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Starting a Linux Web/FTP server

B

bluestrobe

Platinum Member
I'm in the line to start a smaller use web server based on a Linux platform. I'm so-so with Linux and can't compile anything but can navigate, edit, and stuff of the nature.

I had a SuSe Server 9 CD sent to me last year by Novell as part of their evaluation project so I thought I would give it a try to see where I wanted to go to. Installed it and can't update it without paying Novell for the rights to update it. The auto update servers refuse my registered log-in so I figured Novell wants money. Brick wall!

So I need a good Linux platform to build a small web server used for hosting pictures and maybe a page or two. It?s mainly to play with Linux on a smaller server level. What would be a good flavor of Linux to use? I need something with a GUI since coding gives me a headache.
 
Ubuntu sucks for servers....why? because you have to go to a shell, do a telinit 2, then find the X process and kill it. Webservers don't need/shouldn't have GUI's.

I would go with pure debian, perhaps put a minimalistic GUI on for setup/minor maintainance.
 
Ubuntu sucks for servers....why? because you have to go to a shell, do a telinit 2, then find the X process and kill it. Webservers don't need/shouldn't have GUI's.
Click to expand...

A) Ubuntu should be in runlevel 2 by default since it's based on Debian, GDM/KDM is just a regular service that can be stopped with /etc/init.d/gdm stop.
B) If you do an expert install you can pick what packages to install.

Why you would choose Ubuntu over Debian I'm not sure. When Sarge was first released there were some issues with the security infrastructure, but AFAIK they're taken care of now and the updates are flowing normally.
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Ubuntu sucks for servers....why? because you have to go to a shell, do a telinit 2, then find the X process and kill it. Webservers don't need/shouldn't have GUI's.
Click to expand...

A) Ubuntu should be in runlevel 2 by default since it's based on Debian, GDM/KDM is just a regular service that can be stopped with /etc/init.d/gdm stop.
B) If you do an expert install you can pick what packages to install.

Why you would choose Ubuntu over Debian I'm not sure. When Sarge was first released there were some issues with the security infrastructure, but AFAIK they're taken care of now and the updates are flowing normally.
Click to expand...


Ubuntu also gives users the option for a server install... no X.

Text
 
GUI is important to me since this is a first time for a Linux Webserver for me. Command line with a semi-noob would be more trouble than its worth. I might give the SuSe OSS a try. Also I bought a full copy of Suse8.2 Pro awhile back and might give that a go just for the time being. I hope Novell doesn't charge people to update their older software.
 
But there are no (good) GUI tools for configuring things like Apache or ProFTPd. It's much simpler to just open the config files and read through them, the defaults are commented enough that everything should make sense.
 
I use Ubuntu on my laptop, as it was "easier" out of box to have everything working. I wanted a full featured desktop without the hassle of figuring out what packages did what (like the volume buttons).

 
GUI is important to me since this is a first time for a Linux Webserver for me. Command line with a semi-noob would be more trouble than its worth. I might give the SuSe OSS a try. Also I bought a full copy of Suse8.2 Pro awhile back and might give that a go just for the time being. I hope Novell doesn't charge people to update their older software.

edit: I don't mind config files, however, it?s easier to scroll and look back on them in a GUI environment.
 
Frankly I find scrolling and comparing files in vi to work just fine, but having a GUI environment won't break anything, but remember that if the box doesn't have much memory or the video card is old the UI will probably be slow and may cause the services provided by the machine to slowdown a bit as they contend for resources. If you've got a relatively fast machine with a lot of memory it probably won't matter either way.
 
tbh, as was already stated, apache and ftp are pretty much vi territory, as they have their config files, and it's the easiest to configure. If you are running this as a dedicated server, kill X when not in use, to free up resources. Also, good security says don't run stuff you don't need, like X.
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Ubuntu sucks for servers....why? because you have to go to a shell, do a telinit 2, then find the X process and kill it. Webservers don't need/shouldn't have GUI's.
Click to expand...

A) Ubuntu should be in runlevel 2 by default since it's based on Debian, GDM/KDM is just a regular service that can be stopped with /etc/init.d/gdm stop.
B) If you do an expert install you can pick what packages to install.

Why you would choose Ubuntu over Debian I'm not sure. When Sarge was first released there were some issues with the security infrastructure, but AFAIK they're taken care of now and the updates are flowing normally.
Click to expand...

I'm putting Ubuntu on a server, because I can't get Debian stable or unstable to see my SCSI drives correctly (9 gigs). Hoary was fine on install finding the drives at the right size. Not sure what the difference is between Ubuntu and Debian...
 
Originally posted by: nweaver
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Ubuntu sucks for servers....why? because you have to go to a shell, do a telinit 2, then find the X process and kill it. Webservers don't need/shouldn't have GUI's.
Click to expand...

A) Ubuntu should be in runlevel 2 by default since it's based on Debian, GDM/KDM is just a regular service that can be stopped with /etc/init.d/gdm stop.
B) If you do an expert install you can pick what packages to install.

Why you would choose Ubuntu over Debian I'm not sure. When Sarge was first released there were some issues with the security infrastructure, but AFAIK they're taken care of now and the updates are flowing normally.
Click to expand...

I'm putting Ubuntu on a server, because I can't get Debian stable or unstable to see my SCSI drives correctly (9 gigs). Hoary was fine on install finding the drives at the right size. Not sure what the difference is between Ubuntu and Debian...
Click to expand...


updated kernel, hotplug, modules... etc.

However, all of those are easily obtained in debian also.
 
I'm putting Ubuntu on a server, because I can't get Debian stable or unstable to see my SCSI drives correctly (9 gigs). Hoary was fine on install finding the drives at the right size. Not sure what the difference is between Ubuntu and Debian...
Click to expand...

Some non-free drivers in the kernel have been removed or had non-free parts of them removed, but usually that means the device just plain doesn't work not that it fails in mysterious ways. I thought Ubuntu had a similar kernel with the non-free drivers available in a restricted-modules package, but I don't know how far they've taken it.
 
I only suggest ubuntu because people seem to be more comfortable with it then when I say debian. Even though its the same installer and basically the same setup with the server install. One thing that is good about ubuntu over debian though is that you know updates will be frequent without running testing/unstable. This can be important to some people. Personally on a server I would go with something commercial.
 
Just installed the Pro version of Suse 8.0. Now its the updating part I gotta figure out. 8.0 was when it was on its own and not owned by Novell.
 
I guess updating older SuSe software for free is non-existant now a days. Anything that I can use that does update for free, has a decent GUI that can be shut off, and can be capable of running a small webserver. I know the web/ftp side of things is all command line but the gui does make it easier to work with drivers, installation, ect.

edit: Trying SuSe OSS next.
 
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