have my own server
 

Hi All,

Well, this is my first time to try to have a server for a website.

Here is what I want to do:
I've already bought a domain name for myself; now what I want is to host my website on my own (Linux, of course) box using this domain that I just bought - how may I do this?
I want to test my website and test any- and everything I do before it becomes official.
Any link or document will be very appreciated.

thanks, faizlo.

it depends, if you are using a standard 'residential' service internet connection, than chances are you also have a dynamic IP address for your internet connection, which is problematic at best for a real domain, you would have to talk to your ISP and acquire a static IP for your internet connection, which usually costs extra $$$$, as well as some ISPs block inbound port 80.
once you establish that, then you configure your router to forward port 80 to your server.

unfortunately, the easiest way is not to use your own PC as a server, but to pay for hosting on an actual website hosting provider such as Godaddy, either way you are going to have to pony up some dough.

Hi Frieza

Thank you for your reply. So you say there is only one option, which is to buy some hosting from a hosting server.
Well, if I can have a static IP from my ISP, what else should I do?

~hatim

Well, depending on how important your site is.... My IP addresses (multiple residential locations) have not changed in about 2 years or more.

or look into dynamicDNS

My IP address seems to only change when I power-cycle my modem.

If you have a dynamic IP and are using DNS services from freedns.afraid.org, they have some Dynamic DNS clients worth looking into.

then you configure your server with a static ip inside your local IP set, point port 80 at it, (or whatever service port you need for your server) with your router, and then point the A record of your domain at your static public IP provided by your ISP.

Hi all,

I have been reading about this for sometime. I learned a lot, but I still need a tutorial or some guide to lead me through the process of configuring my box to run as a server. Any help?

Have you installed a LAMP stack? That is, apache, mysql and php? If not (and assuming this is for ubuntu or one of its derivates).

The first command updates the list of packages, the second command updates your system; these two do the same as what the update manager does). The third one is the one that you're actually looking for.

'sudo' will ask you for your normal user password.

While the latter command installs mysql, you will be asked to provide a password for the mysql root user that you want to use; provide one and don't forget it.

For remote access (uploading files and configuration), you need a secure way of accessing your system; install ssh-server. If you need email functionality from your website, you need to install a mail server.

An alternative route is to install tasksel (see e.g. http://www.unixmen.com/install-lamp-...ick-meerkat/); it provides you with a UI to select packages that you want to install.

Next do finetuning on the server.

Next read up on securing your server!

And lastly start writing your website.

I have all these installed on my box, and they are running fine.
All I am interested in now is to configure my box to work as a server for my new domain...Any guide?

Your question is somewhat ambiguous, and it's difficult to point you in the right direction without knowing exactly what you're asking for.

If you want to know how to configure the Apache web server to serve web pages for a particular domain, you should consult the Apache documentation (look for "virtual server").

However, your question could also be interpreted as a query regarding domain registration, DNS configuration, port forwarding, HTML design and perhaps a few other topics. Unsurprisingly, no single guide or document covers everything.

OK, and sorry if I am not clear enough (which is part of the problem)
I have bought a domain name (example.com) from a registered domain name registrar. All I want now is to use my box as the hosting server for my web site. I am experimenting a new web site and I want to be able to do everything on my own. hosting it on my box is the goal of this post.
I do have everything required to host web pages. MySQL, PHP, JS, Apache are all installed and running very well. I will have to worry about security once I can set everything up right and my domain can be reached from any place via the Internet.

I hope I could explain it better this time.

Thanks again for your patience.

no-ip.com has some good tutorials on this topic.

Full disclosure: I have no connection with no-ip.com other than having been a satisfied customer for several years before I moved to my current location.

One thing you should check is your ISP's terms of service. Some are more hostile to self-hosting than others; some block port 80 and will actively try to shut you down and turn you off if they catch you putting a public-facing server on-line. One reason I no longer self-host is that my current ISP falls into that category (the other is that my site outgrew the capabilities of my home server).

Let me guess, Comcast in the Richmond area? I more or less lived in Ashland for about 3 years and they were downright hostile to anything outside of basic browsing and would clamp your speed down to as low as 256 bytes/sec.
P.S. When I was still there, I thought about seeking out your LUG, but you were a little too eastward for it to be convenient.

i use dyndns.com to get around that problem.

my experience is that my ip stays static until there is a black out or i have to unplug my internet transceiver for some reason.

Nope. I used to have Comcast in Delaware and, at least as far as I was concerned, they were excellent. In fact, that was when I was self-hosting! And their cable was better too!

To the thread starter :

Running a server at home, with a dynamic IP, is fine (as long as your connection is stable and you don't plan to host critical services)

Make sure to set correct DNS records for your domain. Since you have bought a domain name, your registrar must have an interface for you to do that, and it supports ddclient or equivalent (Or you can use freedns.afraid.org like someone already stated).

ddclient is fine for updating your DNS with your actual IP (works with dyndns, n*meche*p and many others)

Also very important : security

Only open the ports on your router to you server when your system is secure.

Suggested distros for a home server : Debian, Ubuntu server, CentOS, OpenSUSE...
Useful software : fail2ban
other : howtoforge.com has nice tutorials

OUCH! :eek: