Which *nix server for home, without time consuming setup?

[brookesandrew]

Now that my kids at home are wanting to use the internet and email under my wife or my supervision, I feel the need for a home server again to help filter and monitor. Before having kids I used to run a FreeBSD server at home for email and web serving, a few years ago I was on an economy drive getting rid of all non-essential 24/7 electrical items, it had to go.

 

What would people recommend as an "out of the box" *BSD or Linux solution to run on a AMD 1.5Ghz with 512MB RAM and 2x40GB HDD's, i'm at that age now where after network managing (M$ Server 2003) at work all day the last thing I want to do is get home and start "work" again, my days of being single and spending hours installing and configuring FreeBSD and server applications at home are long gone.

 

I'm looking for an installation that installs the following:

 

Firewall

Internet Filtering (by user)

Email server

Web server + CMS

Samba server

Web based configuration

 

Basically if it exists, a distribution that at point of install asks for my TCPIP settings, domain name and admin username and password then installs it all and tells me to access a web page to simply set up users, email aliases, shares, firewall and filtering. I don't particularly want something that installs a GUI after all this is a server (servers shouldn't have GUI's).

 

I've just downloaded SME Server 7.4 to try, also looked at Karoshi but not sure it would suit home use, what else do you guys suggest that doesn’t need much work to install and configure? (Yes it seems I’ve been brainwashed into point, click, use mindset, or is it I value my time at home more these days?).

 

Thanks

Andy.

[p858snake]

Dansguardian from memory comes prepackaged as a linux os with the filtering system set-up already from memory and you should be able to install anything else you want ontop of it.

[ahuxham]

Dansguardian from memory comes prepackaged as a linux os with the filtering system set-up already from memory and you should be able to install anything else you want ontop of it.

 

You mean Smoothwall? Comes pre-packaged with Squid, Firewall and the likes and has a Dansguardian plugin?

[FN-GM]

You mean Smoothwall? Comes pre-packaged with Squid, Firewall and the likes and has a Dansguardian plugin?

 

I thought that but doesnt have

 

Email server

Web server + CMS

Samba server

 

 

Smoothwall is good for a transparent proxy and filtering. For filtering you will have to put on an extra addon

[Hightower]

Sounds to me like you might be better putting a little bit more RAM in and running a few machines via VM.

[pete]

Try untangle: Network Monitoring Software - Open Source Content Filter & Spam Filter | Untangle.com and run it under xen with a separate web/file/email vm.

 

I doubt you'll find a good fw/filter package that also has email/file/webserving - it'll be medicore at best.

[ahuxham]

I thought that but doesnt have

 

Email server

Web server + CMS

Samba server

 

 

Smoothwall is good for a transparent proxy and filtering. For filtering you will have to put on an extra addon

 

Then another option being: Debian (There are others, but I prefer the old work horse) Install Squid, Dansguardian, Apache, Mysql, PHP, than configure one of the CMS's systems such as Drupal, Samba, Postfix or Zimbra free edition. Install "Webmin" and all associated modules, and configure through the web interface.

 

Webmin is a fantastic GUI, and you can do anything you like with it, configure all settings and the likes.

[brookesandrew]

I had thought about extra RAM and VM's but i'm being lazy and was hoping that a "home server" solution was out there that wouldn't require too much time to configure.

 

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

[ahuxham]

Might want to look at ISPConfig - OpenSource ISP management and Hosting Control Panel as well, as it controls various features on the system, from there just installed what ever else is needed.

[somabc]

Ubuntu with ebox?

 

eBox Platform - Open source small business network server

[brookesandrew]

Thanks to all for comments.

Lots to download before tomorrow 3.30pm so as not to use my capped broadband and then to decide which best fits my needs.

Andy

[llawwehttam]

Personally I would use Debian, its very friendly to use and to put it plainly 'just works'! On the other hand you could use ubuntu server.

[Guest monkeyx]

Personally I would use Ubuntu server over Debain

 

I have used Clark Connect about three years ago ClarkConnect - Server and Gateway - Linux Small Business Server SBS

 

From what I remember it does most of the things you are asking about.

 

Tim

[ahuxham]

Personally I would use Ubuntu server over Debain

 

I have used Clark Connect about three years ago ClarkConnect - Server and Gateway - Linux Small Business Server SBS

 

From what I remember it does most of the things you are asking about.

 

Tim

 

Thanks for that Tim, had a look and checked the community edition, very nice software indeed, the only gripe I have with systems like that is the "bundled" approach, I'm sure you can add the missing features, like file server and the likes, but no GUI for that.

[Guest monkeyx]

It used to be based on Centos(Still maybe?) and it was possible to add red hat based packages to the system.

 

Tim

[fiendishlyclever]

I'd recommend OpenDNS as a starting point. It's easy to avoid the filtering if you know what you are doing, unless you've locked down the network settings.

 

Not much experience with filtering/parental control software, only basic linux servers.

[StewartKnight]

I'd recommend OpenDNS as a starting point. It's easy to avoid the filtering if you know what you are doing, unless you've locked down the network settings.

 

I was just about to say the same thing! This months (well, February to be pedantic, but the latest issue!) Computer Shopper has an "idiots" guide to using openDNS. Send me your email addy and I'll scan it for you it you're interested!

[speckytecky]

Andy,

 

As a matter of interest

 

What did you end up with as a solution?

 

Now that my kids at home are wanting to use the internet and email under my wife or my supervision, I feel the need for a home server again to help filter and monitor. Before having kids I used to run a FreeBSD server at home for email and web serving, a few years ago I was on an economy drive getting rid of all non-essential 24/7 electrical items, it had to go.

 

What would people recommend as an "out of the box" *BSD or Linux solution to run on a AMD 1.5Ghz with 512MB RAM and 2x40GB HDD's, i'm at that age now where after network managing (M$ Server 2003) at work all day the last thing I want to do is get home and start "work" again, my days of being single and spending hours installing and configuring FreeBSD and server applications at home are long gone.

 

I'm looking for an installation that installs the following:

 

Firewall

Internet Filtering (by user)

Email server

Web server + CMS

Samba server

Web based configuration

 

Basically if it exists, a distribution that at point of install asks for my TCPIP settings, domain name and admin username and password then installs it all and tells me to access a web page to simply set up users, email aliases, shares, firewall and filtering. I don't particularly want something that installs a GUI after all this is a server (servers shouldn't have GUI's).

 

I've just downloaded SME Server 7.4 to try, also looked at Karoshi but not sure it would suit home use, what else do you guys suggest that doesn’t need much work to install and configure? (Yes it seems I’ve been brainwashed into point, click, use mindset, or is it I value my time at home more these days?).

 

Thanks

Andy.

[Marc]

Karoshi?