read the reason. A common cause is another program holding the package manager lock, for example a manual `apt` upgrade you started over SSH. Wait for it to finish, then click **Install** again.

## Install a web server with the API or MCP

You can run the same install from the [xCloud Public API](/docs/how-to-access-the-xcloud-api/). Use a token with the `write:servers` scope and send the target stack:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://app.xcloud.host/api/v1/servers/{server_uuid}/install-web-server" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer xc_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"stack": "nginx"}'
```

The API answers `202` once the install starts. Poll `GET /api/v1/servers/{server_uuid}`: `installing_web_server` holds the target stack while it runs. On success, `stack` becomes `nginx` or `openlitespeed`. On failure, `stack` stays `plain` and `web_server_install_failure` is set, so you can retry. AI agents connected through the [xCloud MCP](/docs/how-to-connect-xcloud-mcp-to-ai-agent/) can run the same action.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a Plain server less secure than an Nginx or OpenLiteSpeed server?

No. A Plain server gets the same operating system hardening as every xCloud server: the UFW firewall, Fail2Ban for SSH, key-only SSH login, kernel security mitigations and automatic security updates. It only skips the software that serves websites, so there are fewer services listening for attacks.

### Can I host a WordPress or PHP site on a Plain server?

Not until you install a web server. Open Management on the server, choose Nginx or OpenLiteSpeed in the Install Web Server card and click Install. Once it finishes, you can add sites as usual.

### Can I go back to Plain after installing a web server?

No. Installing a web server permanently changes the server's stack to Nginx or OpenLiteSpeed. If you need a Plain server again, create a new one.

### Can I install a web server through the API?

Yes. Send POST /api/v1/servers/{uuid}/install-web-server with a stack of nginx or openlitespeed, using a token with the write:servers scope. The same action is available as an xCloud MCP tool.

That's it! You have successfully created a Plain server with xCloud and know how to add a web server to it later.

Still stuck? Contact our **[dedicated support team](https://support.xcloud.host/)** for any of your queries.