Actually I use Xandros 3.0, (Debian kernel), with KDE 3.0, but when I install the postfix package, I can't find it displayed under the servers tab in webmin. infact, the 'virtualservers admin' says that postfix isn't installed, but when I look in processes control, it's there, running, also, other server packages are not showing in webmin, including MySql server, and apache, even though they are installed, webmin shows it's unable to find the conf files for the server packages.

Even with a restart after installing the packages, none of the server software shows in webmin, would I have to reformat and install Xandros and leave as is?, or use a different distro, I have Redhat, Mandrake 10,1, SuSe 9.1, amongst other distros.

I've had similar problems with webmin, which is why i dont use it anymore. Yeah, it's a great tool that allows you to manage your server from anywhere (locally, or outside your local lan), but I have found it has security risks, and its not very reliable. i was having problems with the apache2 php4, amd mysql modules, which at the time were my main duties of the server.

After fighting with webmin for a few weeks i decided to use ssh and learn the command line. After a month or two and a lot of document files read, I am webmin free and I have more control over my server than I ever thought possible.

I know this isnt much help with your question. I don't think it has anything to do with your installation(s) at all. It's just something wrong with webmin itself. Don't trust it. hehe

The reason why some modules are missing from the Debian version of webmin is because they are split into many sub packages, so you have to search for the right ones using apt or synaptic. When I was testing Debian I got rid of the Debian packages and just installed the version from the Webmin site.

apt-cache search webmin

apt-get install webmin-postfix

webmin is spit into about 50 seperate packages in Debian so you must install what you need/want.

IF you install a webmin package ofr a service that is not installed on your Debian box, apt will install that service as well.. just to warn you before you go and try a apt-get install webmin* heh

That's where I got webmin from, it has the red Debian spiral logo in the top right of webmin.

I tested other distro's I have, and webmin works great with Redhat Fedora Project, SuSe 9.1, Knoppix, and Mandrake 10.1, but does not work well with Xandros 3.0 (Debian Kernel), Ubunto, Solaris, Netmax, and Slackware, but unfortunately, none of the distro's I have, do what I want them to do, EG, Fedora may have something than Mandrake don't have, and without it in Mandrake, running it as a server may not be possible.

What is needed is a distro that has all the bells and whistles of a fully functional web, mail, ftp, MySql, dns, and news server (news, and dns as optional, but can be installed if needed), with full GUI control over every configuration of the server packages (including being able to change the default http port of apache without editing any conf files manually), None of the available distro's can do that.

I would rather have GUI control then spend years memorizing every command line and switches, shell commands and their switches, and manual configuration for every piece of server software installed.

All the distros you have mentioned can do that, just stick to one distro and learn its ins and outs in terms of server packages. I have used webmin on Slack and it works fine, but needs a bit of tweaking in terms of the locations of configuration files of server packages.

This is the exact oposite reasons I use Debian. I love the control I get from the command line of Debian, and I find it easier to use than most other distros. Just seems weird to me to install Debian wanting all this GUI stuff...

I have tried using webmin to configure the apache server, but there's absolutely no way that I can change the default port from 80 to any other port, even in the httpd.conf file, changing the ports 8080 and 80 to any other port and restarting apache, still leaves the server running on the default port 80, even deleting the lines 'port 80 and port 8080' the server still runs on port 80, it seems that apache is hardwired for default port 80, and nothing can change it.

There should be another web server package available instead of apache that's fully configurable in every sense, for windows there's KeyFocus Webserver, which allows (via localhost web interface), the default port to be changed without changing the configuration file manually, all one has to do, is click on 'websites' then select 'Home (default)' then 'settings' and every setting of the default virtual server can be changed, including the default port, and to add aliases, one just selects 'security-->directories-->add' enter the full path to the folder that contains the website, select the desired security level from a drop down list, then click 'ok', then click 'websites-->Home (default)-->alias' enter the name of the alias, then enter the full path to the folder that contains the website, then click 'ok' then click 'restart server' and voila, the website is up and running, can apache do that?, NO.

I was told that Linux is secure when it comes to web serving, That why I'm trying different distros before I decide which one is easier and quicker to administer, and so far, I haven't found one yet, that is easily configured via a GUI, I've tried all these:-

Redhat
Redhat Fedora Project
Mandrake 10.1
Xandros 3.0 (Debian Kernel)
SuSe 9.1
Solaris
Slackware
Knoppix

At the moment I have a windows server running and from completion of windows install, it only took me 20 minutes to create the website, including php and asp pages, a MySql database, an ftp and email server, and an audio streaming server, and now my website is crawled by search bots.

In my honest opinion, any GUI makes things less secure... If you want a GUI, stick with winblows. If you want security, don't complain that you can't administer a Linux server with a GUI.

Seriously, the command line for linux isn't hard. Apache, proFTPd, MySQL, PHP4 - all these can easily be setup on Debian in about 15-30 minutes. I know, I've done it a lot.

Once you actually learn the command line (which only took me a month or two, and not spending all my free time on the machine) you will never want to go back to a windows box again. You have BETTER and MORE controls over your server in command line than ANY GUI can give you, including winblows.

Besides, what do you configure/reconfigure all the time? After my initial setup of the listed servers I've only rarely had to reconfigure anything. If you are constantly having to config your server, then you're doing something wrong.

To this day I am no where NEAR being an expert on a linux box. There is a butt load I dont know. When I need to set something up, or recongifure something, I am always having to look it up in Google. Yeah, I've learned a lot over the past years, and my knowledge continues to slowly grow. But to manage a webserver on linux doesnt take that many commands. Editing a config file is simple. I use vim to edit my files. Restarting applications is easy ( /etc/init.d/application restart). Installing and upgrading software is SUPER easy on a debian box.

apt-get update <-- updates the packages list.
apt-get install application <-- doanloads, compiles, installs, configures said application.
apt-get upgrade <-- upgrades installed software if upgrade available.

I don't mean to sound like a dick, but seriously... I am not the smartest person alive or anything, nor do I know it all... But any idiot that truely wants to run a server can with Linux. You just have to WANT to do it, and not complain when it gets hard. Learn the basics. Build from that as you go. Everyone has to do it eventually with anything in life. It just pisses me off to hear about people that want to run a linux server, but dont want to learn how to work it... They always want the easy (GUI) way out so they dont have to do the work. If you want to be babied by your computer, stick with your insecure winblows.

Ok, my rant is over with.

That's funny it works just fine for me....

debian:/# vi /etc/apache/httpd.conf
debian:/# /etc/init.d/apache start
Starting apache 1.3 web server....

debian:/# netstat -lp | grep apache
tcp 0 0 *: 2580 *:* LISTEN 8933/apache


Of course if you have the server set to run with inetd instead of in standalone the port directive is ignored as stated earlier in the config file...
when running with inetd the port is assigned by the inetd config when the service is started.. are you running apache with inetd ?


I think you are trying to rush too much and not taking the time to read all of the documentation.

you also need to be more descriptive when you post, tell exactly what you did what versions you are running (apache 1.3 or apache 2.0 ? ? ) We can only guess as to why things are not working and can't be of much help when the necessary information isn't provided. all this " I tried it and it didn't work, this thing is junk " just doesn't cut it.

There are MORE servers by far running Linux and Apache on the internet than there are running Windows and IIS. if linux and apache were as bad as you are insinuating I am positive that wouldn't be the case. just refer to the Netcraft web server survey results if you don't believe me.. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/20...er_survey.html

The server is in stand alone mode, and I downloaded and installed the webmin deb package from sourceforge, and I have all the servers showing, but now, I get this:-

"Failed to create virtual server : Virtual FTP cannot be enabled unless a virtual IP address is allocated",

How in the heck to you do that? That goes to show, Linux is NOT user friendly, otherwise it would have appended something like this "to allocate a virtual IP address click here" to the end of the error line.

with a 100+ pages of manuals and printed documents about setup a hosting server, there absolutely nothing in there to say where, to allocate a virtual IP address, of even how, with step by step guided instructions, all there is is just a load of gobble-de-gook.

I started trying to get a decent system, 3 weeks ago, and it looks like it may take another 3 weeks, Linux is far to complicated to even worry about, I'm removing linux from my partition, and returning back to windows, yes, I did say WINDOWS, it is, and always will be the best operating system ever devised, there are no graphical, step-by-step instructions on setting up a linux server with KDE, from installing to actually using webmin to configure the system, and one more thing, the linux firewall is useless, it'll either block everything, or allow everything, again, there's no GUI for configuring it, I know it uses iptables, but you have to know every command or switch to configure it, Norton for windows on the other hand, all you do is enter a name for the rule, the remote or local port, the protocol, and accept, or block, and that's it.

I'll say again, WINDOWS is, and will always be the superior operating system.

Thanks everyone for your help, but this isn't going to work, luckily I still have the windows server running, and will be using that from now on.

Linux may be a good OS for just surfing, but as a server? Nothing beats windows.

Looks like we lost another one. To stuborn to see the truth.

When will people learn to slow down and breathe? Something goes wrong and they freak out and give up.

*shakes head and walks away*

From the looks of things he should be using windows.

Linux isn't right for everyone or every application, I had trouble with it too when I first started, my trouble was figuring out how to do things (you know get them configured and working properly).. on the other end I was fighting Windows IIS and a site that would be consistantly unavailable for no apparent reason. I migrated the windows server off IIS to Apache and the Unavailable condition went away.. from there I moved to Apache on Linux and I haven't looked back. IIS is a royal pita to secure, and their automated tool does who knows what to your server config.. and don't get me started on the logging facilities in windows..

I replaced a Windows mail server that crashed a half dozen times a day with Postfix on Linux and it's been up and running for 3 years now. the only restart was when we moved from our old building to the new location a year ago.. I just can't get that sort of uptime out of the windows boxes.. and I cross my fingers every month at patch time..

I think the thing I like MOST about Linux is that everything is a file. configurations are all plain text files. no registry to edit, no DLL's to mess with..

Usalabs You really confuse me I thought you were working on a web server now you are posting things about virtual FTP's.. I just don't know what to tell ya I can't follow your train of thought, you jump all over the place and it's really difficult to try and follow to be able to help ya. Enjoy your wonderful world of Windows, you were meant for each other

One has to have a webserver running to be able to run a WHM (Cpanel, Plesk, etc etc)to run a hosting service, Plesk 7 works 100% on windows 2003 server.

Because I was advised by lots of people that Linux is secure as far as it being a server, I kept the windows server running, and built a linux box (about 3 1/2 weeks ago) just to try out the various distro's that's available, but neither of them can run a server and perform hassle free hosting as good as windows server 2003.

Windows can still be as secure as linux, (with less hassle), by using a good router, hardware firewall, software firewall, anti virus, and a process guard that monitors any processes that are running, and if a process has changed since the last run and tries to run that hasn't been initaited by a user, then it's denied access to run, thus preventing viruses, spyware, etc etc, the process guard then verifies the file against the original backup (created by the process guard), then the file is sent to the anivirus software for cleaning (if possible), if can not clean, then the file is deleted, and replaced by the backup, can Linux do all that?, I don't think so.

I've had the windows server running a web, email, ftp, and chat server software for about 2 years, and not one virus, or spyware got through, every scan shows 'No Viruses detected' also the ad and spyware scanning shows nothing.

According to the server logs, my server has been running since 10/25/2003, and has had 12,432,128 connections, Total hacker requests '0', 523 email accounts, 745 FTP accounts, and 542 chat members, plus I'll be streaming audio soon, by running an internet radio station, can Linux do that? I don't think so.

then you would be sorely mistaken....

have a great day