sadly in about 2 months ill be losing my host for both my URL, and my e-mail. i am wanting to make an apache server and some kind of e-mail server that i can secure on a RH9 box.

either on RH9 or RHE3as

im an ubb3r newbie to linux, but understand M$ rather well. i could set up IIS, and buy exchange, but really dont want that hassle from a security stand point, nor can i afford the cash for exchange.

i know Linux can set up rather secure iptable firewall, do i need to do that, or just put it up behind my standard NAT router. currenty have the choice of putting at my home, or at my school (i own a small karate school in Orlando).

the school is behind a Zyxel 642R aDSL router. the house is behind the SMC7004 router on a cable connection.

i bought 'Beginning Red Hat Linux 9' by the wrox group and it is so far covering a lot of the basics that i need to learn. not 100% it will cover enough details about setting up the apache and e-mail servers, but i hope it will give me enough of a know how to learn the rest via this forum, or via 'how to' guides on the web.

the information i am looking for is should i bother with setting up iptables and VPN for the linux box, or just focus on apache and e-mail servers, and let them stay behind my router.

thank you for some guidance in this newbies life towards a better understanding of Linux. loving what i see so far.

Put the server behind the router and forward ports 80/443/25/110 to the server.


On the subject of hosting your own server
If this is for personal use, go for it. If this is for your business I would think twice. Sure it sounds cool to host your own server but there are many things that can go wrong along the way. You can get web/email hosting for next to nothing.


On the subject of using Linux as a server
What is your motivation? Going from no experience with Linux to setting up a server with Apache and Sendmail can be a little frustrating.

Money
If your only motivation is because Exchange costs to much than dont use exchange. There are many free Windows SMTP/POP3 servers out there. You an even run Apache on Windows.

Learning
If you would like to learn more about using a *nix OS than by all means setup a Linux server.

few things here.

1. yes it is for my school id post my URl, but the site wont let me.

2. $$$ atm the school is near the red, thus $ is a very large issue.

3. it is something i have been wanting to learn for the last few years, but never have put forth the time to learn. now i have a much more pressing reason to learn.

i can run apache on win2k server? hmm that might be a short term interum if it works as well on 2k as it would on linux.

what would you sujest for pop/smtp to run under win2k server?

as stated i could run IIS, but to be blunt i dont trust it to run on my DC as i also have my accounting software running on that computer. i use terminal service to connect to my accounting software, and that really is all that i need for my business. dont want to open up my pathetic 2k server to any more of a chance at a hack then it already is.

thank you much for the sujestions about putting it behind the router. that will save time in learning iptable, how to code it, and ipmasq(think i got that term right)