small linux distro for a file server [small linux distro] [celeron 500]
Q: want to set up a server on my network flinux. do the following:
Small Webserver
FTP Server
File Server for the network (preferably some form of Samba share
possibly act as my router and firewall
Run File SHairing programs (mainly Bit Torrent, so if you know a good client that supports RSS feeds)
this will be built on the following: 810 MB
MATX based on a Celeron 500 with integrated Video
2x Linksys 10/100 nics one from a cable modem with the rest of network
128mb PC133
3×250gb HDs (pure Storage
1×120gb (5GB for OS remainder partitioned for storage)
150Watt mATX PSU (is this enough?)
once setup I want this thing can be easily managed from my Windows XP General rig. only two IDE channels on the board so my plan is to install everything from CD or even unplug the setup CDrom and add in the final HD will cause a problem?
Best Answer: well open suse is still at 10.2
fedora core is quite a heavy distro for a small print server.
ive never liked ubuntu is it too much to ask for somthing to work straight off?
cent os seems to be the perfect server os from what ive seen
Re:Debian won't be the easiest, but it will probably be the most rewarding.
Like I said, the command line is very advanced in Linux. I personally have azureas installed, but I never use it for anything any more. I use what I always have. I use screen + btdownloadcurses.
The key to using debian, other then the comparitively difficult install, is understanding how to use apt-get.
This howto at newbiedoc (http://newbiedoc.sourceforge.net/tutorials/apt-get-intro/apt-and-install.html.en#SETUP) will kinda introduce to you the basics on howto setting up apt and getting it going.
Personally I say use Debian Testing. That's better then Debian Stable IMO unless your need something that absolutely needs to be worry free and trouble free.
here is a place to get a minimal net_install cdrom (http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/)
another debian site. with full…r net install, though) (http://.http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/)
For net installs you use a minimal cdrom to boot off of, then go thru the install steps. When it comes time to install stuff, it builds the OS from .deb files downloaded over the internet from a mirror using apt-get.
After you get it going and setup the sources how you want and all that you can then start building up your server. For instance to install a bittorrent client you go:
apt-get update # to make sure your records are up to date with what is aviable
apt-cache search torrent # to see what packages corrispond with that keyword
apt-get install bittorrent # to install a basic version of a bittorrent client.
the client I use is btdownloadcurses, which is a ncurses based client, which basicly means that it's all ascii-art/menu based tool that will run completely in the terminal. With that I use screen so that I can close the window out and come back to it in a few hours to see how far it is downloading those fedora install cds. 
But debian can be tough, so if your lost just go ahead and try a easier setup with Mandrake, Suse, or Fedora.
As far as using it as a router for your cable connection, it's not going to be that hard to setup, but the trouble is that when your learning howto to do stuff it's going to be frustrating enough. One step at a time.
If you have another machine, any machine you should setup that. It's not realy a good idea to have the same machine be a server and a firewall/router anyways. The more stuff you have the more likely something will break or have a vunerability and nobody needs that, so a dedicated router/firewall seperate from your servers is the best way to go.
I mean you don't need much of a machine at all. A 100mhz desktop would be enough, and a 400-500mhz proccessor would be enough for the most elaberate setups and fastest speeds. A cable connection with a max of 4mb/s would be easily taken care of by even a 200mhz machine.
With something like that I'd use something that is dedicated in terms of distro. I've setup a few routers by hand but it's best when somebody else has already done most of the hardwork.
Something like smoothwall (http://smoothwall.org/docs/) is great for this purpose to make a fully functional router. Also check out the leaf project for minimallist cdrom and floppy-based routers. There are a few different choices. Do a google search for "linux router" and variations.
If you realy want to do a custom route setup with a Debian server read the guide to linux networking, and the iptables howto at tldp.org (http://www.tldp.org). Check out tools to help automate setup your firewall/router. Stuff like shorewall is cool, as is others.
do:
apt-cache search firewall
apt-cache search router
to see some of the options you have aviable to you. That won't even catch all of them, that's just a keyword search.
I mean it's nuts how much free software is aviable for security, nmap, ethereal. OpenSSH. Encrypted tunnels, scanners, network auditing tools, sniffers. Saint, Satan. Pax. Enhanced security Linux. Crazy stuff all over the place. And other OSes make realy good routers/firewalls. For instance OpenBSD is THE best OS you can possibly find anywere when dealing with security issues.
Linux security (http://www.linuxsecurity.com/docs/)
Unixcircle's port scanners and…des for different OSes (http:// http://www.unixcircle.com/)
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
(and if you don't have a box aviable for a dedicated router/firewall, check out a mini-itx setup for your firewall or server. Older ones aren't that expensive and offer plenty of power for these applications. They'd be much better then commercial setups 5 times as expensive. Plus tiny quiet computers are cool.)
Re:There's a python implimentation of bittorrent. It works pretty well, and can be used in an SSH window.
Re:great info guy I apreciate the help…. I'll proubly end up going the VNC route for admin since I'm going to have to be logging in to do setup up transfers in BT (want to get this task of my main rig) Now how hard would this be for a complete linux noob to setup all my required functions in debian? and could you recomend some programs for the following: FTP server, BT (I use azureus on my rig now does it work on linux since its java based? if not whats a good client that will allow me to setup up auto DL from RSS feeds), good VNC server (also thinking about seting my windows rig up so it can be acessed from my work system so any recomendations on this would be nice also), and a good way to set the server up to act as a router for my cable modem (would like some advanced features such a bandwidth limiting)
Re:Originally posted by: guy
any recomendations on a distro….also what advatages would I gain by going to linux route compared to doing a stripped down win 2k install
Advantages:
Cheaper. Faster (with X windows turned off). More stability. Lot more choices in software. You have to learn Linux.
disavantages:
You have to learn Linux.
For remote administration:
1. Command line:
Most flexible, prefered by power users and admins everywere. However commands and syntax will seem very arcane to a new user. Command line difficult to somebody who isn't familar with it. Bash is very advanced though, but you wouldn't normally tell because Ascii text looks like ascii text to a newbie.
SSH into the box from a Putty.exe ssh client from your Windows box. Very nice program.
2. Web interface.
Webmin will provide general web interface for browsers, you have to setup config to allow connections from your desktop, though.
3. VNC.
VNC server to your Windows VNC client. You don't have to have X windows running, it makes it's own virtual X windows server independant from anything that is running, but you have to have X windows installed.
For good basic documentation check out TLDP.org website. Check out the guide section, check out intro to linux, bash basics, and Linux administration guides. Also maybe network guide. Advanced bash if you feel up to it. That will probably be enough for you to "get" what is going on in the system.
For distro? Any is as good as any other. It's more of a matter of taste and temperment then anything else. Some people like it to be more "windows" (Suse, Mandrake, Fedora), others want more "unix like" (Debian , Slackware).
Although there are specific products designed to make things like this simple. Check out clarkconnect.org for one of many possible solutions.
Debian is the distro of choice for custom solutions to situations like this because of it's excellent apt-get tools. professional-level quality, and independance from GUI-based administration. Can be intimidating though.
Re:Originally posted by: guy
i agree
debian would be great for that
or gentoo
cause you can choose everything you want with gentoo
Only use Gentoo if you are going to do a grp install. Compiling will take forever on that machine!!
Re:i agree
debian would be great for that
or gentoo
cause you can choose everything you want with gentoo
Re:any recomendations on a distro….also what advatages would I gain by going to linux route compared to doing a stripped down win 2k install
Re:That shouldn't cause a problem. I've done the cd switch a couple of times.
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Tags: celeron 500, small linux distro