running dedicated servers

running dedicated servers

[Tyler Littlefield]

Hello list,
I've started thinking seriously about getting things going in order to rake 
in a bit of a proffit.
I don't know a ton, but I know enough to do custom web design, software 
development etc on some platforms.
I'd like to make use of that knowledge to start making some cash.
I am lacking in some linux expertees, but I would be really greatful if some 
pointers could be tossed my way.
So, past all the talk, here's what I want to do.
I want to set this up as a dedicated server. I'll switch to a real one 
eventually, but that's a ways off, and a few checks in my pocket.
I need to be able to do the following (and probably more)
Offer support for managing domains. Not management totally, but if x points 
their domain at my system, I need to know it's different from y and serve it 
differently. I'm not totally sure how that's done.
My main example would be for websites, and ports. I expect that port a would 
be the same as port b for both domains, but I'm not totally sure on that 
one. My idea there is to just obtain a static IP, and open ports for a user 
as needed, or as alotted.
Second, I need to be able to track bandwidth, and securely send and receive 
email.
I know ssl won't be an option until down the road (and I can get a signed 
cert), but I need to be able to handle this well and without problems.
Ideas, programs, links, anything would be welcome.
I'm pretty serious about getting this going, so any help is appriciated.
I'd like to take my knowledge and turn it into a hobby, at least. For me 
that means I would be able to successfully handle customers, and bring in 
enough cash to offset the expenses, and maybe make a few bucks here and 
there. On the up side, I'd like to turn it into a source of income.
I think for now, the dedicated server hosting here would be the best route, 
until I can afford a better setup. It'll also allow me to familiarize myself 
with the setup and how things work before i get a dedicated server and have 
everything configured for me.

Thanks,
Tyler Littlefield
email: tyler@tysdomain.com
web: tysdomain-com
Visit for quality software and web design.
skype: st8amnd2005

Re: running dedicated servers

[Brent Harding]

Hmmm, I think the least expensive way to get something to play around with 
or host a few sites is those VPS offerings where they partition a signle 
server into many virtual systems each with their own OS and the like. I 
think the only thing they don't usually allow is running a custom kernel, 
but for hosting websites that wouldn't be necessary anyways. For a little 
more money you can get control panels like Direct Admin to set the thing up 
to share the IP address you get so each site has its own content. Yes, any 
services you run on other ports is based on that address so for example 
site1.com port 4000 is the same as site2.com port 4000 assuming that DNS 
points them both to one IP address. I would imagine if you added extra IP's 
to the plan you'd have to do something to telll the services to only listen 
to their specified one, so if a customer forgot it would seem to listen to 
all IP's on the box. It's cool that they have these virtual systems around 
so a person can test anything they want for the most part without worrying 
about a host not having a module you need, and they're not near as expensive 
as spending several hundred a month on a dedicated server. I wouldn't host 
stuff at home just because Email won't probably work and the fact that one 
would run out of bandwidth for personal needs if sites got any bit used on a 
regular basis.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tyler Littlefield" <tyler@tysdomain.com>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 8:52 PM
Subject: running dedicated servers


> Hello list,
> I've started thinking seriously about getting things going in order to 
> rake in a bit of a proffit.
> I don't know a ton, but I know enough to do custom web design, software 
> development etc on some platforms.
> I'd like to make use of that knowledge to start making some cash.
> I am lacking in some linux expertees, but I would be really greatful if 
> some pointers could be tossed my way.
> So, past all the talk, here's what I want to do.
> I want to set this up as a dedicated server. I'll switch to a real one 
> eventually, but that's a ways off, and a few checks in my pocket.
> I need to be able to do the following (and probably more)
> Offer support for managing domains. Not management totally, but if x 
> points their domain at my system, I need to know it's different from y and 
> serve it differently. I'm not totally sure how that's done.
> My main example would be for websites, and ports. I expect that port a 
> would be the same as port b for both domains, but I'm not totally sure on 
> that one. My idea there is to just obtain a static IP, and open ports for 
> a user as needed, or as alotted.
> Second, I need to be able to track bandwidth, and securely send and 
> receive email.
> I know ssl won't be an option until down the road (and I can get a signed 
> cert), but I need to be able to handle this well and without problems.
> Ideas, programs, links, anything would be welcome.
> I'm pretty serious about getting this going, so any help is appriciated.
> I'd like to take my knowledge and turn it into a hobby, at least. For me 
> that means I would be able to successfully handle customers, and bring in 
> enough cash to offset the expenses, and maybe make a few bucks here and 
> there. On the up side, I'd like to turn it into a source of income.
> I think for now, the dedicated server hosting here would be the best 
> route, until I can afford a better setup. It'll also allow me to 
> familiarize myself with the setup and how things work before i get a 
> dedicated server and have everything configured for me.
>
> Thanks,
> Tyler Littlefield
> email: tyler@tysdomain.com
> web: tysdomain-com
> Visit for quality software and web design.
> skype: st8amnd2005
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> 

Re: running dedicated servers

[Tyler Littlefield]

Awesome,
I think I'll take a look into it.


Thanks,
Tyler Littlefield
email: tyler@tysdomain.com
web: tysdomain-com
Visit for quality software and web design.
skype: st8amnd2005

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brent Harding" <bharding@doorpi.net>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: running dedicated servers


> Hmmm, I think the least expensive way to get something to play around with 
> or host a few sites is those VPS offerings where they partition a signle 
> server into many virtual systems each with their own OS and the like. I 
> think the only thing they don't usually allow is running a custom kernel, 
> but for hosting websites that wouldn't be necessary anyways. For a little 
> more money you can get control panels like Direct Admin to set the thing 
> up to share the IP address you get so each site has its own content. Yes, 
> any services you run on other ports is based on that address so for 
> example site1.com port 4000 is the same as site2.com port 4000 assuming 
> that DNS points them both to one IP address. I would imagine if you added 
> extra IP's to the plan you'd have to do something to telll the services to 
> only listen to their specified one, so if a customer forgot it would seem 
> to listen to all IP's on the box. It's cool that they have these virtual 
> systems around so a person can test anything they want for the most part 
> without worrying about a host not having a module you need, and they're 
> not near as expensive as spending several hundred a month on a dedicated 
> server. I wouldn't host stuff at home just because Email won't probably 
> work and the fact that one would run out of bandwidth for personal needs 
> if sites got any bit used on a regular basis.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tyler Littlefield" <tyler@tysdomain.com>
> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." 
> <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 8:52 PM
> Subject: running dedicated servers
>
>
>> Hello list,
>> I've started thinking seriously about getting things going in order to 
>> rake in a bit of a proffit.
>> I don't know a ton, but I know enough to do custom web design, software 
>> development etc on some platforms.
>> I'd like to make use of that knowledge to start making some cash.
>> I am lacking in some linux expertees, but I would be really greatful if 
>> some pointers could be tossed my way.
>> So, past all the talk, here's what I want to do.
>> I want to set this up as a dedicated server. I'll switch to a real one 
>> eventually, but that's a ways off, and a few checks in my pocket.
>> I need to be able to do the following (and probably more)
>> Offer support for managing domains. Not management totally, but if x 
>> points their domain at my system, I need to know it's different from y 
>> and serve it differently. I'm not totally sure how that's done.
>> My main example would be for websites, and ports. I expect that port a 
>> would be the same as port b for both domains, but I'm not totally sure on 
>> that one. My idea there is to just obtain a static IP, and open ports for 
>> a user as needed, or as alotted.
>> Second, I need to be able to track bandwidth, and securely send and 
>> receive email.
>> I know ssl won't be an option until down the road (and I can get a signed 
>> cert), but I need to be able to handle this well and without problems.
>> Ideas, programs, links, anything would be welcome.
>> I'm pretty serious about getting this going, so any help is appriciated.
>> I'd like to take my knowledge and turn it into a hobby, at least. For me 
>> that means I would be able to successfully handle customers, and bring in 
>> enough cash to offset the expenses, and maybe make a few bucks here and 
>> there. On the up side, I'd like to turn it into a source of income.
>> I think for now, the dedicated server hosting here would be the best 
>> route, until I can afford a better setup. It'll also allow me to 
>> familiarize myself with the setup and how things work before i get a 
>> dedicated server and have everything configured for me.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Tyler Littlefield
>> email: tyler@tysdomain.com
>> web: tysdomain-com
>> Visit for quality software and web design.
>> skype: st8amnd2005
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Speakup mailing list
>> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup 

Re: running dedicated servers

[luke]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008, Tyler Littlefield wrote:

> I've started thinking seriously about getting things going in order to rake in
> a bit of a proffit.

Good for you!  caveats apply (see below), but I for one like the spirit.

> I am lacking in some linux expertees, but I would be really greatful if some
> pointers could be tossed my way.

Here's one: learn more about networking (the computer side--the way that 
ports and IPS and DNS work).  Your questions below suggest that you could 
stand to increase in knowledge on that subject, before you undertake this.  
Especially with respect to DNS.
You might want to outsource DNS.

> I want to set this up as a dedicated server. I'll switch to a real one
> eventually, but that's a ways off, and a few checks in my pocket.

As long as your ISP doesn't care about you running a business; as long as 
your customers don't mind that you probably have an asynchronous connection 
(which will definitely effect them) (assuming that you're on ADSL or cable 
or the like, and not on a T1 or similar); and assuming that your ISP isn't 
blocking any ports you need open.

> I need to be able to do the following (and probably more)
> Offer support for managing domains. Not management totally, but if x points
> their domain at my system, I need to know it's different from y and serve it
> differently. I'm not totally sure how that's done.

Look into the bind package for DNS; and look into apache virtual hosts.  
If you're doing mail as well, look into your MTA's virtual domain 
configuration (in postfix this is called virtual mailbox domain).  You'll 
probably want an FTP server which supports virtual hosts to some extent: I 
would suggest ProFTPD, because of its similarity to apache in that regard.

> My main example would be for websites, and ports. I expect that port a would
> be the same as port b for both domains, but I'm not totally sure on that one.

You expect right.  It would be the same for the same IP address, which 
means that from the prospective of mail clients and such, it is the same.  
However in the case of web services, apache virtual hosting will make it 
at least appear that the same port on different domains, goes to different 
places.

> My idea there is to just obtain a static IP, and open ports for a user as
> needed, or as allotted.

For what service are you talking about?

> Second, I need to be able to track bandwidth, and securely send and receive
> email.

Two radically different things if ever there were any.:)

For the first, something like Awstats might be good, although it probably 
won't track for anything other than web sites.  You'll need a network 
interface monitoring program to do more than that.

For the second - secure mail - see the note about certificates below.
You might consider outsourcing mail.

> I know ssl won't be an option until down the road (and I can get a signed
> cert), but I need to be able to handle this well and without problems.

Certs are cheap, especially if you get them through godaddy.

Luke