[Wylug-help] Fwd: newbie - web & mail & dns svr

[Dave Fisher]

On Wed, Mar 29, 2006 at 07:48:27PM +0100, Richard Starkie wrote:
> 
> hi all
> 
> just wondering if anyone can assist me as hosting contracts are expiring at end of next month and i have to give 1 month notice
> 
> please help if you can!
> 
> richard
> _______________
> Subject:	newbie - web & mail & dns svr
> Author:	"Richard Starkie" <richard at starkiefamily.org.uk>
> Date:		28th March 2006 4:56:25 pm
> 
> hi all.
> 
> i would like to escape windows completely but to do this i will need a little help. would someone please advise me on the best way to set up the thee severs mentioned in subject line. the server will either be running FC4 or FC5.
>   
> the dns also needs to log the internal boxes as some can not be seen by others or even be pinged by others  with no ryme or reason. all have same networking config  just different ip's
> 
> any help very greatfully received
> 
> see you at a meeting soon (as soon as work shifts allow)

Dear Richard,

Forgive me if I'm incorrectly 'reading between the lines', but your
mails sound as if you may have underestimated the scale of both the
tasks involved and the type/degree of help you are requesting.

Simply getting a mail, web and dns server up and running on a particular
IP address is a relatively trivial task. 

Configuring those servers to meet your particular needs and to run
securely is altogether more difficult and complex.

Most Linux distibutions have packaged servers with sensible default
onfigurations. 

The contemporary 'biggies' tend to be postfix or exim (for mail),
apache (web), and bind9 (dns).

There is, however, a catch-22 when it comes to their safe configuration: 

  1. You can't really run a server safely and effectively without a
     decent understanding of the underying technical protocols and
     standards.
     
  2. You would be very lucky to learn a decent minimum without
     significant practice on a live system and without making mistakes.

In other words, 'instant' convertion of production systems is
practically impossible for anyone short of genius. 

If you can afford to make mistakes (because your server is non-critical
and non-commercial) just install the packages and ask for specific help
if/when you get stuck with specific configuration problems.

To get an idea of the scale of the task involved, I'd suggest you glance
through the following books:

  Philip Hazel, 2003, The Exim SMTP Mail Server: Official Guide for Release 4, UIT Cambridge
   or
  Kyle D. Dent, 2004, Postfix the Definitive Guide, O'Reilly


  Paul Albitz, 2001, et al., DNS and BIND, O'Reilly, 2001

  Ben Laurie, Peter Laurie, 2003, Apache: The Definitive Guide, O'Reilly

If/when you have looked through these, you may be able to ask more
specific questions that people on the list can answer in their limited
spare time.

As it stands, it sounds a bit like you are asking people to "tell me
everything I need to know to run internet services" ... i.e. everything!

I am sorry if this sounds like I am pooring cold water on your plans. I
am not. I'm merely saying that it will be a lot easier for us to help
you if you ask specific questions.

Best wishes,

Dave

P.S. When previous mails are followed up on this list, it is
conventional to 'bottom post'.