Bought a new server...

What do you think, should I move this thread to the hosting, programming, or linux forum?

This help you a bit:

http://cloudservers.rackspacecloud.com/ ... CentOS_5.4

Install Apache PHP and MYSQL is pretty easy.

Apache


The rest is in that guide.

What kind of control panel are you looking for?

Something like webmin might be a good start.

http://www.webmin.com/

A guide to install it is also in that wiki.

Heres another guide thats pure LAMP:

http://library.linode.com/lamp-guides/centos-5.3/

Wow thanks.

I am a bit worried when it comes to configuring mail, ftp and apache. Some details that I have under cPanel that I want to duplicate:

- Pipe mail to a php script. ie test@uploads.bodydot.com -> /home/whatever/handlemail.php. Once it gets there I know how to do it, but setting up the DNS, and the handler will be new for me

- Recompile Apache with new config settings. How do I get the old ones? Let's set I want to compile with xcache, or php as a cgi etc? Hmmm...

- Creating a new account and website. This will be new as cpanel takes care of everything. I have only 3 big websites and a bunch of other free sites I host for friends. Those simple sites will be interesting for me - permissions, FTP etc...

- Creating the original DNS Zone. Duh, I even forget how to do that in Cpanel. The name servers ns1.ryd0.com and ns1.ryd0.com

Can't really think of anything at the moment. Most of my custom apache stuff like DNS wildcarding I already know how to do, subdomain wildcarding...

Once I get that, I am off to the races. Remember I am a good PHP programmer, and a lousy admin. Now I will be forced to change that.

Just to save you some time you might look at signing up for Rackspace Cloud. It would allow you to play around with setting up a server. If you screw up you don't have to take the time to format and install the OS again. Takes about 5 minutes to get a fresh install of any OS. Only costs a little over a cent an hour to run an instance so you could get 12 hours of playing around for less than 50 cents.

That way you don't have to spend all the time formating and installing if you want a fresh start.

To answer some of your questions:


This will depend on what mail system you plan to install.


You dont have to compile apache to use xcache or php as cgi. You simple just have to install the modules.



You can do this manualy by editing a vhost file or you can install a control panel like webmin along with virtualmin. Or ISPConfig, which is a webhosting control panel.

So server is here.

Now how do I get the OS on it to start with?

I have boot options to do a network boot, but how is that done? Can I use a USB drive and put the OS on that?

If the server supports booting to USB I am sure you can. Other than that just download the Linux distro you plan on using and burn it to a CD.

Your server probably came with some sort of set up cd that should be bootable. Use that and select your operating system of choice from the list and it will make sure you have the right drivers for the raid controller and any other special stuff, then it will tell you to put in the disk with the OS and follow directions on screen from there.

ya,if the motherboard supports