New Server

Excellent point. Because of that reason, I'm definitely using RAID. At least if a HD fails, I'll be able to run over and throw a new one in.

I realize it's a lot of work, but DirectAdmin can create backups, and if something should fail (i.e. motherboard) I can simply reopen an account with my current host and upload the backup files.

Hackers are my biggest fear. They are terrible, and they will exploit (and damage) any software setup they can get their hands on. That's why I plan to back up everything daily. (It'll be done automatically) Have you guys had many hacking problems?

I realize I could lose money very easily, but I really want to do something exciting, and this is it for me.

BTW, I think I'm going to use a tower instead of a 1U. It doesn't cost any extra money at the colo, and it probably has a higher resale value in case things don't pan out. (can act as a desktop)

Anybody opinions on this one?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1462334&CatId=0

I take objection to the term "hacker" as used in the above post.



The term you're looking for is "cracker". Hackers are the people that bring forth wonderful works in the tech field. The term "hacker" predates computers and refers to one who is skilled in thier craft.

Ahhh, screw it. Media has ruined the terms. I just like to nit-pick.

But to answer your question, yes I've had my run-ins. That's why I run VPS systems and place each site in it's own chroot'ed environment. If a user account gets compromised, they have minimal chances of breaking out of the chroot jail (if they really notice it IS jailed), and then I just have to review logs, restore the user filesystem from backup, and patch the hole, which is usually caused by a user script.

That PC isn't a bad start, but you might bump it up to 1GB memory, and check with the colo if they use gigabit ethernet or just 10/100. If they use gigabit, invest the extra and get a good NIC. That way you're communicating full-speed with thier routers and delivering optimum rates to your box.

What OS are you looking to run?

OS? I'll probably run Fedora Core 2. I use FC3 on my workstation, but it's still too new, and I don't really trust it on a server.

DirectAdmin (the management software I'll be using) recommends using Fedora Core 2 anyway. I personally like FC2, and it seems to have very good TCP/IP protocols. I typically download 50% faster w/ my Fedora install over Win XP (same computer). It's just better at handling network requests.

I don't think I would ever run a Win server. I do like Win 2003 (I used to use it as a workstation), but Fedora is much easier to use and MUCH more stable, IMHO. I know that rules out the asp crowd, but PHP is pretty popular. Besides it's a lot cheaper.