How to: Pre/Post Installation Requirements
- If you're opening ports on your router so you can access your server from the outside, disable the port forwarding until your system is up and secured.
- Unless you're doing everything physically connected to your server, you'll need remote access so be sure SSH works.
- Keep your system up-to-date (i.e. `sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade` on Debian based systems).
- Make sure you perform any tasks specific to your setup like:
  - Configuring network
  - Configuring mount points in `/etc/fstab`
  - Creating the initial user accounts
  - Installing core software you'll want like `man`
  - Etc...
- Your server will need to be able to send e-mails so you can get important security alerts. If you're not setting up a mail server check [Gmail and Exim4 As MTA With Implicit TLS](#gmail-and-exim4-as-mta-with-implicit-tls).
- I would also recommend you **read** through the [CIS Benchmarks](https://www.cisecurity.org/cis-benchmarks/) before you start with this guide just to digest/understand what they have to say. My recommendation is to go through this guide (the one you're reading here) first and THEN CIS's guide. That way their recommendations will trump anything in this guide.

([Table of Contents](#table-of-contents))