Newbe question

Hi Everyone!

I have a cable modem (with a static IP address) and a wireless network.

I have a sever running MS Sever 2003 and need something less complicated. The server hosts my family webpage, and that is it. I just need to serve web sites for myself, my family, and friends.

Is there a flavor of linux that is simply a websever? What I mean is all I want the computer to do is serve different urls' using just one IP address, and that is all.

My computer knowledge is more in the user, I had a friend setup the MS sever 2003 for me, but I find it hard to use. To me it seems complicated, but the software can do way more than I need it to do.

I need a OS that I load on the machine (p3 550) that has a gui that is easy to navigate and will alow me to host different urls' from one IP easily and stress free. I just want to load, point my router to the ip for the server and be up and running

Is there an easy solution or am I just dreaming of a easy to use gui for serving web sites?

Please stop laughing, Please!

Jimmy2chinz

Any linux distro should do, you'll just have to load and configure apache httpd. But I think configuration for that is going to be pretty much command line, but there may be a gui way to do it. If IIS is driving you nuts, you can get apache for windows as well, which does have a gui.

kc0tma,

I am downloading Ubuntu right now. They say on the web site to download the sever distro and install the LAMP install for an easy to use web server.

Quote: "In around 15 minutes, the time it takes to install Ubuntu Server Edition, you can have a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) server up and ready to go. This feature, exclusive to Ubuntu Server Edition, is available at the time of installation. (The LAMP option means you don't have to install and integrate each of the four separate LAMP components, a process which can take hours and requires someone who is skilled in the installation and configuration of the individual applications. Instead, you get increased security, reduced time-to-install, and reduced risk of misconfiguration, all of which results in a lower cost of ownership.)

Am I on the right track here?

It is Free and has support

Thanks for the quick reply
Jimmy2chinz

You should try LAMP, but it is made rather for development than for hosting.
It may be tiring to set up virtual hosts there.

You can also try to set up debian + apache + webmin. Webmin is a web GUI interface the Linux server. See here : http://www.webmin.com/index.html

iliya428, LAMP isn't a program or application, it's a configuration of technologies (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) working together as a complete server solution. Many hosting companies offer LAMP packages.

Yes Jimmy, you're on the right track. Once you have Ubuntu installed we'll be able to help you with questions you may have regarding the server configuration.

iliya428,

Thanks for the info! That is the information I need!

I went to the link on your reply and wow there was only one choice and that was Webmin "debian package" so no help needed there.

One question though.

I went to http://www.debian.org & http://httpd.apache.org to download and there are many choices. can you help narrow it down.

Spork,

I will be loading both on seperate machines to see which is best for me, Thanks, and I'm sure to have question by next weekend.

I think you'll find that the differences between each version of linux are pretty simple, like package managers and whatnot. But the apache and mysql and php will all be the same no matter which OS you go with. The linux flavor will pretty much be a matter of preference on your part.