Hello,

I wud like to thank all those ppl who are here helping and guiding to newbies like me, who have just stepped into the business of WEB HOSTING.

Now, i wish to Learn "Installation and Management of Linux Webservers"

I want to learn step by step all the things related to -
1- Installation of linux on a web server
2- Management of Linux webserver
3- Installation of cpanel/WHM and WHMCS(billing system)
4- Installing the security features and updating the web server

Dont know what else is needed, plz tell me what i have left out

Also wud like to know that which LINUX is the best suited with above needs. like REDHAT, CENTOS, FEDORA, etc (plz provide the website address also if you can, so i can visit to them and study the features)

I know there are several thing involved in running a webserver, but wish to start and one day i know i will be able to install and manage my own.:agree:

Thanks in advance to all those who are willing to help me

Expect to spend a long time learning.

I use CentOS since it is free and based on RedHat and I think they have updates for 5 or 7 years, I can't remember. Fedora is RedHat based too but they do not have updates for nearly as long.

If you are just starting out you don't need WHMCS or any other billing software.

I would use DirectAdmin instead of Cpanel because it is cheaper and I hear its more stable.

Expect to spend a long time learning.


Well i am already in this business, since 2008. Started with shared hosting --> Multidomain Hosting --> Currently Reseller Hosting.

So i am familiar to Cpanel/whm and WHMCS thats why i mentioned that. I thought that when i have to stick with cpanel and WHMCS then shud directly start learning and mastering that.

Thanks for your reply

I wouldn't say that Direct Admin is more stable than cPanel, both are mature products with a stable development history.

Fedora, CentOS and Red Hat are all based off the same flavour (Red Hat). Fedora has actually been in existence for longer than CentOS but is an edge flavour, this means that some of the things developed for it are not necessarily stable, it's therefore recommended that you go with a current flavour (like CentOS).

Red Hat will give you enterprise support, but you shouldn't really need that and so CentOS is your best bet.

Installing cPanel is actually very easy, it is just the execution of a single file, the rest is handled automatically. My recommendation would be to either: rent a Virtual Private Server or to find an old PC at home and install Linux (CentOS) on it. There are guides available for doing this.

Once you have a Linux box, then you should start playing around with Shell and how to effectively run the operating system. Again, there are plenty of guides available for this.

Hope that helps,
Mike

I wouldn't say that Direct Admin is more stable than cPanel,

I am just quoting what I had heard. I have never used Cpanel because the price of the license is a lot higher that DirectAdmin.

Installation of a server is actually quite easy when you have it down pat.

The basics are:
install a base server install of centos.
setup the networking using the "setup" command.
download the latest.sh file from cpanel and run it.
whilst that is running (can take a while), read the installation instructions for cpanel, by time its installed you will have a fair knowledge on how to do the next step of config.

Thats a very very rough guide and should be followed up by making sure you are 100% comfortable with linux, after all if you do not know your way round the cli then you are going to be best outsourcing it to someone that is competent to do the task.


just my €0.02

I would use DirectAdmin instead of Cpanel because it is cheaper and I hear its more stable.

I dont agree. Even for a starter, I always recommend cPanel! Spend $15-20 more and get the best software available to manage your server and clients...

Spend $15-20 more

That's a joke. Try hundreds of dollars.

Cpanel 1 Year $425
DirectAdmin 1 Year $348

That's a $77 difference just for 1 year.

DirectAdmin also has special pricing for dedicated server providers $89 lifetime. After 19 lifetime licenses it $49 for lifetime licenses.

I cannot find where you can even buy a lifetime Cpanel license.

I talked with the Cpanel group at Hostingcon a couple of years ago and explained to them the price difference and they would not budge on their price. They had nothing to offer me that came close to DirectAdmin prices.

I have bought a bunch of DirectAdmin lifetime licenses a few years ago and have not spent any money since on licenses and I still continue to get updates.

I am not going to turn this into a contest about which one is better. But at least be honest about the facts. I am sure there are distributors that will offer Cpanel licenses for cheaper. But that is what I myself tried to get involved in when I talked with them at Hostingcon and they simply could not come close to the DirectAdmin price.

If somebody can sell a Cpanel lifetime license for something close to DirectAdmin's price I will buy it today. But I do not think it exists.

References:
http://www.directadmin.com/pricing.html
http://www.directadmin.com/internal.html
http://www.cpanel.net/products/cpanelwhm/pricing.html

Before using management tools such as cPanel, though they make your life really easy, I guess it will be better to setup a small lab with two PCs and learn the fundamentals of Linux. There are lots of online tutorials available. Learning Linux in the traditional way helps you to understand/troubleshoot issues better.

If you do not feel comfortable going through online documentations or a book get a CBT for Linux basics.

Once you learn the basics, which can be done within a week, you can jump into web services, basics of which can be covered within few days.

Redhat, Fedora, and CentOS are pretty much the same. CentOS will be a good option since its free and a stable product. You can also get updates free.

Good luck :)

I agree with steve45. If you set up a live server without knowing some of the basics and more importantly security your machine will get hacked very soon.

If you rely on a control panel then you are going to be lost when there is a real problem with something. A control panel of any sort is there to assist the admin not take the place of the admin.

Thank you all very much, by now i have got an idea from where to start with.

I wud request the senior members to plz post some useful links also from where i can learn more with examples and tutorials.

Also can someone plz describe that what tasks are involved in Updation of a webserver and making a webserver Fully secure.

When ppl say we provide managed dedicated servers, then actually what services do they provide?

Thanks to all of you, I am learning with your posts step by step as you directly point out the key issues involved.

ok i have set up a linux server on my old celeron based PC, its Ubantu, just to learn basics of LINUX, after that i will switch to CENTOS, Plz keep guiding me.