how to make a web server - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

01/26/2005 03:38:06 AM · #1

I want to make a web server out of an old computer i found in the dumpster. I have the computer working.. but how do i turn it into a web server????

does anyone know of a good site they can link to, or feel like explaining it... I am having trouble finding a good help site on it.

BooZon

Canon EOS-20D

01/26/2005 03:41:34 AM · #2

Install Mandrake Linux and Apache Web server. All you need to know is HERE.

colda

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/26/2005 03:50:28 AM · #3

Linux will certainly be the best option for your web server, although first a few questions:

1. What's the specs of the machine?

2. Do you intend to attach a keyboard and monitor or do you want to access it remotely?

3. What's your level of techiness?

01/26/2005 04:28:43 AM · #4

Originally posted by BooZon:

Install Mandrake Linux and Apache Web server. All you need to know is HERE.

is mandrake linux free?

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/26/2005 04:31:28 AM · #5

Originally posted by colda:

the machine is a pentium 2, with 6 gigs of hardrive, and 256 ram i believe
i don't plan on having a keyboard and moust attached, but i do now while i am setting it up.
level of techiness.... sort of high in some areas, and low in others.
i took a fair bit of computer programming in high school and unveristy and have played a bit.. i understand quite a bit in lots of areas, but know nothing in other areas.

so far i have tried to use appserv as it seems quite user friendly and have found one site that recommended it.. but am having problems with it.
i am using windows xp home as the operating system... but if the mandrake linux is free and better, i might reformat the hardrive and try that... hmm...

colda

Nikon D800

01/26/2005 04:44:11 AM · #6

Originally posted by leaf:

Originally posted by colda:
Linux will certainly be the best option for your web server, although first a few questions:

1. What's the specs of the machine?

2. Do you intend to attach a keyboard and monitor or do you want to access it remotely?

3. What's your level of techiness?

the machine is a pentium 2, with 6 gigs of hardrive, and 256 ram i believe
i don't plan on having a keyboard and moust attached, but i do now while i am setting it up.
level of techiness.... sort of high in some areas, and low in others.
i took a fair bit of computer programming in high school and unveristy and have played a bit.. i understand quite a bit in lots of areas, but know nothing in other areas.

so far i have tried to use appserv as it seems quite user friendly and have found one site that recommended it.. but am having problems with it.
i am using windows xp home as the operating system... but if the mandrake linux is free and better, i might reformat the hardrive and try that... hmm...

I would certainly choose fedora 3 (also free) over mandrake in this case, mandrake has some nice desktop features (which are irrelivant in your case), fedora (being basically redhat) is much nicer on the server side. Simply install it, select 'services' from the menu structure and tick the 'httpd' service (and save), this will ensure that the service is run when the machine is started. SSH access is enabled by default (get PuTTY for your windows box).

I configured an almost identical machine last weekend (including SAMBA so that it's shares appear on my windows network for direct access), so if you have any questions then maybe I can help :)

Message edited by author 2005-01-26 04:45:22.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/26/2005 04:59:56 AM · #7

ok.. apparently i am not geeky enough yet..sorry :)

fedora is an operating system i take it... do i need to reformat my drive to get it going and install it... or can i have windows on the drive as well..
what does putty do?

colda

Nikon D800

01/26/2005 05:11:15 AM · #8

Originally posted by leaf:

Fedora is a linux distro (like mandrake, SuSE, etc), PuTTY is a SSH (secure shell) client that will enable you to easily log into your linux box from your windows box.

You can leave windows on if you want, fedora will automatically configure a dual boot environment.

Manic

DJI Mini 3 Pro

Kamlan 28mm F1.4 MF for APS-C

01/26/2005 05:57:53 AM · #9

You have two real options here - keep the windows environment and install apache on that (though you will definitely need a firewall too), or install a linux distribution (there's many different ones with different biases) and use the bundled apache install.

The former option is easier for you to pick up, since you won't have to learn a new OS, but is definitely less secure, especially if you want to make your server public. The latter involves learning how to use linux, which may or may not be easy for you, along with the potential hassles of installing it, but would give you a much more reliable and secure server at the end of it.

The choice is yours, and there's plenty of people both here and on the web in general that can give you advice once you decide which way you're going...

01/26/2005 06:08:00 AM · #10

daaah... it all got erased (what i was typing)
so again....

thanks for the info, i think i will check it out...
in the meantime i have continued with appserv and i think things should be going ok.. but they are not.

when i type in 'localhost' in my address bar, it loads my index.html page which is correct right?
i have a dynamic ip address, however i am using a dynamic ip address updater program..
i have opened port 80 on my router and things seem to be getting through.. when i check on www.canyouseeme.org, it says that port 80 is open
however when i type in my ip address which is 83.108.26.149 i just get an error.

however, after reading a little more, i wonder if i am not able to access my own ip address through my router, as it just lets EXTERNAL ip address through port 80...

so... any sudjestions...
can you go to my ip address
or does this link work

here

01/26/2005 06:11:31 AM · #11

Originally posted by Manic:

thanks for the extra tips
i don't think i am too concerned about security as the server is running on a machine completly dedicated to serving.. so if they mess with it.. i don't care.. i will just format the drive.

HOWEVER.. i WOULD like to now access the internet with my other computer
what are my options then
can i install two network cards in the server computer?.. and sort of use it as a splitter... or do i need to buy a.. i forget what it is called, not a router but a.... a simpler thing, with no firewall... perhaps a splitter.. hmm..

01/26/2005 06:12:29 AM · #12

but did that link work or not?
link

animes2k

01/26/2005 06:16:23 AM · #13

If you put it on the net, you should be concerned about security. Any outside link to the world in a loosely-secured machine allows the potential for that machine to be compromised and used as a bounce point for spam, a way into your internal network, or a base to launch DoS or other attacks by an intruder.

I think you need to lay out exactly what you want to do with the machine and for what purpose before going through the (relative) headache of installing and maintaining a Linux box. If it's just for fun, have at it, but keep it internal. I consider myself to be pretty savvy with this stuff, but it's a whole 'nuther world on the command line :)

01/26/2005 06:19:46 AM · #14

yeah, i want to put it on the net.
the site is just for fun.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

01/26/2005 06:24:32 AM · #15

Originally posted by leaf:

daaah... it all got erased (what i was typing)
so again....

thanks for the info, i think i will check it out...
in the meantime i have continued with appserv and i think things should be going ok.. but they are not.

when i type in 'localhost' in my address bar, it loads my index.html page which is correct right?
i have a dynamic ip address, however i am using a dynamic ip address updater program..
i have opened port 80 on my router and things seem to be getting through.. when i check on //www.canyouseeme.org, it says that port 80 is open
however when i type in my ip address which is 83.108.26.149 i just get an error.

however, after reading a little more, i wonder if i am not able to access my own ip address through my router, as it just lets EXTERNAL ip address through port 80...

so... any sudjestions...
can you go to my ip address
or does this link work

here

You need to configure your router to route port 80 to the machine set up as your server.

To do that, first set up the server with a static IP address on your internal network.

Then you need to tell the router to route port 80 requests to that IP address. I don't know what kind of router you have - they are all a little different, but it should be in the documentation somewhere. Sometimes it's called IP forwarding.

On your other post you mentioned setting up a second network card - I'm not sure why - maybe your setup is more complicated that it needs to be?

My set up is DSL line to DSL modem, DSL modem to Router/Firewall, Router/Firewall to hub, hub to computers. The Router/Firewall hands out internal IP addresses via DHCP and then routes traffic to various machines (mail to the mail server, http to the web server, etc). Everything only has 1 network card, Router/Firewall connectes the internal and external networks.

01/26/2005 06:27:02 AM · #16

so was that a no the link didn't work, or yes it did work?

01/26/2005 06:28:24 AM · #17

Originally posted by joebok:

yeah, i have forwarded the port 80 to my server computer (i think).. i need someone to test if it is working
and i don't have a hub, that is the reason i was thinking of two network cards in my server computer (to work as a hub).. but perhaps just buying a hub would be best...

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

01/26/2005 06:30:38 AM · #18

Originally posted by leaf:

so was that a no the link didn't work, or yes it did work?

Link not working - the url you posted is "leaf.no-ip.com". Is your domain name "no-ip.com"?? You need to either use the external IP address or register a domain and associate it with your external IP address.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

01/26/2005 06:32:16 AM · #19

Originally posted by leaf:

...
...
yeah, i have forwarded the port 80 to my server computer (i think).. i need someone to test if it is working
and i don't have a hub, that is the reason i was thinking of two network cards in my server computer (to work as a hub).. but perhaps just buying a hub would be best...

I think it would be a LOT easier - hubs and switches are very cheap these days - you can get combo router/firewall/hubs that will do everything you need.

Message edited by author 2005-01-26 06:32:49.

01/26/2005 06:34:24 AM · #20

Originally posted by joebok:

Originally posted by leaf:
so was that a no the link didn't work, or yes it did work?

Link not working - the url you posted is "leaf.no-ip.com". Is your domain name "no-ip.com"?? You need to either use the external IP address or register a domain and associate it with your external IP address.

no-ip.com is a site that will forward the request to my computer. So leaf.no-ip.com is my domain to use.. since i have a dynamic ip, they check my address all the time, to see if they have the right one... so I have my external ip address registered with them.
in any case, you should be able to just type it in... it is
83.108.26.149

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

01/26/2005 06:39:36 AM · #21

Originally posted by leaf:

Originally posted by joebok:

Originally posted by leaf:
so was that a no the link didn't work, or yes it did work?

Link not working - the url you posted is "leaf.no-ip.com". Is your domain name "no-ip.com"?? You need to either use the external IP address or register a domain and associate it with your external IP address.

no-ip.com is a site that will forward the request to my computer. So leaf.no-ip.com is my domain to use.. since i have a dynamic ip, they check my address all the time, to see if they have the right one... so I have my external ip address registered with them.
in any case, you should be able to just type it in... it is
83.108.26.149

I get it - what a good idea, wish I'd thought of it... However, "leaf.no-ip.com" is not resolving to any address - if you recently set it up it might take some time. However I am not getting any response from the direct IP address either.

Kamlan 28mm F1.4 MF for APS-C

01/26/2005 07:05:56 AM · #22

ok, made some changes... how about now

link

Manic

DJI Mini 3 Pro

01/26/2005 07:08:25 AM · #23

Nope, not resolving - you need to check that the no-ip.com stuff has been setup and activated properly. Alternatively, you could try using DynDNS, who offer a very similar service.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED

01/26/2005 07:14:12 AM · #24

The IP address, however, is giving a page - so progress has been made!