setting up a webserver

[Gubs]

Right. My next project is building a webserver, and there are a few things I need advice about. Bear in mind that there isn't any goal to it other than the actual webserver itself - I don't have any particular website I want to get running, so please don't suggest commercial hosting: I just want to build my own (secure) webserver. Other than that feel free to destroy my ideas, but preferably only if you have better ones

The hardware itself (an old PII) has been put together, so mainly I'm looking for software advice. Currently I'd go for Apache running on FreeBSD.

1. Is there a better way to do it? I'll freely admit I don't have any experience of UNIX, but I'm willing to learn. If I do go this route, should I go for Apache-SSL rather than straight Apache?

2. My NIC (and probably more) isn't explicitly mentioned in the FreeBSD hardware support notes; I realise that only means it hasn't been proven to work, but how hardware-friendly is it going to be?

Now, obviously the computer needs to be accessible from the internet. Physically it will be located next to my main computer which has a wireless connection to the ADSL router downstairs, so:

3. If I used crossover cable to connect the webserver and my main rig, would I be able to put the webserver on the same network as the router & the other two computers in the house? Or would I have to buy another wireless adaptor to achieve this?

4. I think the answer to Q3 is that it can go on the same network, so if that's right, would I then be better off putting the existing wireless dongle on the webserver or my main rig? I'm guessing it'd be better on the main rig for security (as that computer would ignore any traffic being sent through it for the webserver?), but that'd mean leaving it on all the time.

5. (Bit more general this one) How much control is possible over a network? I guess this will probably depend on the OS, but I don't really want to buy a KVM switch if I don't have to

Thanks in advance!

[Joel]

1. you might be better of with linux, but in either case apache standard is fine, unless your doing secure transactions

2. free bsd kernel compiles arnet as easy as linux, but if your network card is intel/3com/realtec it will proabaly work

3. yes, but it would be better to put the webserver into a switch and port forward to it, coz if your main dies, you cant access the web server, but yes, you can give it an ip in the same range as the rest of your network

5. ssh is all you nead to control it, that and webmin is useful...

[Gubs]

The network card is a D-Link, and it is mentioned on the Linux hardware compatibility howto, so I might go with Linux as you suggested. Probably Slackware as I have a CD lying around already.

Webmin looks very useful - presumably it's only installed on the webserver so it won't matter what OS is on the computer I use to access it?

Thanks for the reply.

[DaBeeeenster]

Webmin is useful, and yeah you can access it from any browser, but the best way to learn linux is from the command line. Config files are in /etc - that's about all you need to know.

Actually maybe that's simplyfying it a little bit

There's quite a few Linux users on Hexus, so I'd say just install it and if you have any trouble shout!

[youngteam]

Ive not come across a NIC that hasn't worked in FreeBSD, what model D-Link is it?

I don't really think FreeBSD kernel compiles are any more difficult than Linux, besides nearly every NIC driver is compiled in the default kernel.

I prefer FreeBSD myself, but really it's down to personal preference.

Apache is fine, do/will you need SSL support?

You can do everything over the network on a FreeBSD (this also stands for linux) box that you could if you were sat at the console.

Webmin is a nice frontend if you don't want to get dirty with the console, but sometimes causes more problems than it solves. FreeBSD runs SSH server by default there's no reason you can't do everything from the command line anyway.

As for the network connection it would be a lot simpler to buy a new wireless adapter. If I've understood your setup, you've got wireless to your PC upstairs and want to connect the server to your PC to share it's wireless connection? If that's right it's do-able but will involve your main machine routing packets to the webserver.

[Gubs]

The NIC is a D-Link DE220P; if I remember rightly a couple of the other DExxx models are mentioned on the FreeBSD hardware compatibility page but not this one. Presumably they can't be that different though, so I could try it anyway.

I don't need SSL support so I'll try standard Apache, then in the future if I do need to switch for SSL at least I'll know my way around.

As for the wireless connection... yeah I know it'd be simpler to buy a new adaptor but of course that's more expensive. Currently my main rig uses a Netgear MA111 USB dongle which ideally I'd like to put on the webserver (which I could leave on 24/7) and let that route packets to my main rig over a cable, but the MA111 doesn't seem to be supported by any Linux/etc. distro that I've looked at. Do you know of any cheap adaptors that would work under a given OS? I'm happy to opt for an OS based on that, as I don't have any experience to give me personal preference

Cheers for your help, it's appreciated.

edit: forgot to say, I think I'll leave Webmin etc. until I can do the same things from the command prompt; I have fond memories of DOS so it won't be too traumatic I hope

[youngteam]

I can't say I've used on emyself, but a quick search in google found http://listserver.uk.freebsd.org/pip...ch/001030.html which suggests it should work. It'd probably be easier to get hold of a PCI card though, a cheap realtek or sis card such as http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=31095 for £2.99

As for the USB wifi, I'm pretty sure it's not supported but I'll have a bit more of a look later.