Dedicated computer for SMF

[Dida]

What should I read to find out what should be installed on the computer to act as forum dedicated computer? What OS is recommended?
I would appreciate the link to recommended reading.

Thank you!

[青山 素子]

System requirements are posted in the Online Manual. I personally recommend Linux as it is easier to set up the required components that way. Windows Server does work, but it's trickier (in my opinion) to configure and secure properly.

If you have no experience in server management, I highly recommend getting hosting from a company instead of trying to host yourself. Managing a server and keeping it secure is a very tricky thing and takes some experience to do. While it is a good skill to learn, it isn't something you want to learn with an important system.

[Dida]

I am retired and I am not planing anything public and important. I have few retired computers  and I want to make one of them as web server, just to see how it works. I will have small, isolated from WWW, Intranet in my apartment.
Thank you for the help!

[青山 素子]

No problem. Good luck!

[DirtRider]

I used Windows XP Pro SP2 with Apache and php. I had to hack Windows to allow more simultaneous connections. I was not worried about the security issue as it sits behind a firewall. So far it seems to be working very well.   

[aishaweb]

Which linux distro would you guys recommend for a newbie?

I really would need a gui.

I see centOS seems popular.

[wmcintosh]

This site http://www.diywebserver.com/ may help.

[青山 素子]

Which linux distro would you guys recommend for a newbie?

I really would need a gui.

I see centOS seems popular.

CentOS is very popular, and works well enough. I advise against distributions like Fedora which focus on experimental versions of software (and usually carry large numbers of bugs ). Know that you will have to pick up some typing skills as not everything can be done by GUI. In fact, you should pick up the skills regardless. Without them, you'll be lost if/when something breaks.

I personally use Slackware, but it has no GUI. It's very friendly in that it doesn't try to hide the complexity of things. However, you do have to have the desire to learn.

[Dida]

I used Windows XP Pro SP2 with Apache and php. I had to hack Windows to allow more simultaneous connections. I was not worried about the security issue as it sits behind a firewall. So far it seems to be working very well.   

Please, what you have done to allow more connections?

[aishaweb]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=Windows+xp+more+simultaneous+connections

[青山 素子]

For everyone: Please note that making modifications to allow more connections is potentially against Microsoft's license for Windows. If you do this and use their product as a public server, there is a chance you'll get found out and have to deal with the consequences. That chance is up to you.

If you want to run a server, either learn how to manage Linux as a server, buy Windows Server, or pay a hosting company that has people who know what they are doing.

[Dida]

Linux is quite OK for me.  It's  easier to learn than pay penalties.

[Deprecated]

I am retired ... and I want to make one of them as web server, just to see how it works. I will have small, isolated from WWW, Intranet in my apartment.

I'm nearly there too! Might even be retired already...

To see how servers work, there are too kinds and you need to decide which kind. There are Microsoft servers and there are Linux servers. You can choose between Microsoft's proprietary server software, or you can choose the Internet's standard open source Linux server environment. One costs lots of money and boxes you in. The other is open source, costs nothing, and is supported by a world wide open source community. Big choice, isn't it?

Okay, now that you've chosen Linux, here's where you start: Find a Linux distro that suits you. I'm not a Linux guru so I have no recommendation. Install your Linux distro then install Apache and PHP. That should get you to the point that you can install SMF.

I've never set up my own server. I use a hosting service, so I may have left out some important steps. Good luck!

[Dida]

Thank you for your will to help! I have CD with Red Hat Linux somewhere in my boxes. 

[Deprecated]

No, no, no. Don't use that old Red Hat distro. Download the freshest up to date Linux off the web. Get the ISO, then burn it to a CD.

One of my best buddies bought that Red Hat too, and it has been sitting in his files for at least 5 years. His comment: "It was a good price."

It wasn't a good price. It was maybe $5-$10. A good price is free!!! Go find some Linux nerds and tell them you want to build a Linux web server with Apache and PHP, get them to recommend a distro, then like I said download the ISO and burn it, then install that.

I've installed 4-5 Linux varieties using that method. Unfortunately I'm not a Linux nerd and never came to any conclusion about them. You're almost tempting me to do what you're doing.

[Deprecated]

Oh, just one more thing. I just realized that you will also have to download and install a SQL server. I doubt it's in the other packages. Don't worry, I'm sure that's free too.

[Dida]

SQL server must also be Linux compatible, right? I will see if MySQL can live with Linux. I have not any experience with Linux. All my life I used Windows OS.

[Deprecated]

Actually I think MySQL is exactly what you want. And you should also download and install phpMyAdmin.

[aishaweb]

You could just go the easy route and use xampp

[Deprecated]

Yeah, you're right. I bookmarked that. Loading Linux and all the rest would be closer to a commercial server configuration, but it could take a whole week to figure out what to load, load it, then get it all configured and working.

It looks like that XAMPP could be a couple hours project. It looks like fun!