The dark side
 

OK guys,

Currently running win2k3 as a webserver with php5, fast-cgi, mysql5, python, phpmyadmin, iis6, winroute firewall and winroute mailserver.

I've had a VPS before running WHM/Cpanel and could use it OK, could even telnet in and install/run stuff like IRC and teamspeak servers...

Now as the win2k3 box will never be more than 95%+ stable I was wondering what's the simplest and easiest linux package I could put on a box to run php/mysql/apache/exim (not fussed about python as that was just to run a few scripts that I don't need anymore...) I'd prefer a graphical interface like cpanel but not 100% essential..Oh and of course it all needs to be free... ;)

The box though is old (P3-800, 512Mb)

Answers on a postcard please to "welcome to the dark side, po box 666, the death star #3"

Re: The dark side
 

Kymmy
welcome to the dark side
po box 666
the death star #3

Dear Kymmy,

I had a home web server running Ubuntu a while back, I used the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) install to set it up and then added Webmin on top of that.

The Ubuntu install was pretty bomb proof, and putting Webmin on top made it feel fairly simple to run.

The processor (an old 500Mhz Athlon) went all soft and squidgy in a nasty fan-failure type incident a few weeks after I set it up so I can't say what it would have been like to live with long term, but it seemed ok whilst I was using it.

I hope the above is of some use to you, if I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to write back.

Regards,

Rob M

Re: The dark side
 

The NTHW game server was run at one point from my house via ubuntu, so I'd say that is a more than capable starting point.

I also used it as my webserver until I moved to adsl where I had to retire it as I doubt virgin would appreciate me still doing so ;)

Re: The dark side
 

Thanks guys :) Just found an old P3-600 fully populated board so might get up a little test rig for a week :) I was considering ubuntu and thanks for the LAMP info...

Webadmin?? is that a seperate util?

I know where Unbuntu is can people provide a link please to the webadmin and LAMP??

Thanks
Kymmy
Trainee Sith under Darth Dillilious...

Re: The dark side
 

You want Ubuntu Server Edition:

http://www.ubuntu.com/products/WhatI.../serveredition

Which comprises the Linux part and should give you the option to install Apache, MySQL, and PHP (thus completing the LAMP) setup when you run the installer.

Webmin is available here:

http://www.webmin.com/

---------- Post added at 10:29 ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 ----------

Useful looking guide for installation/setup (for an older version, but should provide good info):

http://www.howtoforge.com/lamp_installation_ubuntu6.06

This is a good guide as well:

http://www.ubuntugeek.com/ubuntu-710...ver-setup.html

Re: The dark side
 

I personally recommend Fedora if you're thinking about running a server, based on the Red Hat distribution it's a distro built for the job and very simple to use, YUM (Yast Update Manager) makes light work of any software installs, I once had an uptime on Fedora 7 of 190 days (and then someone tripped the RCD :p:)

Re: The dark side
 

mail server??? which would people recommend???? also which is configurable by something like webadmin...

Re: The dark side
 

Ubuntu-SE comes with a mail server:

http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whati...res/mailserver

.....and there's a module for managing it available for Webmin :)

http://www.webmin.com/standard.html

Re: The dark side
 

thanx again Rob

Looking at all the options posted in here and in other posts I'm gonna try ubuntu...

If I commit suicide with a half charged light sabre then you know I should have stuck to windows ;)

Re: The dark side
 

I recommend as a beginner that you try Kubuntu as well as some people find the GUI for newbie-friendly :) If you go ahead with the install you could just install KDE on Ubuntu for a try :)

Re: The dark side
 

I'm not unfamiliar with non-gui systems, just unfamiliar with Linux....

Not done any major command line sys admin since I worked for DEC on VMS...

Re: The dark side
 

That's what I'm trying to help you with, you see there are 2 major players in the Linux GUI front, one called Gnome and the other called KDE, each comes with its own set of Core and Extra applications and some find one easier than the other, if you want to try both, your best bet is to install Ubuntu and then install KDE afterwards which will allow you to try both (Ubuntu comes with Gnome). If you want any help I will be on MSN all evening tonight!

Re: The dark side
 

Just really want it for server app, not as a desktop... As I said used to be happy with Cpanel/WHM but as they're licenced based a bit out of reach for what the server does (it runs a website for a NPO/club...)

I have used both KDE and GNOME in the past when I did look at linux as a desktop but the distinct lack of game support for what I was play meant I discounted it.

I'd actually be happy staying with windows but on this old server the OS overheads aer way too much to a pont where any glitch has disasterour results instead of just an inconvience :)

I'm sure though that whichever way I do go that I'll have lots of questions so thank you for that offer :)

Re: The dark side
 

I have spent the last week installing Ubuntu for a server. Learnt lots too.

Some links to start with:

https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/index.html

http://flurdy.com/docs/postfix/

Re: The dark side
 

thanX :)

Re: The dark side
 

Out of interest, what makes you say that?
I'm currently running 2 W2K3 servers (domain, IIS6, PHP5, mySQL, exchange, print) and a W2K8 server (TS, media streaming) and the only thing I've had a problem with is Rohan killing VMware (naughty Rohan).
Will be setting up a nix box in a bit for an irc server though as I can't seem to find a good irc server for windoze.

Re: The dark side
 

Had major problems with php/mysql inthe last few days, loads of weird php requests, I eventually tracked it down to peope using ie8beta2 on one of my sites (phpbb3)

also win's a right pain in the arse when it comes down to file permissions, no way of setting them via FTP and it doesn;t always inherit the rights..

I've always been a big windows server fan so don't get me wrong and if I had the hardware I'd go win2k8/iis7 but with the hardware that's running the site for an NPO win2k3 is too restrictive. as for IRC used unreal with anope linked into mysql for the services on my nix vps with great success...

Re: The dark side
 

OK, been having fun experimenting. I'm a right dopey cow running around trying to get bits together for a test server when I had VMware installed all the time, so with the latest ubuntu server I set off on an install...

Install went great even managed to install webadmin though found it a bit unfriendly and more of a server config than a much needed cpanel alternative, did try getting virtualmin installed but that was a bit beyond me to start off with..

So looked at the alternatives.... Cubepanel lite looks OK, but doesn;t support ubuntu :(... eventually settled on vhcs (yes I know it's not been updated for such a long time but was stable on release...) but after installing all the dependencies it just didn;t want to install properly (seems not to write a lot of data to the disk with no errors) so had a good luck and I think that the installer doesn;t seem to like 8.04...

So just downloaded 7.10 which I know works OK with vhcs2.4.7.1 so currently installing...

I'll let you know when it's time to bang my head against a wall ;)

Re: The dark side
 

Hows your project going?

After spending a couple of weeks now, this is by far the best combo I have played with:

http://www.ispconfig.org/

Using this guide:

http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-server-ubuntu8.04-lts

With:

SSHSecureShellClient-3.2.9

It just works :) Real happy now.

Re: The dark side
 

I've stuck with Centos5.2 with the automatic install of Virtualmin...and an install of phpmyadmin.

Managed to set up the webserver with multiple domains very easily, email on all the domains (just looking at configuration to make it a bit more spamproof).

Centos 5.2 comes with what they classify as SAFE repositories but if you need the latest softwares it only takes one change to that list and you have all the most upto date installs..

I tried ubuntu first of all but was a bit harder work than centos at getting virtualmin up and running but must admit to only having switched over as I was trying to get vhcs2 installed on both and failing miserably...

Still not happy at dropping down my windows server as I've supported it for so long but after having an identical forum website up on both systems (the linux though on a slower PC (about 2/3rds the speed/memory)) the linux website of phpbb3 was still a lot faster than windows...

Re: The dark side
 

just out of interest if people want to try the difference here's two nearly identical sites (only difference is the database was copied a few days ago)

www.xtz750.com < Main site on win2k3/winroute firewall/kerio mailserver (P3-800(133)/512Mb)
www.raidxtreme.co.uk/forum/ < Test site on centos5.2/virtualmin (P3-650(100)/384Mb)

Re: The dark side
 

CentOS one is quicker to respond for me.

Re: The dark side
 

I don;t suppose anyone has a postfix config file set up for a few rbl lists with at least sender verify (got used to exim on my last vps).. That way I can see the changes made as I seem best to learn that way :)

Re: The dark side
 

Just a thought, but have you had a look at Mailwasher Server? I haven't tried it, but it's free [you can pay for a First Alert subscription, but using it with Spamhaus is free].

Re: The dark side
 

SpamAssasin is already built into the current install, used it before and was quite happy with it...

Just wanted to know the config on postfix for a couple of the decent RBL lists and to make sure that postfix's equivalent of sender verify was enabled...

Thanks for the thought but don;t see the need to change the whole package when 4-10 lines of code need changing for this setup to work OK :)

Re: The dark side
 

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread. I've got to the point now where I'm more than happy to migrate over my small web/mail server to linux from win2k3 which I'll be doing earl Sunday morning (though not before I ghost the original disk just in case ;))

One last question:

I'm currently running AWSTATS on iis6 I presume I can copy across the IIS log files to the new install and set the awstats config to use them as well as the apache logs?

Re: The dark side
 

eventually did the migration Monday morning, no problems to be had and everyone is reporting the sites to be a lot faster :) I'd recommend that anyone wanting a highly configurabe server to try centos5.2 with virtualmin/usermin/webmin (auto install file available on thier site :))

Thanks again everyone

Re: The dark side
 

Apparently I have to pimp it around a bit Kymmy, so I'll just have to say thanks for now for the feedback :)

I'm after setting up something similar for myself, I'll certainly give CentOS a look :tu:

Re: The dark side
 

You;re the one who suggested webmin to me Rob, have you tried the virtualmin addon???

Re: The dark side
 

Nope, not tried the virtualmin addon. I'm also interested to give CentOS a look, until now I've only really played with Ubuntu on linux servers.

Re: The dark side
 

It was ever so easy, Centos DVD is a torrent, install and yum update (add a recent repository if you need latest versions of php/mysql, YUM UPDATE (like apt-get update/upgrade except a single step. The on webmins download page you;ll fine install.sh for virtualmin that'll configure everything in another couple of steps...

Re: The dark side
 

Ahem... ;)

Re: The dark side
 

Rob Kevin they're all the same name to me ..............

............Now excuse me whilst I hide!!!!!


Sowwy kevin, now please put down the baseball bat....

pwetty please.....

PS..RobM did mention it in this thread ;) so thank you to both of you