Lesson 1 of 20 · Learn · 12 min

1.1 What a server is, and when a business needs one

Why it matters. Most builders stop at what Lynk hosts. Some clients need more: a school with its own system, a company with its own app, a website on their own server. Few builders can do this, so it pays.

A server is a computer that's always on and connected to the internet. Websites and apps live on servers.

Words you'll meet in this course

Word	What it means
IP address	The server's number on the internet, like `203.0.113.10`
Domain	A friendly name, like `amasstitches.com`, that points to an IP address
Linux	The system most servers run. Lynk's servers offer Ubuntu, Debian and AlmaLinux. We use Ubuntu 24.04
SSH	A safe way to log in to a server from your laptop and type commands
Terminal	The window on your laptop where you type commands
root	The server's all-powerful user. It can do anything, including break everything
Port	A numbered door on the server. 22 is SSH, 80 is websites, 443 is websites with HTTPS
Firewall	What decides which ports are open to the internet

Lynk hosting or your own server?

	Lynk hosting	Your own Lynk Cloud server
Good for	Websites, booking pages and shops built on Lynk	The business's own apps and systems, or a website it wants on its own server
Who looks after it	Lynk	You (with Lynk watching and backing it up)
You can install	Nothing: Lynk runs it	Anything
Cost	Lynk hosting	A monthly server price, from the wallet

Rule of thumb: if Lynk already does it, use Lynk's hosting. Buy a server when a business needs something Lynk doesn't run for it.

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