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  4.  / Which version of Linux?
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11
bluenova
Re: Which version of Linux?

I use fedora core 4 and Ubuntu at home, but if I was setting up a webserver I would use CentOS as it is the most secure distro IMHO.
12
gediminasbyt
Re: Which version of Linux?

Don't forget we are still talking about 'rpm' based systems and all rpm based systems are based on RedHat development. If there are bugs discovered it better be fixed by RedHat and only then it boils down to other systems (like CentOS, Mandrake and others) which might be some precious time. One of the examples is/was a Phantom load discovered in older kernel.

What CentOS and other 'secure' systems do is disable some processess, close some ports and call it 'hardenned'. The same thing can be done to Redhat as well by disabling/removing unneeded services and that way hardening/securing the system. SelLinux is your friend if you need maximum security (and a pain).

Gediminas
13
McNaz
Re: Which version of Linux?

  • 2005/11/9 14:31

  • McNaz

  • Just can't stay away

  • Posts: 574

  • Since: 2003/4/21


If you don’t have much experience with Linux then I must recommend you try Gentoo (http://www.gentoo.org). It is a barebones system, which will teach you all about Linux quicker then all the other distros out there IMHO.

The Ubantus, Mandrake and the Redhats in the world are slightly counter intuitive for newbies as the distro comes of several CDs with everything loaded on it, thus baffling beginners (OMFG, where do I begin!!).

With Gentoo you start from the ground up as there is no graphical installer. You have to install it by hand (there is an excellent manual on this). After you go through the manual you end up with a barebone machine on which you’ll have to install Apache (or you choice of www server) and PHP if you want a webserver machine. The beauty of this is this machine will serve pages AND NOTHING ELSE. No extra services, software or anything on there.

This might sound more daunting than putting in a CD with a whizzy graphical distro but after you’ve done a couple of Gentoo boxes you find yourself understanding EXACTLY how linux works.

HTH.
14
JamesSAEP
Re: Which version of Linux?

  • 2005/11/9 15:51

  • JamesSAEP

  • Just can't stay away

  • Posts: 732

  • Since: 2005/2/28


Quote:

gediminasbyt wrote:
First of all it sounds childish to me that you say I'm converting some Windows 2003 boxes for some clients. Windows and Linux are different, you have to know on how to manage, install, configure each system. If you do not know what flavor of *x you want to use how do you plan to maintain it? Who's going to maintain it?
...
By the way, I'm not Linux freak , I'm certified Windows administrator

Gediminas


Thank Gediminas, JMorris and everyone who put in there comments. The reasons for moving the sites (intranet) to Linux boxes was not my decisions. The move is at the request of them, not me. They are concerned about the continual virus threats to their Windows machines and feel that Linux would be a good platform to move to.

With the vast variety of Linux platforms out there and my not using ALL of them, I wanted to get some feedback from the community on which they use and why. Not because I don't know Linux (I'm not an expert my any means), I'm a Network Engineer with my MCSE, CNE, CNA and CCDA, manage an enterprise of two cities consisting of NetWare 6.0/6.5, OES Linux, Windows NT 4 and 2003 Domains, and over 45,000 varied flavors of desktops, but just because the combind community has experience in them.

So, with that being said, as a few of you expressed, this thread can be off subject, my original question of "which flavor of Linux is best? If you could tell me why you like the version, it would be great."

Thanks.
15
gediminasbyt
Re: Which version of Linux?

Beavis,

well it explains a lot, you should have mentioned that you do have some *x experience. The question you ask still is just an opinion of each individual. Some might like because it's so 'cool' others will like because it's 'plain' or 'hardened/secured'. Most of the systems do provide one or the other ways of updating/upgrading/managing tools like apt-get, yum (the best) up2date (this is the worst one IMHO) or other flavors.

In either way I would go with paid support, just in case you need some changes or questions to be answered you can go and ask them.

I do like RedHat because they are the leaders in *x world and been around for quite some time. Their systems are fast, reliable and are secure (if you take time to make them be secure).

One thing that I DO NOT like about RedHatES is that they use up2date. If you need something more reliable get Fedora4 source for yum, compile it on RHES and install it. Yum does dependency check, install, remove etc.

Any time you do get into *x world the most powerfull features are in command line. You can use packages like Webmin, but be carefull, they might brake or overwrite your config files with new ones.

Gediminas
16
JamesSAEP
Re: Which version of Linux?

  • 2005/11/9 19:50

  • JamesSAEP

  • Just can't stay away

  • Posts: 732

  • Since: 2005/2/28


Thanks for the reply, gediminasbyt. Yeah, I was going to read past the replies that had a basis of "cool" and look for the replies that have substance, like yours and the others thus far.

I'm going to play with the different versions over the next week and then make a recommendation to them. I think I will be going for a paid support in an attempt to have them deal with some of there future problems
17
gediminasbyt
Re: Which version of Linux?

This is one way to go by testing.
I would ask a couple questions myself if I had to do this:

1.What services do they need to be installed: mail, apache, mysql, etc.
If it's only web server how many connections will it serve, traffic, load etc.
If it's mail how many emails do they get, do they need sendmail, postfix etc. do they need spamassasin, anti-virus etc.
If it's MySQL how big databases are will be and how many of them.

2.How critical the data/environment is.

3.Who will support them if any of these aps breaks or have problems.

Of course there are many more questions but it boils down to your decision.

Gediminas
18
JamesSAEP
Re: Which version of Linux?

  • 2005/11/9 20:36

  • JamesSAEP

  • Just can't stay away

  • Posts: 732

  • Since: 2005/2/28


These are intranet sites for small companies w/o anything else running on the boxes. So, it will just be Apache, MySQL, PHP running on them. I would say that there will only be 30 or so people on at any given time. There are up to four databases with the average size of 300 megs.

Edit:
The Windows boxes that they are running on now work fine, "they" just think/feel that it isn't a secure NOS, dispite what anyone tells them.
19
mactoeknee
Re: Which version of Linux?

  • 2005/11/9 20:40

  • mactoeknee

  • Just popping in

  • Posts: 75

  • Since: 2005/2/26


I read this thread with great interest, hoping to set up a Linux server for my small school to run Xoops, Centre (an open source Student Information System), and perhaps Moodle. It will be behind a firewall, only serving the intranet, and thus doesn't have to have e-mail services, or be the most secure one (easier to configure is more important). But has to be free (no money, donated server), and though I'm a nOOb to Linux, I've been tinkering with computers for 25 years (used to write BASIC programs on a TRS-80 Model I) and can figure most things out, plus I tinker in OS X's terminal, so I have some comprehension of command line *nix. While Gentoo as described above would be great, that's a little too "under the hood" and I'm afraid I'd get overwhelmed.

Anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks, T
20
JamesSAEP
Re: Which version of Linux?

  • 2005/11/9 20:57

  • JamesSAEP

  • Just can't stay away

  • Posts: 732

  • Since: 2005/2/28


mactoeknee -
Centre is an interesting product. I work with two school districts that use SASIXP for their student base. You state that security isn't very important, but having student (social security, dob, addresses, etc.) in a unsecured site isn't a good thing. I don't know how old your students are, but the young ones are the most dangerous! Periodically, I look at activity on a the firewalls and routers, then spy on the workstations that the interesting activity is coming from. Every week I learn something new from the kids and the methods of attack, and I've bee in IT for 18 years.

Secutiy should be at the top of your list of requirements.
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