I am thinking about setting up a Linux based web server and I do not know where to start. All I have right now is a basic Pentium pc with windows 2000 on it now (which I will gladly remove). I want to make this a learning experience more than anything else. What should be my first step? Keep in mind I have a little experience with windows server 2000, but have never dealt with Linux.

What I want to accomplish:

1. A stand-alone web server in my house I can network to from other computers in my house. No connection to the outside world.

2. Linux OS on the server. Easy to install, stable, and little work on my end. I currently, and will in the future, plan to learn more about distro's as I go. This will be a quick get up and go system.

3. The web software. mySQL, email, PHP, plus whatever else you tell me I will need. FYI, in another forum it was suggested I use xampp and I have downloaded this.

Please feel free to point me to any docs on this subject. I am jumping from site to site now trying to absorb as much as possible now.

Thank you in advance for your help.

I think that this particular question is beyond the scope of a forum topic.

You should read a good Apache manual or a book.

The official manual is here for reference: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.0/

How to setup a web server? Well it depends on which distro you choose. Some distro installations come with the web server already installed and configured (but you might have to tweak the settings for your specifications) while others don't.

What distro have you chosen for the web server, anyway?

I would suggest either Debian Sarge or Slackware. Slackware can be a little more involved while with Debian, installing software is relatively easy with apt-get.

I have not decided on a distro yet. But if you are suggesting Debian, then that is what I will get.

Does Debian come with Apache?
Will I still need to install xampp as well?

Sorry for sounding so helpless, but I guess I am.

Once again Big THNX for any and all help with this project.

Server - HowTo
http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/admin.shtml (Linux Commands for Beginning Server Administrators)

Sheng-Chieh

check out http://distrowatch.com to read over the distros

Cool project - you'll have fun doing this - stick to it.

You'll be surprised how easy it is.

The web server you need, as mentioned is called Apache; this is what more than half of the internet web sites are running on.

There are loads of step-by-step howtos for helping you, go to www.tldp.org as a start.

Then just use google, as in searching for:

web server howto debian
web server tutorial linux
....
....


Debian is a good choice for the base OS.

Oh, by the way, it's all free.

Best of luck!

I agree that you will have a lot of fun with this project. I did the same thing at my house. The best resource I've found is Shilo's page I linked to the Web server portion, but start at the beginning and in a matter of a day or so, you will have this set up and will have learned quite a bit.

My application of this is to save off some of the reference pages I use regularly. That way I don't have to be on-line to find some help.

F_M