[olug] linux web server management ?

[William E. Kempf]

Eric Penne said:
> Debian is very easy.  All of the problems I've ever had with a debian
> install were because I didn't have any good floppy disks.
>
> Apt has front ends like ncurses based aptitude and GUI "forgot the name
> but I used it last night".  Software install could not be any easier.
>
> Here is what I do now.  I install a base debian system.  then from the
> command line I type in the program I want to install.  I run a static
> webserver on one so the first command I run from the base system is:
>
> apt-get install apache
>
> This grabs all dependencies and installs them.  Have you tried to do
> something similar with one command from the command line in any other
> distro?  It brings on fits of rage.

With out getting into religious distro wars, I do the same on Mandrake
with URPMI... and mostly do the same on RedHat with apt-rpm (though
finding a repository is difficult).  My understanding is that you do the
same with portage on Gentoo as well (though that system actually compiles
from source during installs).  But there are still issues, ranging from
"does this arcane tool I need have a package for my distro" to "how the
@$@%#@ do I configure this beast once it's installed".

> Another machine is a fileserver with samba.  From the base system:
>
> apt-get install samba
>
> That's it!!!!  Instant dedicated system!  So wonderfully easy I could
> almost wet myself.
>
> Debian is not hard to install it is just intimidating to think about.
> In reality though, debian is easy.
>
> Debian also comes with Webmin.
>
> apt-get install webmin
>
> Dude, Dell's are even this easy.
>
> A graphical installer would be nicer yet.  Just to reduce the
> intimidation factor.

Actually, to allow easier use of "non-vanilla" installs.  For things like,
say, installing to a non-standard location because I either don't have
rights to install to the standard location or I want to have multiple
versions installed at the same time.  Some package management systems
allow you to do this, some don't, but it's not "intuitive" even for those
that do.

William E. Kempf