Most people think that you need both money and technical skills to set up a Web server. Well
folks, the fact of the matter is you don't need either. That's right, you don't need a dime. And who
wants to spend all that time gaining skills? Learning can be such a drag. With nothing more than
some charm and a copy of this article, you'll be serving up Web pages from a box outfitted with
Linux and the most recent versions of Apache Web server, Perl, and Python in a few hours.
The first thing you're going to need to do is get your hands on some free stuff. Here's a rundown
of the tools you'll need and some methods for getting them free - and legally.
- A PC - 486-33 or better, 500 MB hard drive, and 16 MB of RAM. Most charities won't even take
these. In fact, you're likely to find one in a garbage can outside a large company. I'll assume for the purposes of
these instructions that this box contains some version of Microsoft Windows.
- An Ethernet patch cable. At work, follow your sysadmin around for about 20 minutes; she's going
to leave one of these lying around at some point.
- Three floppy disks. You've been saving the AOL mailings, haven't you?
- A domain name. I happen to have the privilege of serving the Webmonkey's own illustrious Mattmarg.com. There are some people out there who have registered
dozens of domain names. All you need to do is scribble the name Brent Spiner on a scrap of paper
and offer it as an even trade.
- Here's the doozy: Access to a high-speed connection along with the following: IP Address,
Netmask, Default Gateway, and Nameserver IP. This is stuff you're going to need to get from a
sysadmin. Most businesses with high-speed Internet access have more
bandwidth and IP addresses than they can use. It's your task to liberate these resources from their
overlords. If you've got good skills, offer some of your time. If you're attractive, try flirting.
And if you're ugly and inept, try bribery. Or to keep things really low-cost, offer a bribe, record
it, then blackmail the SOB.
It's also worth mentioning that the cost of DSL connections is plummeting. Here in the San
Francisco Bay Area, service is offered for about US$40 a month. These are "always on"
connections, so if you can buy an additional IP address, you could serve out of your home while
still having the resources to browse, email, and all that other good stuff.
Once you finish your tool-gathering, we'll be ready to start. If you have a T1 connection and
can proceed without snags, setup will take about two hours. However, to be safe, set aside most of a
day.
But before you act, you should know your hardware. Tear open the case and take a look inside.
The most important piece of information is your Ethernet card type. Write it down. The model number and manufacturers
name should be visible with a flashlight. Linux is not like Windows, where you can
shove in any $8 card. There are only a couple of dozen network cards that will work. I did my
install with a 3Com 3c509b. I strongly suggest you get yourself a 3Com before you attempt this.
These instructions will not allow for dual booting. When done, this will be a Linux box and
nothing else.
Though you don't really need to know Linux to get this working, it definitely
wouldn't hurt. Linux rules. When you have this box functioning, take some time and learn it.
OK. Let's get started.
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