Resources for server setup at home

[Samurai_Punch]

Just wondering if those of you who have setup you're own web/mail/dns servers for your own personal using your own domain, on a dynamic IP... some pointers and such... or a good walkthrough to get going. TIA

 

[David]

I haven't set up a server yet, but I will be setting up a Linux webserver in the near future.

What type of server are you setting up? What will it be used for?

 

[Samurai_Punch]

Mainly to run my website, and email, and using it as a DNS server... i think most of my issues stem from having a dynamic IP though, that and I'm cheap and don't really have the extra money to spend on the DNS services.

 

[XWRed1]

I run one. It runs apache for httpd, bind for dns, and forwards port 25 and 143 to a box on my lan running exim+cyrus-imap for email.

Apache is pretty simple to set up, I followed a howto on bind, and I sort of cheated with exim+cyrus-imap by letting debian to most of the work for me.

 

[turnip_01]

You can use dynamic dns from soneone like www.dyndns.org

It's free. All you need is a script that cron runs once a day to make sure your ip stays up to date.

If you already have a registered domain name you can point it at your dynamic name, myserver.dyndns.org and mask it so it shows the name you want it to.

Unless you're running virtual servers off one ip you wont really need dns unless you just want a caching server.
As far as mail goes, sendmail can be rough to work with. Its confiugration file is pretty cryptic.

If you're new to nix you could try webmin. It has modules for apache, bind and sendmail that make it a little easier to work with if its your first time.

Good luck and hope this helped a little

 

[Beelzebub]

Another service is www.DNS2GO.com. Has a program for dynamic IPs that makes worrying about DNS a thing of the past. And, if you go offline, you can set it up to redirect somewhere else, or go to an offline page.

I run my server on Win2K. I am in the process of transferring a ton of services over to linux though, mainly because of cost. The online Apache manual is fairly easy to read.

 

[Samurai_Punch]

I'm not so much worried as getting apache running... that's on the easy side... real easy, it's getting the DNS stuff working and such... that and configuring either sendmail or postfix... which is better? i know mandrake is migrating towards using postfix...

I need to stop trying to get the nvidia drivers to work... i never seem to have any luck, and it messes everything up for me... that and my mouse is being all goofy where it doesnt start working until i unplug it, plug it back in, and restart X... grrr...

Otherwise I'm sure i'd have the server stuff setup...

Oh yeah, thanks for all the great links and ideas so far too... Much appreciated.

 

[Beelzebub]

well, there are several email servers out there... qmail and sendmail I am familiar with, as well as IMail for windows. I think sendmail and qmail are pretty simple to learn and configure, although somethings are a hassle to fix.

Another cool email service is Twiggi Groupware. Basically a web-based outlook. Check it out on Sourceforge.net.

 

[kyle1745]

Check out www.clarkconnect.org. I think it will fill you needs and then some. I have a some friends convert my from me old cable modem router to this and I have to say it rocks. I even moved my website to it. I was already running Apache on my windows 2000 server, but I have to say I am very impressed. Intrusion detection is also nice.

Kyle