LinuxQuestions.org - Old PC for development web server

- Linux - Distributions (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-distributions-5/)

- - Old PC for development web server - What distro? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-distributions-5/old-pc-for-development-web-server-what-distro-774832/)

Old PC for development web server - What distro?

P2 500mhz 256mb RAM (found it on the side of the road put out for the garbage)

My only requirements:

- Apache, PHP, MySQL

- Save files to this box from XP machines (using Samba I guess)

- Remote desktop from XP. The old Quantum HDD is loud and I'd rather it not be near my desk or even have a monitor.

I would like to keep it Debian based since I suppose that is what I'd use if I ever learn enough to switch to unmanaged hosting.

Are any of these good choices?

wattOS or U-lite (both LXDE pre-installed)
Debian + LXDE
Debian + Openbox
Ubuntu + XFCE (Xubuntu)

I can't decide. Someone do it for me.

Just use Debian without a GUI. I have a box in the corner of my apartment that has a power chord and a LAN cable going into it -- I just SSH to it or use NFS to access shared partitions. Truth be truthed, though, 256MB of RAM is going to be a tight fit for a Debian LAMP stack. With similar services to what you propose, my machine currently idles with twice as much memory used.

Code:

init─┬─apache2───10*[apache2]

    ├─cron

    ├─ddclient

    ├─exim4

    ├─fail2ban-server───6*[{fail2ban-server}]

    ├─6*[getty]

    ├─klogd

    ├─mysqld_safe─┬─logger

    │            └─mysqld───16*[{mysqld}]

    ├─named───3*[{named}]

    ├─ntpd

    ├─portmap

    ├─rpc.idmapd

    ├─rpc.mountd

    ├─rpc.statd

    ├─sshd───sshd───sshd───bash───pstree

    ├─syslogd

    └─udevd

Code:

free -m

            total      used      free    shared    buffers    cached

Mem:          3025      2977        48          0        261      2147

-/+ buffers/cache:        568      2456

Swap:        8283          0      8283