Hi, I'm planning to set up a non-profit group hosting, providing webspace to non-profit groups, however I'm absolutely new to linux, and I will not run these on a windows server. Anyhow, I need help, could you just list each step to setting up a server, and how to split it into virtual accounts and that stuff I don't understand. For example. 1) Install Linux 2) Install the cpanel for hosting management. I will also be co-locating the server, so what steps should I complete before bringing it to the storage. Thank you

First of all download a Linux distribution... and then setup you Server

dude, there's a thousand and one things you could do in your setup, it's not realistic to get each step listed... that's nuts!

Which one do I download and from where? what's the difference between them, I need one that supports loads really well, there's going to be many non-profit groups. Thanks

again, this is still FAR FAR too vague... there are so many differences and similarities... i'd suggest searching this site to get a background in the differences, or even better read a site like distrowatch.com.

but basically, until you are at a point when you know for yourself that one is better at doing some obscure task, you'll be fine with *Anything* so i'd just just pick something popular and newbie shaped for now and give it a shot.

Hi, so I need static ip's to be able to run multiple virtual accounts off one main dedicated server. My final question is how do I assign static ip's and I should be set. Thanks

Ummm this is a Linux board. So I doubt you'll get too much help w/ a windows 2000 Server. If you are going to be usin Windows 2000 pro and not server or enterprise (I think that is what it is called, there is one more in the 2000 suite also) Then I really really think that you will be very frustrated trying to make it work. Even if you do use 200 server or the other ones I still think you'll be frustrated. Ecspecially if it is in a remote location and you have to go out there to reboot it because windows decided it wanted to crash! Don't be intimidated by all the choices of linux. I would say try Red Hat (not fedora) for the the server because of easy to get help. If you want to have a chance to do these things w/out asking for help I recomend SuSE....actually I recomend SuSE even if you do want help, but you may not need it because YaST (equivalent of windows control panel) is so great. If you contact your local Linux users Group (there is a forum on these at this site) then they may be interested in helping you out, maybe even for free. I recomend SuSE for sure though. Best Distro out there for the newbie to linux.

I'll take your word on it, I'll run my npg hosting on suse. (I think the caps matter but I don't remember them !) thanks

Edit: You mentioned yast, is this a feature within suse?
Do you think I will have to change over to a different linux distribution in the long run or, will SuSE be fine? Also which one of the SuSE distros do you recommend? There's quite a variety to pick from each company. Thanks

Linux is case sensitive if that is what you were asking. Yes YaST is a part of SuSE that is only found in SuSE, it is a centralized control-panel-ish thing for basically everything on your computer, I say it is better than the control panel in windows though because it goes into much more detail, there is a section on DNS servers, HTTP, FTP and a few other server technologies. I reccomend SuSE because it is the best way to get a GUI to be used for your server, but under the hood it will be essentially the same as nother distro so you will not need to switch in the long run unless you are just curious. All the "normal" ways of doing things in linux are available from the terminal in SuSE, it just also has a good GUI for doing it in. If you have time for an FTP install or to buy it then go w/ SuSE pro; personal ISO's are free on the internet. You can get good deals from linux disk sites and from amazon.com. SuSE is free if you want it tho, just a bit more of a pain to get, that is the only annoying part though.

you mean pir@ted =)

o yeah, just out of curiousity, is it pronounced Soo-Say or ?

"The ideal client for SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server "

Does this mean i have to have the SuSE desktop client to run the Enterprise server?
Thank you

You can buy legal copies from amazon.com and the personal ISO's are legally free. And all the FTP downloads are legal too.

Did someone say this or something? I am not sure what you mean. SuSE is a company that is trying to make a profit, so if you want to pay for the OS you will get technical support and a few more programs out of the box. But I think that most of the stuff you are doing can be done for free. I use SuSE 9.0 Pro although I haven't found any programs in it that are not GPL'd (available free off of the internet) So I would imagine most of Enterprise Edition would also be free of the internet. Actually at suse.com I only see SuSE linux Standard Server 8 for $500 dollars, pro is $90, and the boxed set of personal is $30 (free ISO's on the website though.) I'm sure it will save you some frustration to use the server edition, but it can all be done for free if you don't mind the work or time.

Hmm...again I'm not quite sure what you mean. Any OS will read the web pages from your server. I am not sure what programs are contained in the Standard Server 8 edition of SuSE, but if most of it is GPL'd and you are only paying for the tech support/server maintenence they offer then you will be able to build SuSE Standard Server 8 with a start of SuSE Proffessional, as you can also build personal into proffessional.

Actually there are a few threads in the general forum discussing how you pronounce SuSE, I say soos.

SuSE will install a few programs that will launch at startup or take up space on the Hard drive, it is merely a matter of removing or disabling these programs to make SuSE as fast as possible. If you want fast as possible out of the box go with Gentoo, Slackware, Debian, or LFS...however I must warn you that these distros are HARD HARD HARD, I have not successfully installed any of them but Slackware...and I botched up the slackware so much that SuSE is still faster I would say stay with SuSE for a while then if you decide that you really really need a lot of speed and you are certain that you can handle the OS switch to one of the ones I mentioned. Also could you tell us the specs of the machine you will run this on and what type of internet connection it will have?

Yeh, I'll be running on:
p4 2.5 800 fsb
2x 512 pc3200
240 gb hard drive IDE

I just decided to use my comp I saved up for, as the server. I'll be colocating it at a facility, they have 1mbps lines to 100, I'm unsure which line to order.

I'm still a little sketchy on the free SuSE, and why it's a pain to get. So I can get a copy of the SuSE for free legally? However, there will be no support or what so ever correct? Because I like to learn on my own instead of using books unless I really have to. O yeah, what's the difference between the ISO?

Thanks for the help

Well it sounds like you'll have access to good speed internet, start w/ 1mbps and see how fast/slow it is then upgrade later.

Here I'll try to explain it a little more clearly

-----SuSE Personal -- Totally free. You can do an FTP install or you can download the ISO image and install from the CD(s). You can buy it from SuSE for $30 dollars and you can feel nice that you supported a linux company and maybe get a bit of tech support and an instruction manual.

------SuSE Pro -- Totally Free. To legally install (I think I'm right, you can't legally buy non-official burnt SuSE pro cd's can you?) you have to do an FTP install, this entails downloading a bootcd ISO from SuSE and booting off it then downloading the programs from their FTP servers (or a mirror) and installing that way. You can buy it for $90 dollars for the same reasons as above or if you want to have the CD's handy and don't want to spend 30 hours installing it Or if you don't mind...since it is all GPL'd you can buy an unofficial version from someplace.

------SuSE Standard Server -- $500 dollars, they support and maintain your server for one year and you get tech support. Built for what you are doing and may have a bit more GUI's for what you are doing. I have no experience w/ it.

was that understandable?

haha o man you're good very good. Thank you, happy 4th of july !!!
Alrighty I'll get started on downloding one of the free versions.

Lol , let us know how it goes.