1. Create a Ubuntu VM on Azure

This part is for new Azure users.

Before everything else, you will need to have a Microsoft Azure account which you can setup from https://azure.microsoft.com and sign in.

From the Dashboard page, click "Create resources" and search "Ubuntu", find 'Ubuntu Server 16.04 LTS' (Long Term Support) and click it. This leads to a similar page shown below:

Leave default deployment model as "Resource Manager", click "Create" and configure the basic setting as shown below:

Enter a name you want for your virtual machine (e.g. Ubuntu16), and a public key file (.pub) in ssh-rsa format. Or you can choose to set a password instead for now. Pick a subscription you have (e.g. Free Trial), as well as a new or existing Resource group (this can be used to set rules, polices, e.g. set to open port 80) and a data-center location you prefer.

Now pick a size that fits the need (e.g. the Basic B1s - 1GB RAM 4GB Local SSD):

And configure the optional features, where you can set the Public IP address as Static (optional), select "SSH(22)" as public inbound ports and leave the rest as default:

In the summary page, review your configuration choices, then click "Create" . Give a minute to Azure to create the VM, and once it's done you'll see it on your Dashboard.