Now I am to the point of getting interested in running a linux server from scratch (build the box, install linux, prepare and configure the box as a webserver).

Right now, I can do the 'build the box part' and the 'install the linux part' but I am far from being able to prepare and configure a linux based computer into a web server.

Now, what I really want is to configure it the way I want so I can host sites on the box and have it so that I can run the server as I see fit.

Can anyone recommend me (a linux newbie) any resources or books I can get that will help me setup a webserver from scratch? Scratch is to the point where linux needs to be installed and other things such as apache, proftpd, php, mysql, etc installed and configured.... is there any book that helps explain these steps that I need to take in order to get a nice apache web server up and running?

I'm probably going to buy a random cheap box for about $150 (Pentium2 450mhz or so with everything in it to be able to run) so that I can start messing with it with a book on my lap ;)

any suggestions are definately welcome! ;)
thanks
john

A lot of people recommended Running Linux by O'Reilly. You can also find some good reading materials on http://www.linuxdoc.org.

Linux Network Administrators Guide. Get it... online, FREE, NOW!

http://www.eee.hku.hk/LDP/LDP/nag2/index.html

:D

thanks fellas, so anyone else have a story of how they started getting involved with linux server administration? places or names of resources or books would be helpful ;)

thanks

Well im using the red hat linux 7.2 Bible. Very good book so far, but is not for the faint of heart, 1042 pg.!! lol, but a very detailed book

Originally posted by soontohost
Well im using the red hat linux 7.2 Bible. Very good book so far, but is not for the faint of heart, 1042 pg.!! lol, but a very detailed book

You won't go far with that book.
It doesn't teach you much about networking. Most of the book is X interface and pretty graphics. The last chapter is only about server software. It doesn't even tell you how to install it, and if it does it's using RPM. You can't learn Linux from one book; you got to keep buying books until you get it drilled down your head.

Are warez / illegal content (like adult stuff) a problem. Do ppl find that they need to frequently clean out / check their members files?

don't u hate it when you press da wrong button???!! :rolleyes: