Building a webserver

Hey there...Looking for some feedback/support to help me get through building and starting up a server...

I've built one system and do my own hardware updates, so I'm hardware savy. Want to build a new linux system for my server. It's just going to be a hobby project, and place for my own page (and maybe some friends')


Questions:

1) Minimum system requirements. I have an old P 100 AT system I want to find a place for

2) Best version of Linux for webhosting

3) Other software needed...from what I've read, looks like I'll need Apache to get started.


Look forward to hearing from some of you! Thanks for the help

-Matt

I know you asked for Linux.... but if you're going with web server, I'd suggest a BSD system (OpenBSD is about the most secure 'default' install you can get anywhere).

The P/100 will work, just don't expect any graphical interfaces. You'll be relegated to the command line (which is fine unless you wanted to play solitaire or something...). I suspect on a board that old you'll be limited to what... 64MB RAM at the absolute most? 32MB is more likely. You'll have to be sure you cut back on the running applications (i.e. don't run 18 different daemons that you don't use...), but otherwise that can cut it as a basic webserver.

What are you going to do with it? If you just want to serve static web content, all you really need is to install the basic basics of the system you choose and then install Apache. If you want to serve any kind of dynamic content, you'll need to choose 1 or more programming languages to install, probably Perl or PHP (go with Perl if you're stuck on the command line - Perl is great for web dev AND system admin, PHP is good for web dev, but nothing else really [as that is it's focus..]). Of course, you could also do both! You'll also probably want a database system. PostgreSQL would be a good choice, but you may be a bit limited with the hardware if you get any "heavy" scripts running and pulling data from it.

Otherwise... you don't really need anything else.

1) Choose your OS. Almost anything will do (Linux, BSD, MAc, Windows, Unix, etc.)
2) Install it. System requirements depend upon the OS
3) Determine what server you want to use (Apache, IIS, Xitami, Zeus)
4) Is it already a component of your OS? If not, you need to download and install it
5) Read documentation that came with it; put up an FTP server if you wish to upload to it.

get slack




christo

I think for the OS, it really depends upon what he wants to run/use on the machine. The speed limits his possibilities.

Thanks for the feedback so far...

I want to set up this server 1) to learn how to set-up and run a server and 2) to host my personal website...which is pretty basic so far

Right now I have copies of Redhat ans Suse Linux, but the recommendation of BSD is noted. Thanks! Didn't really know about that one before.

I'm waiting for my new motherboard to come in the mail. I think I fried my old one...Finding an AT mobo is a real pain!

Someone also may be giving me an old 486 full tower...not sure what to do with that one, though...(did I mention I'm a computer history buff)

I'll post more as things progress

-Matt

Christo,

What do you mean by "get slack"?

-Matt

he's referring to slackware, which is the nicname of the original linux distribution.

Thanks, mttatkns...

now I've learned my something new for the day...i can go back to bed

-M

The main flavors of Linux:
RedHat
Mandrake
Suse
Debian
Slackware
Lycoris

Wow...another short day! I knew about Suse, RH, and Mandrake, but not the other three

...off to bed I go

-M

this is a good resource for linux n00bs (you can go back to bed now)

There is also gentoo

then for the bsd types
netbsd
freebsd
openbsd

I have installed SuSE 6.4 on an old 486 with a overclocked AMD k5 75mhz chip that runns at 133Mhz with 20MB. I didn't bother installing KDE or any of the other GUI interfaces, but the only time I had any problems was with running MySQL. It often times didn't have the resources it needed even for moderate tasks. If your a Linux Noob, SuSE is pretty friendly and RH has the largest following.

I also later tested the same system with FreeBSD 3.4 (yes this has been a few years ago) and found that it handled the low ram a little bit better. It was a tad bit more stable too. Although installing BSD at the time was not a an easy task since I was new to Unix period.

To be honest, I have not installed any form of BSD execpt for Mac OS X (Yes OSX is FreeBSD with an easy to use GUI and name brand software that makes people in the office happy) in the last two years, and as most people will tell you, installing OSX isn't exactly a difficult task.

Some one here can proably direct you better. I have used both OpenBSD, really good but if you don't really *need* the added security (aka not running an ecommerce site), then its best to stick with FreeBSD since it has the largest support community. I have not used NetBSD, but it seems like they support the most platforms.

If your wanting a computer to gain expirance with *iux, I would lean towards SuSE or RH. Both are fine OS's. If your already expiranced with *iux, I would go out on a limb and try out FreeBSD.

As far as web hosting goes, most distros will automatically install and configure apache so its ready to go on your first boot.

If you really want to have some fun, try installing the Roxen webserver http://www.roxen.com .
Actully Roxen was pretty painless to install. It takes one command from the command line and off it goes. I have just started to play around with it, but so far its been fun...although its support for PHP, well sucks.