Setting up a Linux network server

Introduction

This web page provides some information on the process of setting up a computer running Linux to be a network server.

It is based on my experiences of setting up Linux to provide services such as DNS, Samba, web hosting via Apache, and e-mail processing.

It is all based on the use of Caldera Linux version 1.3

It is not a list of instructions, more like some pointers based on my experiences.

Some background information

The information below is based on a local network which is an isolated network, that does not see the internet.

It uses classless IP addressing with the network address of 192.192.192.192, and subnet mask of 255.255.255.240. This gives 16 - 2 = 14 host addresses, and the broadcast address of 192.192.192.207.

The local domain is called "e-nor.loc", and the Linux server has been given the name of "linux-1.e-nor.loc".

Incidentally, Caldera Linux 1.3 is quite happy with classless IP addressing.

Hardware

The first thing to decide is if the available hardware is adequate for the task.

My first installation was on a 486 with an EISA bus, and a SCSI hard drive. So far, it has worked fine, but is painfully slow to set up and do any reconfiguration.

My second and subsequent installations have been on a 200 Mhz Pentium with an IDE drive.

Much faster.

Starting the installation

The option to install absolutely everything is a possibility, but is very expensive in terms of disc space.

The "recommended" installation will not install all the neccessary components, but they can be added later using LISA. DNS and IMAP are two of the services that are not installed.

If a "recommended" installation is done, then when the installation is complete and Linux is up and running, use LISA to install Bind, in order to get the DNS service.

A posibility is to use the option " Individual Series Selection ", which allows you to select what packages to install, right from the word go. A useful option if you know which packages to install.

The Network series is the one that allows the components which provide the various network server functions to be selected for installation.

What other components are selected for installation is a matter of personal choice.

Alternatively, a "minimum standard" installation can be done, then when Linux is up and running, use Lisa to install all the required packages.

I do not recommend the "minimum" installation - the directory structure created by it is not the same as that created by the "standard" installations, which makes the subsequent installation and configuration of the required packges more difficult.

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