Setting up Ubuntu LAMP Server for local web server

sewmyheadon · 06-23-2006, 07:33 PM

Hello,

I'm a web designer that's been using Linux on shared servers running cPanel for quite a while. I've setup an Ubuntu 6.06 LTS LAMP server on a spare box in my office so I can use it as a development and testing server. I installed the OS and it went perfectly. Of course, there's no GUI, but I really didn't want that, although I may end up needing to add one.

Still I have a few newbie questions and was hoping someone could give me some pointers, or direct me to resources that might help. My eyes are starting to cross from searching for, and reading, articles.

Here's the gear:

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS LAMP Server
Linksys Broadband Router (WRT54G) providing DHCP
My non-Linux development PC

Here are my goals:

To use this Ubuntu box as a local test server only - no outside Net access
To create different accounts for different users/web sites
To be able to access the web server via IP address and hostname
To be able to connect to the server accounts via FTP
To be able to connect to the server accounts via SSH

Here's where I am in the setup:

The server is running fine, including Apache, PHP & MySQL
I can connect via SSH using the IP address
I can pull up the default Apache page using IP address only
I've created a public_html directory in a user home directory and can see this from the other PC as well using IP address only
I'm not able to hit the server using its hostname from another PC on the network, only IP address

Here's what I don't yet know:

If I need to setup a static IP for the Linux box and, if so, is this something I do from the Linux box, or the Linksys router?
Since the router is DHCP, there's a chance it would dole out a different IP down the road, I believe?
Do I need to setup DNS if I'm not connecting from outside this network?
If I do install Gnome, how do I setup GRUB to allow me to select whether to load it or not?
Being a long-time cPanel user, is there a free application that someone can recommend that will help automate or ease the setup of new users/accounts on the system and provide some of the features in cPanel?

Well, that's enough for now. Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give.

musicman_ace · 06-23-2006, 08:46 PM

1. You'd set the static IP on the linux box. I don't use Ubuntu, but I'm guessing it will be under /etc/conf and probably net or net.eth0

2. If linux is set to static, it wouldn't matter that the router tries to send out an IP via DHCP, linux would just ignore it.

3. You could configure DNS, or add an entry for the linux box in your existing DNS server's zone. If you don't have local DNS, you could add the entry into the HOSTS file of the machine(s) you are connecting from.

4. Not sure on this one. Odds are you'd add a arguement like init=3 or init=5 in the kernel line.

5. Don't even know what cPanel is, sorry.

sewmyheadon · 06-23-2006, 09:02 PM

musicman_ace,

Thanks so much for the assistance - I really appreciate it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman_ace

3. You could configure DNS, or add an entry for the linux box in your existing DNS server's zone. If you don't have local DNS, you could add the entry into the HOSTS file of the machine(s) you are connecting from.

I'm not running local DNS right now. It's just two WinXP PCs on the network in a Workgroup. I'm adding the Linux server to this, but don't have a proper 'network' setup yet.

Would you recommend running local DNS? Could I then give the server a domain like myowndomain.com and hit the webserver using this name (assuming it's not taken elsewhere on the net)?

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman_ace

4. Not sure on this one. Odds are you'd add a arguement like init=3 or init=5 in the kernel line.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman_ace

5. Don't even know what cPanel is, sorry.

It's a hosting management interface that is common on shared hosting servers, and allows you to quickly setup domains on the server and allocate resources to them.

I was looking for a similar, free alternative, but it's not a big deal.

Again, thanks.

tobrien · 06-26-2006, 12:10 AM

A web based configuration editor that I recently found that is probally similar to the one you are talking about is called WebMin http://www.webmin.com/. Don't know if it is what you are looking for, but it says it supported on Unbuntu. Actually just did the desktop version install and may end up doing the LAMP for fun.

Tadge

musicman_ace · 06-26-2006, 09:44 AM

You don't need to have local DNS since its only 3 computers. Just add the IPs to the HOSTS file

Windows location is c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\HOSTS
Linux location is /etc/hosts

The line would be something like

Code:

192.168.2.1     WindowsBox1
192.168.2.2     WindowsBox2
192.168.2.3     linuxbox

raptor95368 · 02-11-2007, 02:06 PM

Your linksys router will allow you to set up a permanent lease for each of the boxes you have on your local network, as well as serving DHCP addresses to any external systems, ie laptops, that you might also access the network with.

Webmin is my configuration tool of choice for the LAMP server, and I know it works with ubuntu.

Edit /etc/grub.conf to show that the init stat of your gnome installation is set to runlevel 5 (init=5) and this should allow you to default boot into the graphical desktop.

Cheers