Gateway Server

[Spock]

I had some spare parts and decided I would build a Gateway Server. I now have the hardware operational and need to install an OS. Constructive suggestions cheerfully accepted.

I'm leaning toward some dialect of Linux since it's free. I don't feel like feeding the M$ bear any more than I have to. I also want to use it to install a Linux based Chat Server on as well as a Linux based Teamspeak Server.

Oh yes, what are the hardware specs ... darn! I forgot, it's been so long. Dang it, now I will have to rip it apart again so I can list everything pertinent. Or install something that will tell me.

[cmptch]

So in my hunt for a better linux, I have installed a bunch.
I have the CD Sets for Ubunta (which is NO different from the live CD, Let me tell you), Fedora Core 4, and Mandriva 2006(formerly known as Mandrake). I didn't give Suse a try this time around because they had just upgraded to a newer version and not all the mirrors had the ISO's. But I have used, and actually purchased, Suse in the past. I have also purchased Red Hat about 10 years ago, and Debian. Hmm.

If I were to make a reccomendation, I would say Mandriva. It offers all the Happy server features on install, and is rather easy to work with.

For antivirs, I'm not too sure. I've heard good things about ClamAV. If I can remember correctly, I had issues with it. It came prepackaged with one of the flavors I tried, but only because I needed to add something. I want to think it was Mandriva. I don't like the idea of compiling my own packages.

[Spock]

I just want an install and use OS. My days of compile and link are, I hope, long gone.

Your mention of an AV reminds me that I will also need protection for it as well but suspect it would make more sense to determine the OS first. I have a copy of Ubunta as well as Red Hat (an older version) and a couple of other. Will have to dig out my CDs to see what I have on hand. Of course, I could always go to LinuxISO.org to get the very latest of whatever I wanted to try.

[cmptch]

Mandriva has just about everything built into the installer. One of the downfalls of server O/S's is that Antivirus is expensive. You can install Symantec Antivirus Corporate on Novell, but it doesn't do anything but push the updates to the clients. infact, a client has to go out to get the updates and put them on the server to be pushed ... how does the machine get scanned? A client machine (usually dedicated)scans the Server.

The logic behind all this is that the Novell server (a Data Server) should only exist within the network. All clients should scan the data being pulled out of the server, and data being put on the server. I'd rather have a Windows or linux or unix server any day.

I forgot to say that Ubuntu is Office only. you can actually install applications whilst using the live cd. I think they go to memory. but as far as I can remember, no AV, or server stuff. Mandriva and Red Hat/Fedora Core both have excellent server software. I believe, but don't quote me on this, that Mandriva uses RPM(Red Hat Package Manager) which seems to be the easiest that I've used.

[cmptch]

S I lied about Ubuntu being office only. I went on there website and they have a Server specific ISO. They released a new version of Ubuntu June 1, 2006. I am also going to check out xubuntu. it is supposed to be a bit more "lite" than Ubuntu and run better on older machines. Supposedly able to use KDE and Gnome applications in it. well, I'm all for the lite.

It is Mandriva that has ClamAV preinstalled. Double checked that today. At a whopping 5cd's it better have some good stuff in it. Unfortunately the Clam engine is out of date.

Well, anyway, I think I'm done with my "Helpfulness" since my info is most likely counter productive.

[Spock]

.. I'm done with my "Helpfulness" since my info is most likely counter productive.

That's alright. I listen to anything said and use that to leaven my own opinions before making a slightly more informed decision. If I decide wrong it's not that big a deal, I just reformat and start over with another version.

Whatever I finally decide on will be my decision and my responsibility, so don't worry about giving out of date information. If I'm not consiencious enough to check all my sources, I deserve whatever happens.

[Halenthal]

I've got Ubuntu Desktop installed on a laptop I use for work, and it's been doing me pretty good. The Ubuntu Server would quite probably do what you're looking for, Spock, but try it out first to make sure it'll run at an acceptable speed on the machine.

FWIW, I know next to nothing about Linux. I use Ubuntu in much the same way I use Windows, just without the games. My job is a PC Technician, so my Ubuntu laptop gets the glorious job of storing files from customer's computers-no worries about me getting one of their viruses, plus it freaks the customer out (usually it's "What version of Windows is that?")

Configuring a Linux server, that should be fun. I'm going to be doing much the same in the near future when I set up a small network at a school for troubled teens. They might be script kiddies, but once they see they're in Linux, what are they gonna do? And if by chance one of them DOES know his way around a Linux box, I'll hire him.

[cmptch]

FWIW, I know next to nothing about Linux. I use Ubuntu in much the same way I use Windows, just without the games. My job is a PC Technician....

Very similiar here. Except I also do servers. Novell, Microsoft, and very rarely Linux. I am trying to learn the ins and outs of it. I have a stack of stinking OS's sitting here.

By the way, right now I'm installing Xubuntu on this system While writing this post...on this machine. It installs from the Live CD, how cool is that? I'm impressed.

I'll be posting some stuff into the topic Lunux? since there seems to be a branching of the topic...I believe this to be my fault.
ref: http://pctalk.info/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3470

[cmptch]

I have found a php based chat program that runs off a mysql database. it's called x7chat. It looks like a rather nice tool. I've installed it on a test domain and have taken a small look at it and seems to run nicely.

I takes about 20 seconds for me load the chatrooms. I'm not sure what the effects would be on dial up, since I don't have a dial up account. IT may be the browser loading the scripts.

x7chat supposedly integrates well with phpBB2. It has a subSilver theme you can download, and gives the code to modify the header template of phpBB. Once again, I have set up a test domain and am runnig it. If you want to check it out, let me know and I can hook you up with a link to the test.

ref: http://www.x7chat.com/
[Added]

There's a MOD on the x7chat site that supposedly integrates it better into the forum, but it's written very sloppily. I did end up modifying it to work properly. I did notice one bug, but that's due to sloppy code in x7chat I haven't bothered to locate since I won't be running it live and it doesn't really matter.

The mod sets up an Iframe and puts it in the page body so it doesn't open in a new window. It doesn't include some page info, so I'm trying to modify it to do so.