Web Server

[Rupert]

Hey guys/gals

i want to set up my own webserver with an extra computer i have sitting here, can somone point me in the directions of some "How To" i really have no idea how to do it, but woyuld love to learn so i can buy a domain and not have to pay for hosting

[Base Effect]

I would go to the Windows help (assuming that you have windows) and look for a answer there. Sorry i dont know how...i almost had it one time to...sorry.:(

[torevaal]

If you have windows; Install IIS

-Tore

[MinistryD]

What version of Windows will you be using on the server machine? IIS isn't exactly the most secure web server software to have, if I were you I would go for apache. Easy to install, configure and there is plenty of help around for it.

[KrAzEd]

yes i recomend apache too, ive used it twice. not sure of the site

[MinistryD]

Oops forgot the link to the apache foundation site, idiot!!

[link] (http://www.apache.org)

[Rupert]

...im going to have to convince my ISP to give me a static IP first....

[albert_gouws]

lol static ip = baaddd, specially if yer an idiot like me getting banned everywhere, they usually ban by ip then i just rest my dsl router and im back LMAO!! so maybe a static isnt too good, and also if you get like haxors or DoS people it will get VERY annoying so maybe you should go here :D

http://www.changeip.com

on this site there is DynDNS where you dl a lil app and it checks for ip changes and updates your domain name with it (i dunno if its legal but who cares) so you can host your own sites and stuff as long as yer pc is on all the time and GUESS WHAT, to use a sub domain its free, so you can test it out :) (but please try it b4 using a static ;) )

[Madman]

Re. Apache vs. IIS.

Short Answer: Apache :)
Long Answer: Apache. Even if IIS comes standard with Windows and is easy to install, doesn't mean it's good. For a start, it's a Microsoft product, which, er (*cough*) doesn't mean anything (*cough*), but it does mean updates are rather few under foot, Microsoft prefer to just release a new version of Windows (see Windows 2003 etc). Apache is harder to set up, granted, but you'll feel better after someone tries to release Code Red on it and it fails :) Apache is a lot more configurable (a lot more!), and thus can be modified better. IIs makes it very hard, nigh impossible to install PHP on, whereas PHP on Apache is a matter of two lines, and MySQL works out of the box with Windows PHP and any version of Apache. (for thise Apache/PHP gimps, the two lines refer to the module install of PHP, it's 3 lines for the cgi (normal) version of PHP)

Next: Static IP's aren't bad, but if you play games, you may find if you're banned, you can't just restart and play again, because games will *usually* (I use the term usually very loosely) ban by IP. Hackers and DoS attacks aren't as bad as they used to be, mainly because your ISP (er, most ISP's nowadays) have special filtering software that measure how many times a specific port (port = a 1-4 digit number which allows different programs to share people coming in to use your computer (eg. you have a web server on port 80 (default), ftp server on port 21 (default) and email on port 1120 (my standard)) Anyone who doesn't use the exact ports gets a basic message saying XXX not found)

Secondly, DoS attacks are much harder to do these days, as tracing software has evolved such that free software can be installed and you can trace someone's original IP back to them in a matter of seconds. Details include ISP, IP, port used (helps to determine program they use), email address, tech contact for isp, abuse contact, auto email to abuse @ isp and many others. Firewalls can be programmed to filter these out. Hell, even Microsoft's Internet Sharing Firewall automatically filters out many SYN-ACK-X (more on that later) packets and stops the rest getting to you.

SYN-ACK-X: Firstly, terms:
SYN = Computer acronym for Synchronise
ACK = Computer acronym for Acknowledge

A normal webiste request is made like this:
Client -> Server: SYN
Server -> Client: SYN-ACK
Client -> Server: ACK
Server -> Client: <website>
(simply)

A Dos attack will stop any transmitting of data after SYN-ACK, so a pile of half-opened SYN-ACK connections are left lying around, where the web server is waiting for a response, but never gets it. After a while, there are so many of these half-opened ones, legitimate ones can&#039;t get through. (A very simple way of describing it)

Thirdly: A dynamic IP -> DNS -> website address changer (eg. DynDNS) is very legitimate, in fact, most ISP&#039;s support it, as they hate people with static IP&#039;s (more configuration for them ;))

Lastly, if you wish to run PHP on Apache, get anything pre-Apache 2.0.

From 2.0 onwards, the Apache group have decided to go to a purely html approach to quicken up speeds, which means the base code for PHP has to be re-written, which hasn&#039;t been done properly yet. Apache 1.3.X would be my choice (old, so lots of patches around, but new enough to ahve lots of features)

btw. first post :)

-- Madman

[albert_gouws]

welcome dude and that was quite informative :P , hehe im just using xitami (i installed apache yesterday to proof it) and php is a MUST for me as im learning it , if you need a VERY easy to set up like in VERY easy just use xitami coz you just run the exe and youre online :) but apache is far more customiseable and supports ssl, xitami doesnt support ssl (or you can pay for it)

laters

[Madman]

haven&#039;t played with xitami, but ssl + apache + php is a winning combination :)

[albert_gouws]

kool, il use apache then :P hmm im going to install redhat8 soon on my server and use apache on it with php and mysql (lol if i get it set up trouble free)

[Madman]

if you need any help, i&#039;ll try to be of assistance, just filter out my unhelpful advice about stuff on debian :]

ps. I&#039;m Madman from FNZ

[albert_gouws]

haha really ? :O :O im albert_gouws from fnz :P:P hmm read the post i just put up there about linux :P

yeah im just installing apache on my server now :) and php too il ask for help if i need some :) apache has quite good tut&#039;s in the net tho so i hope i get it runnig (where abouts do you live ? )

[Madman]

Loc: Wellington, NZ
Stuff I do: Program (C, PHP and HTML/CSS/JS/VBS mainly)

I knew you were him, which was why I said I was me :)

email preferred [email (madman@theibox.org)] or contact me on the boards - pm or something

[Edited on 28-3-2003 by Madman]