[NTLUG:Discuss] Beginner!!

[Steve Baker]

> I'm new to Linux and have heard that its great for hosting websites.

Yes - it's absolutely the best.  Many *huge* sites are built on Linux
platforms.  It's also much more secure than the other alternatives - which
makes it good for defending yourself from some of the nastier people on the
Internet.

> Which Linux would you recommend to accomplish this and also which version.

I really doubt it matters.  I use SuSE Linux 7.2 and installing Apache was
no more difficult than checking a box to say I wanted it and editing the config
file.  I would imagine that it's just as easy with the other distro's.

Setting up the machine to be a firewall and getting an in-house network running
was much harder. But still - I got it all going in one evening and it's been
working reliably ever since.

> Also is it possible to dual boot between Linux
> and Win 98. Win 98 is currently installed and thinking of getting an external
> harddrive to install Linux. Anycomments on that idea would be greatly
> appreciated.

Yes - but if you are hosting your website on that machine, you can't really
do that!

If you can afford to - buy, beg, borrow or steal an *old* PC to host your
web site on.  I initially used an old 75Mhz Pentium with 32Mb RAM and a 3Gb
hard drive and it served the web just fine - you probably wouldn't want to
run your business off it - but for a personal site, it'll be *great*. 
Remember, Linux runs very well on machines that would be considered "obsolete"
for Windoze.  You can also boot it without a monitor, keyboard or mouse and
update your web pages from your main machine.

Once your web presence is handled by the old clunker, you can reboot your
newer box into Windoze - or run experimental stuff under Linux - whatever
you want - without the risk that someone who comes to visit your site
will find that it's temporarily out of action.

Since Linux is free - you don't even have to worry about buying a second
license for your web server.

My site is now running on a 450MHz PIII here:

    http://www.sjbaker.org

I just love having unlimited web space and being able to run CGI programs
like my WordSearch puzzle generator:

   http://www.sjbaker.org/wordsearch-o-matic

...it's also nice to be able to change your web pages instantly without
having to FTP or SCP the files over to your ISV's machine.

----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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