[thelist] The Perfect Web Server - An elusive Search

Mark Groen evolt at markgroen.com
Fri May 5 20:08:17 CDT 2006


On Fri, 2006-05-05 at 20:38 -0400, Jose Hurtado wrote:
> I am familiar with UNIX, Linux, OS X and Windows, but by no means an expert
> in the server side of each!  I have decided not to even consider Windows for
> the very bad track record it has on stability and security, not only on the
> desktop but on the server as well.

Until you have experience setting up public facing servers I would
advise you not to set up and administer this yourself. There is nothing
wrong with Windows servers, only in the admins that run them and that
goes for any web server software afaik.

> I would appreciate any advice on WHICH server OS to choose over the others,
> these are my main criteria:

Red Hat 9 (2.6.9-34.ELsmp) works for me, hardware is your basic 1U unit
with 80GB HD and Dual Xeon 2.4ghz with 2 gigs of ram. 

> do all of this, but none is perfect, and I have been unable to decide on one
> over the other. 

I 'spose it's obvious what I am partial to - LAMP.

> Very desirable to have an administration interface, 
> not just the command line.  Something above and beyond Webmin!

????? You really, really should not do this yourself. Webmin is about
the easiest there is to use and you WILL need to use the command line
and know how to telnet into your server when things go wrong and you
aren't five minutes away. That is not the time to be wondering what
command you need to make things right.

How much is the cost to the company going to be for losing all it's data
compared to hiring someone in the Toronto area that can do it for you?
Maybe you could work out some sort of training program with them, keep
him/her on retainer though for when emergencies happen and until you are
comfortable dealing with the bad stuff that will happen eventually
yourself.

As far as the brand of hardware, get the beefiest and fastest you can.

-- 
cheers,

        Mark




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