How to setup Linux Virtual Machine on Azure

Introduction to Setting Up a Linux Virtual Machine on Azure

Microsoft Azure is a powerful cloud platform offering a wide range of services, including the ability to create and manage virtual machines (VMs). Setting up a Linux virtual machine on Azure is an excellent option for developers, IT professionals, and organizations needing a scalable and secure environment for applications, testing, or workloads.

This guide will introduce you to the process of creating a Linux VM on Azure.

  1. Open Azure Dashboard

  2. Select 'Create a New Azure Virtual Machine'.

  1. While creating a new Azure VM, you are required to provide specific details based on your preferences, as outlined in the following steps

  2. The following details pertain to the instance specifications:

  1. To establish a connection between the VM and your laptop, you must use a communication protocol. Azure offers two methods for this connection:

    1. Username and password authentication

    2. SSH public key authentication

What exactly is an SSH public key?

  1. Click on the 'Review + Create' option to review the details you have entered, and then click 'Create' to finalize the process.

  2. Once the deployment is complete, click on 'Go to Resource' to access the virtual machine.

  3. To connect the VM to your local computer, you need to install an SSH client. I have used PuTTY, which can be downloaded from the link below:

    Putty Download Link

  4. Additionally, ensure that you have the private key downloaded to your local computer during the VM provisioning process.

  5. Next, you need to convert the '.pem' file into a '.ppk' file using PuTTY Key Generator.

    How to Convert PPM Key to PPK

  6. You're all set! The final step is to connect to your VM using PuTTY. Please refer to the video below for a detailed guide on how to establish the connection.

    How to Connect PuTTY to Azure VM Using SSH Private Key