️ Ubuntu VPS Optimization

If you like this project, consider supporting me on Buy Me a Coffee ☕️

tags:

• system
• logs
• sysadmin

• linux

  Ubuntu VPS Optimization

Quick guide to free disk space, reduce RAM/CPU usage, and improve security on a headless Ubuntu 22.04+ VPS running web/DB/Docker stacks. These optimizations are particularly effective for small VPS instances (1–4 GB RAM) where every megabyte counts.

What this covers / Что охватывает:

• Removing unused packages (GPU drivers, snapd, language packs)
• Disabling unnecessary services (GPU manager, VM tools, power management)
• Verifying improvements with monitoring tools

When to apply / Когда применять:

• After provisioning a new VPS
• When migrating from a desktop-oriented image to a server role
• When disk space or RAM is critically low

[!IMPORTANT] These optimizations target headless servers only. Do not apply GPU removal or service disabling on desktop systems or VMs that need graphical output. Эти оптимизации только для headless серверов. Не применяйте на десктопах.

📚 Table of Contents

• Remove Unnecessary Packages
• Disable Unneeded Services
• Monitoring & Verification
• Expected Results
• 💡 Best Practices
• Documentation Links

Remove Unnecessary Packages

Basic Cleanup

sudo apt update                               # Update package list / Обновить список пакетов
sudo apt autoremove --purge                   # Remove orphaned + configs / Удалить сироты + конфиги
sudo apt autoclean && sudo apt clean          # Clear APT cache / Очистить кэш APT

Orphaned Packages

sudo apt install deborphan                    # Install deborphan / Установить deborphan
sudo apt purge $(deborphan)                   # Remove orphaned packages / Удалить пакеты-сироты

Graphics Stack (headless servers)

sudo apt purge '*nvidia*' libgl1-mesa-dri libglu1-mesa xserver-xorg*  # Remove GPU stack / Удалить GPU стек

[!TIP] On headless VPS this frees ~300–500 MB. Ensure no GUI apps depend on these packages before removing. / На headless VPS это освобождает ~300–500 МБ.

Other Removable Packages

sudo apt purge snapd                          # Remove snapd (~300 MB) / Удалить snapd
sudo apt purge language-pack-*                # Remove language packs (keep en) / Удалить языковые пакеты
sudo apt install language-pack-en             # Reinstall English pack / Переустановить английский пакет

Disable Unneeded Services

Disable Service

sudo systemctl disable --now <SERVICE>.service  # Disable and stop / Отключить и остановить
sudo systemctl daemon-reload                    # Reload systemd / Перезагрузить systemd

Recommended to Disable

# GPU / VM / Power management — not needed on headless VPS
# GPU
sudo systemctl disable --now gpu-manager switcheroo-control thermald power-profiles-daemon speech-dispatcherd

# VM tools / Ubuntu extras — disable if not needed
#
sudo systemctl disable --now open-vm-tools lxd-agent pollinate ubuntu-advantage

Conditionally Disable

# Mail/DNS/FTP — if unused
sudo systemctl disable --now dovecot postfix named proftpd

[!CAUTION] Do NOT disable these critical services: sshd, apache2, nginx, mysql, php-fpm, docker, cron, rsyslog, fail2ban, crowdsec. / Не отключайте критичные сервисы.

Check Running Services

systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running        # List running / Список запущенных
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running | wc -l  # Count running / Количество запущенных

Monitoring & Verification

Final Checks

df -h                                         # Disk usage / Использование диска
htop                                          # RAM/CPU monitoring / Мониторинг RAM/CPU
deborphan                                     # Check for leftovers / Проверить остатки
systemd-analyze blame                         # Boot time per service / Время загрузки по сервисам

Reboot

sudo reboot                                   # Reboot to apply changes / Перезагрузить для применения изменений

Expected Results

Ideal for stacks: Tomcat / Nginx / MySQL / Docker / PHP-FPM. / Идеально для стеков: Tomcat / Nginx / MySQL / Docker / PHP-FPM.

💡 Best Practices

• Apply changes step by step, verifying after each. / Применяйте изменения поэтапно.
• Always check what you're removing before apt purge. / Всегда проверяйте, что удаляете.
• Keep sshd running — losing SSH access locks you out. / Не отключайте sshd.
• Run systemd-analyze blame to find slow boot services. / Найдите медленные сервисы через systemd-analyze blame.
• Document disabled services for future reference. / Документируйте отключённые сервисы.

Documentation Links

• Ubuntu Server Guide: https://ubuntu.com/server/docs
• systemd-analyze(1): https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/systemd-analyze.1.html
• deborphan: https://packages.debian.org/deborphan
• ArchWiki — Improving Performance: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Improving_performance