Setting up a linux server....looking for some pointers

SouperComputer

i am going to attempt to setup a server with debian, which seems to be the way to go. Just for kicks, I want to try to do it without using a GUI! This is what I envisage the server will be doing:

File server, for use with windoze machines
Apache, mysql ect. (to host a bulletin board using phpbb)
pop3\imap mail server

thats what I plan for starters, maybe more later on.

How difficult is this, and how scaleable is it? Is it easy to add more bits and pieces?.

I want to make the OS as cut-down and as streamlined as possible so advice on doing that would be great.

Any help much appricated, im determind not to use a GUI, just as a challenge.

voxpop

mmmm... is this your first mess with linux ?

if it is then something like mandrake or Redhat would be a better(easier) way to go than debian.
Mandrake and Redhat tend to detect and auto-setup most hardware automatically and will get you up and running in the shortest space of time with the least amount of trouble.
Once you have your server up and running you can mess around with it and when you get more comfortable with linux then switch to something more hardcore like debian or gentoo (my fav at the mo)

As for the software you will need
Samba for filesharing
Apache2 for web server
courrier for your imap needs

if you want OS as cut-down and as streamlined as possible then use
gentoo. With gentoo you custom build the whole OS specifically for your hardware, you compile everything from scratch.This will give you a min core OS which you can then add on to.

SouperComputer

ive been toying around with linux for a while now. managed to get debian running with a gui, so I thought it would be interesting to have an entirely command line based server

ill defo take a look a gentoo though, I think I may even have some old iso's lying about

voxpop

gentoo is a great version of linux, but it does take a long time to setup. On my laptop it took about a week to get everything compiled and running (including gnome), it would have taken an afternoon with Redhat to get to the same level!.

However since then its been as solid as a rock and specifically built for my laptops hardware.

Red Alert

I've had a lot of success with slackware 9.1 - it's quite cut down and you can install just what you need.

Capt'n Midnight

Setup Knoppix and config all
then change the boot option to Knoppix 2 - so it don't load the GUI

Typedef

Red Alert & Angry_Penguin speak truth.

If you use Slackware, there is a handy update tool called swaret.

crontab -e

* 23 * * * swaret --up-all -a

Bob's my middle name[1]


[1]No really, it's Robert.

Red Alert

wow i didn't know about that, i'll have a go at it once my server gets its permanent home in a few weeks.