Today I want to build on my last entry. The enlightening comments raised interesting issues regarding hosting a web server, which I would like to address before continuing with my hosting saga. Besides, recycling is good for the soul. So let's get right to it:
The Server My server (this information is listed in the GPS.TechnicalInformation page on my web site wiki), uses a Celeron 700 mHz processor with 384 MB RAM (told ya' I like recycling), connected to a shared 512 kbps line (64 kBps, of which about 25% is overhead and losses). While this would be an acceptable pipeline were it always free, performance can be downright sluggish when any bandwidth intensive activity takes place. In other words, if you have a real site, use a data center with decent pipes and decent equipment, not 1990's technology and analog-grade pipeline, like me.
In my defense, this is not a real business. If the server makes money, I will move it to an ISP. If it does not, and you keep complaining, I will ask you to send me money. Promise.
The Operating System I use Ubuntu Linux on my server (this is listed in the Technical Information page, http://www.words2u.net/pmwiki/?n=GPS.TechnicalInformation).
Why Linux? It is free and thus can provide infinite ROI with a penny of profit. I am familiar with it and don't mind learning more about it. My server runs pretty sluggishly with Windows 2000 (I used it for my MCSE classes), and trying to fit Windows Server AND SQL on it is asking for trouble. Windows NT and Windows 2000 are no longer supported by Microsoft, and while I hear BSD and Solaris are solid, both present me with a learning curve, which, with my below average intelligence, and above average age, is a major deterrent.
Why Ubuntu? Because Ubuntu's slick desktop, which aims at the uninitiated, has an outstanding package management system, and a very large, active and friendly user community. And it make sense to use the same brand on the server, instead of learning two systems of doing things. RedHat and Novell (Suse) have outstanding products, but these are commercial products aimed at paying corporate clients, which I am not. RedHat does not have an official desktop product at all.
Were I a business, I would consider a commercial product, supported by an established vendor. Windows, Solaris RedHat, and Suse all avail service packages, which provide good value. With Ubuntu, you can also get paid support. I did not, and suffered the consequences. During an upgrade (one line command - sudo apt-get upgrade) my blog software (WordPress), stopped working. Until I remove and reinstall it, my choices are a white screen or an error message. I switched to the latter after reading your comments.
The Server Software As you, the readers, suggested, it is possible to learn a lot about the system with a few simple tools. A port scan reveals 3 open ports, 21, 22 and 80. Telnet to the ports shows that I use Apache 2, PHP, vsFTPd and OpenSSH.
The Plan My plan for the web site is to have a simple home page, which leads to three other components - a wiki, a blog, and a content distribution system. For the wiki and the blog, I wanted to use off the (virtual) shelf products. The content distribution system is still in the planning stages. The wiki I use is PmWiki, the blog is (was) WordPress.
The Home Page I considered using a HTML editor to create the home page. I remember using HomeSite, FrontPage, Netscape Editor and BlueFish in the distant past. But for the 3-4 pages it was not worth the trouble. I decided to follow the lead of the software giants - borrow, modify, and extend. Yes, I used a text editor to create some of the pages (you can identify them by the total lack of standard tags, like head, body, HTML, etc.) Luckily for me, most browsers hide my crude HTML, and render the pages properly.
Is this good enough for a professional site? No. Malformed web pages are inexcusable, and inexpensive professional tools give the ability to track pages and users, provide unique experience based on geographic location or user demographics.
Am I proud of my web site? Like a parent, I am proud of my child even if others find it a bit slow, a bit ugly, or suffering from attention deficit disorder. Remember, the goal was to use this as a learning experience, and this is only the first step in a long march. And I already had a chance to learn from your comments.
On a side note, I love Ubuntu and use it daily for my desktop machine,however as a server I do feel there are better alternatives. I like Red Hat based products (yes, I must say based because you are correct, nothing other than RHEL is "officially supported" by Red Hat). I use CentOS 98% of the time, and Fedora if it is preferred by a customer and I can't convince them other wise. But this is just trivial input really. I'm just glad to see other people want to get into it. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know, been working in this environment for years now.
jb