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Step 11: Launch a Free Tier Instance (ARM Shape - Always Free)

Oracle Cloud offers a generous Always Free Tier, and one of the best parts is the ability to launch ARM-based compute instances with more vCPUs and memory than the x86 Free Tier option. If you're looking to run lightweight services like Ghost, a reverse proxy, or even a small database, this is a great option — especially if you're just getting started and don’t want to spend anything.

Why ARM?

  • More free resources: up to 4 OCPUs and 24 GB of RAM
  • Great performance for containerized apps and small web servers
  • Energy-efficient and cost-effective (even outside the Free Tier)

However, since ARM architecture is different from the usual x86, some Docker images or software packages may not be fully compatible. It's something to be aware of, but many popular tools already support ARM just fine.

✅ Step-by-Step: Launching an ARM-Based Free Instance

1. Log in to your Oracle Cloud Console

2. Navigate to “Compute” > “Instances”

  • In the left sidebar, go to Compute
  • Click on Instances and then click “Create Instance”

3. Set Instance Details

  • Name your instance (e.g., ghost-arm-node)
  • Choose the availability domain (any is fine)

4. Choose Image and Shape

  • Under Image and shape, click “Change shape”
  • Select "Ampere (ARM)" architecture
  • Choose: VM.Standard.A1.Flex
    • This is the Always Free ARM shape
    • You can assign up to 4 OCPUs and 24GB RAM (within your free tier limits)

5. Select an OS Image

  • Choose a compatible Linux image:
    • ✅ Oracle Linux 7 or 8 (highly recommended for ARM support)
    • Debian and Ubuntu ARM images may also work, but check compatibility with your stack

⚠️ Some third-party images (especially x86-only) won’t run on ARM — be sure to check for ARM support when pulling Docker containers.

6. Add SSH Key

  • Paste your public SSH key (or generate one using ssh-keygen if you don’t have one)
  • This will allow you to connect to the instance securely

7. Networking

  • Use the default VCN or create a new one
  • Make sure to allow SSH (port 22) and any ports you’ll need (e.g., 80/443 for web)

8. Launch the Instance

  • Review the configuration and click “Create”
  • In a few minutes, your ARM instance will be up and running!
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