I have almost no linux experience, and I just want a simple, secure linux distribution that will run a web server, mysql, and php so I can host a small web page at work. I want something secure and easy to administer. I've been able to get apache, mysql, and php running on windows -- no problem.

But with linux I fail at every turn and with every distribution -- Mandrake, SuSE, damnsmallinux, slackware. Each time there is some weird problem that stops it from working ranging from graphics drivers that never work to crashes when I try to boot, and I can't get answers.

My latest attempt was trustix 2.1. I installed it, booted up, and tried to get a web server. But when I run apachectl start it seems to work fine but httpd turns out not to be running (lynx can't see 127.0.0.1 or localhost and when I do apachectl stop it says httpd is not running no pid).

I just want a simple solution that doesn't require me to get a degree in linux. Is there any hope, or should I just give up and resign myself to running windows?

Any of those distros should work fine and you shouldn't need a display driver to run a webserver.

Perhaps you could just pick a distribution that you like and then follow a decent lamps turorial like:
http://lamps.efactory.de/e-index.shtml

hi,

under some circumstances, linux can prove difficult to install. i installed suse 9.0 on my own machine, a three-year old athlon-based hp box, with no problem whatsoever. on my father's brand new machine, i ran into difficulties, but they weren't insurmountable.

could you let us know the exact specs of the hardware you're using? also whether any existing operating system is / was installed? dual boot? etc...

i'm sure that any problems can be sorted - and the server application you propose is absolutely where linux excels, so it's worth pursuing. i love this operating system!

...when the question is actually "Am I going to give up?"

- I've been able to get apache, mysql, and php running on windows -- no problem.
-But with linux I fail at every turn and with every distribution
-Each time there is some weird problem that stops it from working...and I can't get answers.
-I just want a simple solution that doesn't require me to get a degree in linux.

If these are the facts, I think the answer is obvious.

Step one Linux is different from Windows. Yes, you do need to learn to work with the applications that you want to work with. You are not going to pick up a Linux distribution without ever having used Linux and install and configure a webserver with PHP and MySQL the next day. That is not what you did with Windows either.

Step two (proceding from step one-Linux is different from Windows) you would sucessfully install and be able to use Linux. You can navigate the system, open some applications, take a look at either a little console/command line use or the GUI administrative tools available.

Step three is to investigate how to install and configure the programs you want for your server. Find a tutorial. You need to know if there are some simple steps to get the three programs working together and then you need to check out the user's manuals (from the software website) to find how to make the programs behave the way you want.

I think that the above facts negate everything that needs to be done.

While it is useful not to look at every delay as a roadblock; a roadblock is after all a roadblock.
Good Luck

No, Because once you get it you will like it more than ever and never use windows again, Yes Linux has a steep learning curve but thats true with almost any new endeavor. If you can create a Linux test/learning system, continue using windows, then switch over to Linux when you feel comfortable.

P.S. I almost gave up and now I am so happy I didnt.

You can probobly do this easily with Slackware. That's what I use and I know that it comes with Apache, MySQL, and PHP already installed. Then, during the setup there's an option to turn on the Apache and MySQL services at startup. Then all you have to do is copy your files over to htdocs and you have a webserver going with PHP . MySQL will probobly be a little harder to set-up (I've never used it) but if your familar with the Windows version it shouldn't give you much trouble. Just post your questions on here and we'll answer it for you. Don't give up and you'll end up with a much more stable OS ,

i just had a local friend (linux guru) set up a whitebox for me to do exactly what you are looking for. after i installed a barebones install, he has a small 25M set of scriptes that modify the CLI area a bit, change a few of the aliases to make things more comfortable for him, then install and run yum.

he then installs via his set of scripts apache, mySQL, php, tinydns, and several other services he needs to run the full web client, and e-mail client. he uses q-mail with a handful of attachments to include ssh and ssl along with webaccess via https:

in all with this guy really knowing what he was doing he put roughly 7hrs into getting my server up and running not including the install time of the OS.

this is a guy who has been working with *nix and Mac for longer then ive been mucking with M$, and it took him that long to get it up and running 100%.

so patients is the key and follow the very good sujestions from above. linux and windows are 2 different worlds. im very good at windows and can manage a small domain with multiple servers and up to around 100 clients with almost zero major problems. but in the linux world, im just happy to know how to navigate around and look forward to learning more and more.

it took me years to get were i am in the M$ world of know how. it will take me years to get to the same point of know how for the *nix world. odds are it will for you too.