Linux as a Server #2
 

I am trying to start a linux server. What do i need? I mean everything, looking to host a website really not looking for a lot of space just want to learn how to do it. Thanks in advance

FreeBSD or Slackware. IMHO

Welcome to LQ! You've asked a very open ended question. There are many ways to do what you're asking. The vast majority of *nix servers use apache for websites. My preference for a server is not to install the GUI, and save the system resources towards the hosting of sites. From your description, it sounds more like you mean a single website, and if it is personal, non-commercial site, you could easily install the apache webserver and still have plenty of resources left over for the GUI enviornment.

What is your inclination? I like the Command line interface, but do see where a gui can save much time and makes it possible to do things you really don't "know" properly. If you use KDE, Gnome, or any of the window enviornments, many people like the webmin program for management of the site(s) on the computer. Other things to consider - will you have cgi-scripts? If so, you need to have perl, or at the very least whatever compiler is needed for the language the codes are in.

Beyond the linux serup of the server, do you know about things like LAN routing, firewalls, and anything else that may be needed to get the site live on the internet?

Have fun, play with things, and write back when things don't work as you hoped/expected.

Peace,
JimBass

Open ended rocks!!
 

I know nothing about anything. I know what a router, hub, etc is. However I have no idea about scripts, cgi with perl, etc.
I just want to make a website and have my server host it, or whatever it is suppose to do. I know i have to buy a domain or DNS, I don't know anything about that.

Something off topic, is there any program that automates installing from source? ./configure, make, make install, 75 % doesn't work for me. I would sometimes copy and paste exactly what a company's website says to type. Could i create a\something in perl or a shell to do this??

You'll have a lot of things to read up on then. Many choices you will be faced with will depend on things like your network config, and if you don't know that, it will put you at a disadvantage. Of course anything you chose that is "wrong" can be corrected, but if you only know that "my site isn't working" yet don't know if the reason is the DNS, that your router isn't passing the requests for the site on to the machine hosting it, or any of the hundreds of other possible scenarios, you'll have a lot to investigate. I don't mean to suggest that you can't do it or that it is difficult in the general sense, just please be aware that you have many things to investigate before you can run a site from home.

If your site will be primarily images and text then you won't have need of cgi scripts. Again you can always add that functionality in later. Learning what can be done on a website with and without cgi scripts would be another good thing to investigate.

You would have to purchase a domain from one of the registrars. Before you get to that, I'd suggest just getting the site to "look" correct when you go to http://localhost from the machine (if you have x windows on it) or the local IP of the server from any of the other computers on the lan.

As to the idea of automating the ability to compile from source, the problem isn't the commands to make, it most likely is that you don't have the required things installed or in your path. I don't think Fedora includes most compilers in a default desktop enviornment. Also, the vast majority of things that you want to install can probably be found in .rpm format. That removes the whole configure, make, make install process. All you need to install from a .rpm is . Rpm has advantages and disadvantages as well. You should be able to install from source, so I don't suggest you give up on that completely, but we'd need to know the specific errors you get when trying to configure, make, or make install to help out with that. A process like compiling from source can't be automated any further than it already is becasue there are many many outside factors that come into play, like I mentioned earlier - do you have the prereq's, are they in your PATH, etc.

Peace,
JimBass

thanxs
 

That is what I am looking for , I am not really looking for answers as in more looking for a direction to go with networking in linux. Like websites, things for me to read. I understand and rather like rpm, not all of it but enogh to install and i really like yum and apt. I actually found a linux user group where i live and they are giving a course on perl for free. I don't mind reading and doing it myself i just need a good location to start. Thanxs again.


MY Goal is to learn enough Linux so i can work for a top company so I may be the one responsible for Microsoft's demise. I have gotten to many blue screens of death at such the wrong times. Ex. 25 minutes before my paper is due!!
I am ambitious in this goal!!!!!

I think i sound like Dr. Evil now, ha!!!!