Create the Ubuntu Droplet

Create a project in DigitalOcean, then create the Droplet inside it. A project keeps the server, volumes, and other related resources visible together.

Use the choices from the previous lesson:

• select the current Ubuntu LTS image
• choose the planned region and Basic plan
• select SSH-key authentication and the key you verified
• enable improved monitoring
• enable automated backups when the server will hold state you cannot recreate
• give the Droplet a role-based hostname such as notes-web-1

Do not select a prebuilt application image for this course. Starting from the Ubuntu image lets us see and control every installed service.

Verify what DigitalOcean created

After provisioning completes, record the public IPv4 address in your private operations notes. Confirm the control panel shows the intended region, image, size, project, key, backup setting, and monitoring setting.

Connect only after the Droplet reports that creation is complete. Once connected in the next lesson, run:

cat /etc/os-release
uname -m
hostnamectl --static
ip -brief address

The output should match the Ubuntu LTS release, architecture, hostname, and addresses you intended. Do not continue configuring a server when the basic identity is wrong.

A common mistake is selecting the wrong SSH key. Another is creating the server in a convenient-looking region that is far from the database or users. These are cheapest to fix now. If this brand-new Droplet contains no unique data, destroy it and create the correct one instead of building permanent work on the wrong foundation.

If the server contains data later, destruction is not a rollback. You would first create and verify a backup, build a replacement, test it, and move traffic.

For your learner action, save the Droplet IP and the expected SSH-key fingerprint in private notes. Then compare every control-panel choice with the capacity plan you wrote. Stop and correct any mismatch before the first login.