Topic: Make server using Debian Linux?

Does anyone in here has ever make your own server using Debian Linux, I've installed it a few months a go into my laptop just for testing out but it seems that debian doesn't support all hardware. So I decided to uninstall it, I'm so desperate about this distro, anyone could share what the most requirements I should have to make my own server? especially using this linux, I'm newbie so any hints are welcome.

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

i have my own server, but in winXP -> Apache, php, mysql.

as stable as it gets, running on a mini-atx mobo with 600MHz processor (fanless) with 256 ram, and a 40GB 9mm HD (laptop HD).

i tried Linux, but I was not convinced about the ideas of having to learn so many commands and deal with linux in general just to run my own server (i've been using many linux distributions before).

Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

is it safe to run server for public with winXP? i also run winxp on pentium 2,4 Ghz, ram 512mb DDR, 40GB HDD but i place it on computer which is just for testing, do you think that spesification can also to run a server for public?

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

Hi,

I run a Debian Sarge system hosting my sites.

Laptops have always been a bit difficult to get going on any Linux distro but it's doable.

This is what I'd do:
Get the latest Sarge installer, rc3: http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/
This is the link to get the netinst: http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-t … etinst.iso

The net install is a small ISO that just has the basics and then grabs the needed packages from a Debian repository. After you have a basic installation going, you can then install Apache, Mysql and PHP.

At this point you have a command line interface to Linux, but everything should be working fine and you can use your laptop to host your sites.

If you decide on using the Laptop in a graphical environment, then it's up to you to decide on Gnome or KDE. This is where it gets tricky, getting the X server to play nice with your display chip.

Good luck smile

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

is it safe to run server for public with winXP?

it is safe, as long as you secure the server and run a decent firewall and stuff.
in my case, I have very specific settings for the server, for example:

+ Everything has to go through a router, and all ports are closed, except for port 80 for webserver (Apache).
+ I run Apache on the 80 port (standar), and opened that port on the router, only for the server machine IP.
+ Mysql and MyphpAdmin are only accesible from LAN and localhost (so there's no way to access them from outside my router). No need to open a port for MySQL.
+ I run a small ftp server too, so I can 'upload' my files from my other computer. since both machines are connected to the same router, I specify that the ftp server only allows connections from the LAN. no need to open port 21 on router.
+ I run Ultr@VNC server and client, to sometimes connect to or restart the server from my formal computer (the server only has a keyboard connected, no monitor nor mouse). Ultr@VNC is configured so it only accepts clients from LAN. No need to open ports on router.

the server machine has nothing installed, except for windows itself, Apache, MySQL, php4.3.11, the ftp server, the dynamic DNS updater, and firefox.
I unistalled windows messenger and disabled internet exploter.

according to the logs, the CPU barely reaches 3 or 5% when serving pages.

I use winXP only because i know whats going on on the background (21 services in total, including apache, mysql, ftp server and dyndns updater), where as with Linux, I have no idea how many packages are running without beign used.

Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

hcgtv i've been waiting for you to join this topic, i notice from your site that you run debian too so i decided to talk about it at here. btw I've already had 9 cd of woody r4, and also has tried to install it, sigh debian has really bad interface for the installation. Now i think the main problem is what should i do then? I don't know anything about linux command line, maybe i should just follow yag by using windows but this will make Bill gates happy then big_smile

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

whiteh0rs3, the Sarge installer is way better than what we had with Woody.

yag made a nice post on doing it via Windows, in actuality it's very similar to how I do it in Debian.

What it comes down to is how the server will be used and managed. If it's going to sit in a corner and you'll manage it via a Windows machine, then either way is fine. If you plan on using the server via a GUI interface then you'll have more of a learning curve getting used to Gnome or KDE.

I ran my server headless for many years, I used Samba to update the web space and PuTTY to sign on via a Windows machine to manage it.

Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

i think woody is the new name for their new version? nvm it's just a name.
great idea hcgtv, thanks for the hints. atm i'm still on learning it by now. maybe i just need to wait for couple years till can fully understand linux

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

...
btw, the win server where I run apache and stuff is located at: http://subc.webhop.net
and the punbb forum I just installed: http://subc.homeip.net/punbb/

of course, i spent a long time reading and reading about servers under windows and linux, and the best solution is LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and Php).
Eventually, i plan to move the server to a small distribution without GUI and all the junk that comes in the popular fatty distributions (such as mandrake, suse, etc). The ultimate goal is a 'barebones' Linux, with apache-mysql-php-perl-tomcat, with autoupdater program for dyndns (although, i think it requires a GUI).

For now, the win machine works just fine, specially since I dont have a lot of traffic yet. And since I wanted a really quiet server, I invested some bucks getting a mini-atx mobo with integrated 'fanless' CPU, and also got a small power supply for it (fanless too). And since the HD is from a laptop and is almost new, makes near zero noise.
If it wasn't for the LED, i wouldnt be able to tell if the server is on or off... heck! my DSL modem makes more noise than the server big_smile

Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

yag maybe you could try Ubuntu Linux, it's new distro which is based on debian i think. At this time they still on promotion so if you lucky maybe you'll get free CD from them.

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

whiteh0rs3 wrote:

yag maybe you could try Ubuntu Linux, it's new distro which is based on debian i think. At this time they still on promotion so if you lucky maybe you'll get free CD from them.

I have actually.
So far, i've tested Mandrake, Suse, Ubuntu, DSL, RedHat, Mepis, Knoopix and something else Debian based (cant remember).

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

yag wrote:

The ultimate goal is a 'barebones' Linux, with apache-mysql-php-perl-tomcat, with autoupdater program for dyndns (although, i think it requires a GUI).

That was my headless server setup until I made it a workstation last month.

I use ddclient to update dyndns and zoneedit: http://ddclient.sourceforge.net/

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

Was? not anymore?
would you mind sharing how you have your server working now? smile

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Re: Make server using Debian Linux?

yag, here are the posts about using my server as a workstation: http://nupusi.com/category/15

Giga is my new server: http://nupusi.com/item/178