Getting started
Create the server
Create an SSH key on your laptop, then set up a Hostinger VPS with the Ubuntu 26.04 with Herdr template.
You create the SSH key first, because the VPS setup asks for it. The key has two halves. The public half goes to Hostinger. The private half never leaves your laptop.
Create an SSH key
Generate a dedicated Ed25519 key for this server. Enter a strong passphrase when prompted and store it somewhere safe. If a file with this name already exists, pick another name instead of overwriting it.
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -a 100 -f ~/.ssh/hostinger-herdr -C "hostinger-herdr"On Windows, PowerShell does not expand ~ for ssh-keygen, so the command uses $HOME instead. This creates two files. ~/.ssh/hostinger-herdr is the private key. ~/.ssh/hostinger-herdr.pub is the public key.
Copy the public key
Copy the public key straight to your clipboard. Do not select it with the mouse in the terminal. A narrow window wraps the line, and the copy then picks up line breaks and extra characters that Hostinger rejects.
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/hostinger-herdr.pubThe command prints nothing. Your clipboard now holds one line that starts with ssh-ed25519 and ends with hostinger-herdr. You paste it in step 5. If you copy something else before then, run the command again.
Only the .pub file goes to Hostinger. Never upload the file without .pub to the server, GitHub, or anywhere else.
Start the VPS setup
Open Hostinger, pick a KVM plan with a yearly term, and enter the code DAVEVPS at checkout for 10% off. The code only works on a first purchase with a yearly plan. Log in, or create an account, when the checkout asks.
After payment, or if you already have a VPS subscription waiting for setup, log in to your Hostinger account. Open Billing, then Subscriptions, and click Set up next to the VPS.
Pick a location and the Herdr template
Choose the data center closest to you. Dave picked Germany, Düsseldorf.
For the operating system, search the applications for Herdr and select Ubuntu 26.04 with Herdr. This template installs Ubuntu with Herdr already on it.
Set the root password and add your key
Set a strong root password and save it in your password manager. You rarely need it, but it is your fallback.
Click Add key. Paste the key into SSH key content with Cmd+V (Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux). It must be one line with no line breaks. Name it, for example hostinger-herdr.
Skip the extras
The setup offers a free malware scanner and paid daily backups. Dave left both unchecked. The VPS already comes with a weekly backup schedule, and you can add either option later.
Wait for the server
Setup takes a few minutes. When the ready screen appears, click Manage VPS. You can skip the survey and the domain offer.
Check
The VPS overview shows Running, the template Ubuntu 26.04 with Herdr, your location, and the server's IPv4 address. Copy that address, because every later page uses it.
Open Settings, then SSH keys, and click Show. The key must match the line in your .pub file.