Setting up my web server

[Neal Slensker]

:confused: I have been wondering how to set up a web server. I have just recently purchased Red Hat 7.1, but they do not offer Apache web support. I am wondering if anyone can clue me in on whether I need to make the install files, or whether it is already installed.

I checked /var/www and also noticed in /etc/httpd/ that there was a httpd.conf file.

I know what information I need to plug in as far as ServerName, VirtualHost, etc.

I just am trying to understand some details to apache. I have looked on apache.org and I feel like their technicial help guides are about as clear as Mississippi mud.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Neal

slensker_99@yahoo.com

[tolstoy]

If you know what changes to make to httpd.conf, go ahead and make them. It may not be a bad idea to back it up before you go mucking aorund in it (just in case you make a lot of changes and forget what they all are). There are a lot of comments in the file, so for a simple setup your should be able to get by just reading the comments alone. It's never a bad idea to seek a good book or online documentation if you can. Apache is pretty easy and straightforward if you set aside some time to learn it. As for your site, you will need to put the files for it in the /var/www/html directory. There will also be a /var/www/cgi-bin and a directory for images. Everything you need for apache should be in the directories you've mentioned in your original post. Make your changes, set up your site and restart httpd. Point your bowser to 127.0.01 to make sure it is running.

[ 20 May 2001: Message edited by: tolstoy ]

[Nefarious]

i think that's a similar prob that i'm having .. rh 7.1 for whatever reason doesn't start apache, ftp, or telnet by default .. i've figure out how to get apache started on boot, but telnet and ftp seem to be a mystery to me :(

[Killer Penguin]

I don't know what you did wrong during install, but my RedHat 7.1 DID install apache, and support it too...

Telnet I can understand, it's a security threat...

Go get webmin, it's a very nice tool for configuring linux via a webbrowser...

[Nefarious]

apache, telnet and ftp all got installed by the default server installation, they just don't start at boot up.

trying to find the _right_ way to do this :D

[goozey]

A quick and easy way (sometimes) is to set them up with Linuxconf - in there, you can control what services are running - and have them start automatically... or what not. If the server modules aren't there, you can load linuxconf modules (from within linuxconf)... give it a go.

[yogee]

Found this post while searching and thought id leave a tip for the next guy.


Red Hat Linux 7.1 Bible, Unlimited Edition
by Chris Negus ISBN: 0764548204

The 100% comprehensive guide to Red Hat Linux 7.1.

The xinetd super-serverThe xinetd daemon is referred to as the super-server. It listens for incoming requests for services based on information in separate files in the /etc/xinetd.d directory. When a request for a service is received by the xinetd daemon (for a particular network port number), xinetd typically launches a different daemon to handle the request. So instead of there being separate daemons running for every network service, only the xinetd daemon needs to run — plus an additional daemon process for each service currently in use.

To see if a particular service that is handled by xinetd is on or off, go to the /etc/xinetd.d directory and open the file representing that service with a text editor. A default line at the top of the file indicates whether or not the service is on or off by default. The disable line actually sets whether or not the service is currently disabled. The following is an example from the /etc/xinetd.d/ipop3 file:

# default: off
# description: The POP3 service allows remote users to access their mail \
# using an POP3 client such as Netscape Communicator, mutt, \
# or fetchmail.
service pop3{
socket_type = stream
wait = no user = root server = /usr/sbin/ipop3d
log_on_success += USERID
log_on_failure += USERID
disable = yes
}
In this example, the ipop3 configuration file represents a Post Office Protocol (POP) version 3 service. By default (as noted at the top of the file), the service is turned off. When the service is on, a request to the xinetd server daemon for a POP3 service from the network is handed off to the /usr/sbin/ipop3d daemon. The ipop3d daemon, in turn, handles the remote user’s request to download his or her e-mail from this Linux system that is acting as a POP3 server.

To enable a service in an /etc/xinetd.d file, edit the file using any text editor as the root user. Turning on the service is as easy as changing the disable option from yes to no and restarting the xinetd daemon. For example, you could change the line in the /etc/xinetd.d/ipop3 so that it appears as follows:

disable = no
Then you could restart the xinetd daemon as follows:

/etc/init.d/xinetd restart
In this case, you could look in the /etc/services file and see that POP3 services are (by default) received on port number 110 for TCP/IP networks. So, any request that comes into your computer for port 110 is first directed to the xinetd daemon, then handled by the ipop3d daemon. If authentication is correct, e-mail is downloaded to the user’s mailbox (typically /var/spool/mail/user, where user represents the user’s name).
http://www.unltded.com/home.asp

[hux]

or, you can be a weenie like me...

log in(CLI) as root.

/usr/sbin/setup

select services config

scroll down to httpd, hit spacebar.

scroll down to telnet, hit spacebar

ditto for any service you want to start...

reboot/restart that service

much quicker, but not as leet. :)