How to use Metatrader4 on affordable VPS

For example, VPS(KVM) by onamae.com

bibliography
    lubuntu http://lubuntu.net/
    WINE https://www.winehq.org/
    MetaTrader4 http://www.metatrader4.com/
    ONAMAE.COM http://www.onamae.com/

0  VPS contract and login
I set up a MetaTrader4 platform on the virtual private server(VPS-KVM) provided by “ONAMAE.com”.
This server has the following specifications:
-CPU: shared virtual Core2Duo T7700 2.4GHz
-MEMORY: 1GB
-STORAGE : HDD 20GB + 80GB
-RENDERER: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.8, 128 bits)

You can visit the “onamae.com” website, and sign up for the smallest VPS(KVM) with 1GB of memory.  Don’t select a larger configuraton.  For the purpose of installing and running MetaTrader4 along with some related programs, you don’t need more than 2GB of memory.
After you complete the contract, you will receive a “Login ID” and “Password” for your VPS. Go to the login page at “https://cp.myvps.jp/” to access the control panel.
Click on the VPS name field (for example, “kvm00XXXXXX”).

1  Installation of the Operating System and other Programs
Next, you must install the operating system, a desktop manager, and WINE Windows(R) compatibility layer.
I recommend using “lubuntu“,which is a lighter version of “Ubuntu”.
The reasons are :
– It is lightweight and uses less memory
– It supports the Ubuntu kernel and WINE package.
Now, let’s begin the installation process.

1) First, visit the “lubuntu” web site and download the latest ISO image file. Do not download the Japanese-localized version, as it uses more memory-and in this case, you won’t be able to use a Japanese IME on your VPS.
2) Then, log in to youre VPS control panel using your user ID and password.

3) Upload the previously downloaded ISO file to the special “image” folder on the common server at ONAMAE.COM. You can use “WinSCP(SFTP software for Windows)“. If you are using another operating system, use an SFTP client that is appropriate for your OS.
4) In WinSCP, select “New Site” > SFTP , then fill in the Hostname , User Name, and Password.

And you have to hit the “Settings” button. You can find SSH > “Permission” at menu tree on the left, Select “Secret Key” from the file already downloaded. You will find a notification saying some cautions. You have to create and save a “private key” as .ppk format. After you saved that key, you should select again the saved key(-.ppk not -.key) and press the login button on the WinSCP.

5) After copying the iso image into the server, You have to go back to the server control panel. Click the server listing area “KVM/////”, press the “please select image” drop-box, scroll down , choose “[kvm///]lubuntu///]”, hit “insert” button, then click “restart” button.

Control panel load the iso data and prepare the install menu. Follow the instructions of the installer. Nothing will be bothering you during the installing process.
The installer shows a restart order on-screen. You have to remove force the iso image. After that, hit the “restart” button again.
If you complete the process, the lubuntu desktop will appear on-screen.  Resolution can be changed from menu > Preferences > Monitor Settings.
Are you ready?
So, Let’s go the next step.

2  OS initialization
Next, You would install WINE.
The site “https://wiki.winehq.org/Ubuntu” will help you well.
1) Login Control panel, and start server.
2) Start 32bit architecture
sudo dpkg –add-architecture i386
3) Add repository for wine
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:wine/wine-builds
4) Update for packages
sudo apt-get update
5) Install WINE developer version (latest 1.9)
sudo apt-get install –install-recommends winehq-devel

*Notice: Stable version 1.8 have some trouble with winhttp, so MetaTrader4 installer will lost network connectivity, and may cause of install failure(so-called “proxy problem”).
WINE installer help you when you need to install other necessary program. Please obey their suggestions.

6) Visit the MetaTrader4 download page (anywhere you like), download, and save the .exe file.
7) Start Filer, and open the metatrader.exe by Wine program loader. Install process will begin.

That’s all for installation. Try metatrader4 on your VPS.
If you have an original Expert Adviser or Indicator etc. already, it would be better to install SSH and FTP server on your VPS. Let’s try the final step.

3 Server settings for management
If you need to handle your VPS with remote, these applications below must be helpful to save your time.
1) OpenSSH
Sudo apt-get install openssh-serve
*It’s easy! However, it may cause a security problem, so you must install a firewall.
I recommend “WinSCP” as a client for Windows.

There is one difference between .iso loading process and after OS installed.
If you installed OS from your uploaded .iso file, you don’t have to hit the “Settings” button. You could find SSH > “Permission” at the menu tree on the left. However, You can connect by password, so you don’t need to download the “Secret Key”.

One caution is that password authentication includes security risks. So you must install Firewall on your server and close port, while you don’t handle remote file handling.

2) Vsftp
Sudo apt-get install vsftpd
*It also has a security risk, so you must install a firewall.
I recommend “TeraTerm” as a client for Windows.

3) Firewall GUI (*VERY IMPORTANT!)
sudo apt-get install gufw
* When you don’t need a remote filehandle, It would be better to set the firewall “on”.

That’s all from me.
If you need more information, please search for internet resources.