# Getting started with Kumo2

> Full URL: https://kumo2.com/help/getting-started
> Summary: Create your first server, choose a login method, and find the next places to manage networking, billing, and apps.
> Updated: 2026-07-09
> Reviewed: 2026-07-09
> Category: Basics
> Authors: Ty (Technical Expert) - https://kumo2.com/team/ty
> Author intro: Ty (Technical Expert): Ty helps Kumo2 users and the team turn technical requirements into reliable, practical infrastructure.
> Reviewed by: Ty (Technical Expert) - https://kumo2.com/team/ty
> Review basis: Ty (Technical Expert): Ty reviews Kumo2 technical content for operational accuracy, reproducible steps, and clear risk notes before it is published.
> Markdown locale: en

## How this doc is maintained

This doc is reviewed against the current Kumo2 checkout, account, firewall, billing, and self-hosted app flows. If the interface you see differs from these steps, contact support with the page URL and the server or order ID so we can verify the doc and the account state together.

## Create your first server

Start from the pricing page, choose the size that matches your workload, and pick a region close to the people or systems that will use the server. For small bots, dashboards, and internal tools, a smaller plan is usually enough to begin.

After checkout, Kumo2 provisions the server and keeps the important operational details in your account: status, public IPs, billing dates, firewall group, and any deployed apps.

## Choose how you will sign in

Kumo2 supports password and SSH-key based login flows during checkout. Use SSH keys when you are deploying production services or sharing server access with a small engineering team.

Keep the initial credentials somewhere safe until you have confirmed that your preferred login method works from your own machine.

## Secure the network

Every server can be assigned to a firewall group. Start with the default group, then open only the ports your workload needs. For web apps, that is commonly `80` and `443`; for private administration, prefer SSH from a known IP range.

## Deploy apps when you want less setup

The self-hosted app catalog can launch open-source software with a Docker-based setup. Use it when you want the speed of a managed install while keeping the server and data under your control.

## Where to go next

- Manage servers from the account home page.
- Review billing and orders from the account menu.
- Browse self-hosted apps when you want a ready-to-run open-source service.
- Contact support if a server is stuck provisioning or a payment succeeded without creating the expected resource.