How do i turn my hd into a server?

feeta

Hi,

I have been with a hosting company (supanames.co.uk) for over a year now and I have decided that I want to go bigger!

When I say bigger, I mean i want to set up my own server!

Basically, I have access to an always-on T3 connection. I have a 2 Gig blank hard drive that i want to connect to the net and run my website from.

I know how to use PHP, MySQL etc etc but I just don't know what i need to install and set up on the hard disk to get myself going.

I want the server to be running linux with apache/php/perl/webmail or some sort/mysql support as well.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Also, what would i have to do to make it so instead of going to an ip address, you went to the website name?
ie. (say the ip was 276.175.217.372) I would want to go to http://www.feeta.co.uk/folder/page.php instead of 276.175.217.372/folder/page.php

Thanks for any help...It's much appreciated!

Peter Appleyard

dalecosp

2GB's not very large, but it might do for starters. Those on the site who know me can guess what I'm gonna say.

How about FreeBSD?? 🙂

But, to answer your questions...

You need an computer with an operating system ([subliminal message]yeah, pick FreeBSD, pick FreeBSD pick FreeBSD...[/end subliminal message]). You already have 24/7 connectivity; you need an internet routeable ip address. If you want a name, you'll need to purchase one (or more) names, and you'll need DNS servers. It's possible to run one DNS server on your box, you'll want a secondary DNS as well. You'll want a UPS (uninterruptible power supply).

You've gotta have a well-configured firewall if the machine is not already behind something. On a t3, you'll be probed constantly by bad guyz looking for machines to exploit, and you'll be a big target, 'cause BW is highly prized.

Names you get from a registrar ... I like dotster.com; tucows.com is a biggy that lots of folks use. I'd stay away from NetworkSolutions/Verisign if possible.

Most of your 'Nix type OSes (pick FreeBSD) come with a DNS server (usually BIND) already installed --- you simply need to config it. Read, read, read, thoroughly before committing your box (pick FreeBSD) to the net, though.

In re: DNS, be sure at first to use short TTL's. When I was first getting started, I made a mistake in this; later on, my ISP made some changes to the network structure and now ns1.mydomain.com is stuck in never-never-land for another 7 years or so....

Now, why FBSD? It may be a tad difficult to get used to at first if you've always been running M$ systems, but the OS has a more structured support system than most Linuxes and the ports system is better then most Linuxes' 3rd party SW installation routines.

Once the OS is up, installing software is usually a matter of:

$cd /usr/ports/www/apache13
$make install clean

$cd /usr/ports/lang/php4
$make install clean

In the latter case (PHP) the FBSD ports system shows an ncurses (semi graphical) configuration box and then grabs all dependencies from the 'Net automagically. In Linux, Gentoo's system is similar to this, so I hear. It is definitely superior to RH RPM's at this stage of the game. Also, the 'portupgrade' program (in the FBSD ports tree) will update installed ports for you, fairly well automagically, so if Apache ups a release, you don't have to uninstall && reinstall or whatever....

Furthermore, FBSD is not gonna install a GUI by default, and this is advantageous to a guy has only has 2GB to spare 😉

I'm sure others have their opinions.

LordShryku

Hrmm....I can't think of a nix that installs a GUI by default.....

Now like he said, 2 gigs is low on space. Especially if say...your database gets big or you don't make clean on your installs or you don't clean unneccesary directories, etc, etc. I'd suggest going out an getting yourself a second HD if you can spare the cash. IDE drives are cheap as hell anymore(about a dollar a gig), if that's what you're doing. Considering it's a server, you may be doing SCSI, in which case you'll want more than one anyway to build some good redundancy into your RAID.

And the security is huge. I personally know a couple people that try to backdoor into every box => T1, so they can pop those bad boys on IRC and use them as bots. You're really going to want to tune your firewall. Get some outside help if needed, because a T3 is going to be a huge "Steal me" sign if it's not well protected.

stolzyboy

Originally posted by LordShryku
Hrmm....I can't think of a nix that installs a GUI by default.....l

Haven't installed RH on anything in about a month, but I believe it installs a GUI by default.

It asks you which one you want to install, but also give you the NONE option.

But is is set to GNOME by default, IIRC.

LordShryku

From RH 7.2 -> current, during package selection, you can choose whether to install Gnome, KDE, and X. None are just installed by default though. Might be even earlier than that too, 7.2 was just the first RH I picked up

stolzyboy

yep, but i'm saying it acts like a radio button would, gnome checked, but allows you the ability to turn it off

so if you just keep clicking next it'll install one gui or another

of course i could still be mistaken, i just can't remember, i may just have to check it out

LordShryku

No, you're semi right. I you just keep clicking next, it will install it. Of course, you'll also installing the "Personal Desktop" version of RH. My point being, unlike Windoze, every nix distro gives you the choice of installing X

feeta

Thanks guys, I'll take all of this into account.

I spoke to my network guys at my college (where I'm going to host my server) and they said that they have all the latest security stuff etc and that security is not a problem.

Cheers!

Feeta 🙂