using Linux for a web/intranet server

[beeswax]

I didn't check the MD5sum

 

Please do so.

 

ok. done that. image checks out fine.

 

easy with that stick tiger

 

beeswax

[Geoff]

 

Are you creating the CD correctly? Not just dragging and dropping the file on the cd file system and burning it (copying it)?

[beeswax]

right, after that short break. I started afresh and now have a disk which boots and gets as far as installing 16% of the base system and then stops with the message, "Bootstrap Error. Couldn't download psmisc." It picked up the network settings earlier on during the install. I ought to say that I'm installing this on a spare machine attached to the school network.

 

beeswax

[beeswax]

belay that last post. rather than using the go back option i aborted the install. It seems to be going swimmingly.

beeswax

[kingswood]

I don't use Linux at all in the school (shock- horror-)- although I did trial it for a few things at the start of the year and got quite far thanks to Geoff and others here.

 

Even so, I now run Apache Web Server on a Windows 2003 Server very happily. Easy to setup, and no fiddling with a new OS. Just fiddling with an existing one really

 

Paul

[Geoff]

right, after that short break. I started afresh and now have a disk which boots and gets as far as installing 16% of the base system and then stops with the message, "Bootstrap Error. Couldn't download psmisc." It picked up the network settings earlier on during the install. I ought to say that I'm installing this on a spare machine attached to the school network.

 

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Your machine has faulty memory.

[beeswax]

Hi Geoff,

thanks for that, but you must have missed my follow up post that I'd gone beyond that and actually done a full install. I think I made a mistake later on when attempting to install the options such as desktop, dns server, web server etc. (I was gobsmacked when I saw the options) As it was the end of the day I left it at that, but I'll be in the office at 7:30 Monday morning to go through it again. It's the only way.

 

cheers for everything,

beeswax

[beeswax]

It's taken longer than I thought to get round to trying to install debian again. I get to the point where I'm asked which sort of application do I want my machine to install/run, such as desktop, web server etc. what I can't seem to do is install the selected service. does debian need to access the web at this point, or does it install from the cd rom? I select desktop from the list (or at least I think I do, as nothing is highlighted, just the small square appears next to Desktop) and hit enter. From there a lot of code scrolls up the screen, and I'm pretty sure I see "media error" in there somewhere. But up to this point all's well. I also made sure I wasn't standing on the network cable and squashing the signal.

 

beeswax

[Geoff]

media error = broken/dusty/scratched CD.

[Ric_]

@beeswax: it depends where you told the installer to use as the source. If you are using apt (something I don't recommend for the ininital install) rather than CD-based method, make sure you aren't required to go through a proxy.

[webman]

I'd advise downloading the latest Ubuntu (based on Debian) disk to do a server install. You might want to follow the Ubuntu 5.10 Perfect Setup guide on HowToForge to install the necessary packages.

[ChrisH]

Just dowload the base install and load that on. A few config screens will take you through configuring apt including a proxy if need be then use apt to grab packages. You may have to experiment with a few mirrors to get one working well.

Then

apt-get install apache

 

and whatever packages you need.

you can return to the config at any time.

etc etc.

[beeswax]

@beeswax: it depends where you told the installer to use as the source. If you are using apt (something I don't recommend for the ininital install) rather than CD-based method, make sure you aren't required to go through a proxy.

 

I would have to go through a proxy, so decided not to, and I did choose the install from cd option.

 

Can someone clear something up with the install of Debian please? The first disk does a base install, if you want to install a gui desktop does one need disk two? I can't figure out from the Debian site just what is included on each disk.

 

beeswax

[ChrisH]

If this is just going to be a webserver why do you need the GUI ? It will be a waste of resources and you will need to know minimal commands to operate your server from the command line.

If you want I can list all the common ones you will need.

[beeswax]

as with most things I do, they start off as simple, one track jobs, straight down the line, but somewhere along the line I get sidetracked, and in the case of debian I want to know more of what it can do. so for example I want to see it as a user's desktop, as a print server etc. I also feel that a gui would be easier to manage/manipulate/handle.

[ChrisH]

Rather than going full GUI then try using something webmin which has modules for all common components that you can configure through a web page. At the end of the day all your going to be doing mostly is editing textfiles so having a gui is is a bit of a waste.

[beeswax]

having brought the machine home for christmas so that I can have a go at installing modules over the internet, rather than through a proxy at work, I allowed it to go through another install from the beginning getting to the point where I was asked what I wanted to install (via ftp) I chose the desktop, waited while it went through the download and (?) install, and it just reboots into a command line interface. where can I find a list of commands to get this thing working?

happy christmas

beeswax

[ChrisH]

Hmm try "startx" maybe

[Geoff]

Linux command line cheat sheet.

 

http://www.unixguide.net/linux/linuxshortcuts.shtml

[beeswax]

@Geoff thanks for that. just for a break from the routine I downloaded ubuntu 5.10 and ran that, and in fact I'm sending this via my ubuntu install. So similar to installing debian that I had to check hadn't got the wrong disk inserted. Don't like the earthy colour scheme, but everything seems to work fine. I feel better in myself with the comfort blanket of a gui as well. However, there comes a point when I've got to tackle the web server thingy.

 

merry christmas,

beeswax

[Geoff]

Ubuntu seems to be a very popular distro at the moment. Good look with that.

[linuxgirlie]

Or you can save all this hassle, (no learning curve though!) and download karoshi, and install colossus (internet server) only, as it's meant to be in a DMZ it will intergrate within a already complete network.

 

I suggest Mandriva myself, though I would expect to get a ass kicking by the Linux purists

 

Jo

[pcprofessor]

I have been experimenting at home with thin clients and VLE's. I found edubuntu was great to serve the thin clients and used a thin client software called PXES - all available to download. I have also been experimenting with Karoshi which is designed to provide all a school needs in a number of dedicated servers. Their server called Colossus has moodle, squirrelmail and a library package all included and the install is a breeze. I installed this on top of Mandriva 2006, but it also goes on a couple of others - only KDE desktops at the moment though. I'm still experimenting, but if anyone wants more info, just ask.

 

Nick