Topic: Newbie General Questions regarding SME 6.0

[jgates]

Hi there,

I hope not to clog this forum up with trivial questions but I’m looking for pointers…not solutions…I want to find those myself   .

I’ve installed SME 6.0 developers / unsupported onto a Dell Poweredge Dual Processor (P3 ~ 500 Mhz x 2) with two 9Gb Scsi drives and 512Mb RAM. It all appears to be running quite well. I’m in server only mode.

I am quite familiar with Linux GUI’s, don’t mind getting the book out for command line stuff and have a home network running XP / 98 and a couple of MAC’s, and, Oh joy of joys after fiddling with Samba for some time (years???   ), the SME set it all straight up. I’m impressed.

Now I want to run a web / ftp server so that my clients (from my “real / day” job) can upload and retrieve files that form the basis of reports.

I’m a bit stuck here. I have a broadband connection with static IP. I’ve accessed the server manager via tty1 on the server and can access the “Linux” system. I’m also happy and familiar with the browser based server manager and have succesfully operated puTTY from a windows machine.

I know there is a dearth of information on this site alone, and my questions specifically, which I think these are more to do with the overall relationship between things, are:

1)I’ve worked out the unit is running Red Hat 7.3 Kernel 2.4. Do I have to touch any of this? Can I update? Do I need to update?

2)I notice there’s an httpd (Apache) and an httpd – esmith. I’ve a home page accessible on the server via my local network. When I can work out how to get calls for HTTP to go to the server is it the files in the primary site that will first be seen or can I create an I-bay called say, cars, and give the url as http://staticip/hostname/cars/index ?

Does it listen on port 80??

3)Can I download, for instance, Gnome binaries or will this upset the SME installation?

4)Can I start the system at a different run level? Do I need to?

5)Out of the myriad of HOWTO’s can anyone point me to good ole simple information for thickies??  

I’m quite excited at the prospect of having found an open source server solution and any pointers or help would be appreciated. Communication by e-mail is quite fine.

Thanks, in anticipation,

 

[smeghead]

Samba (beta) is available to playwith per James Price and he is working on the full version release but it will be sometime coming.

Now I want to run a web / ftp server so that my clients (from my “real / day” job) can upload and retrieve files that form the basis of reports.

Take a look at Webshare - Darrell May has it packaged up somewhat - very easy to install and each client can have their own d/l area.

1)I’ve worked out the unit is running Red Hat 7.3 Kernel 2.4. Do I have to touch any of this? Can I update? Do I need to update?

Updates are available for a variety of things; take a look at Yum (Darrell May) and pagefault.org for repositories.

2)I notice there’s an httpd (Apache) and an httpd – esmith. I’ve a home page accessible on the server via my local network. When I can work out how to get calls for HTTP to go to the server is it the files in the primary site that will first be seen or can I create an I-bay called say, cars, and give the url as http://staticip/hostname/cars/index ?

If you use the DHCPon the SME box then a workstation  will know about all the 'host' on the server and resolve those.  The primary site location is what appears when http://<yourdomain> is entered (check the hostnames panel in the SME Manager.

Yes it listsen on port 80 (manual proxy is on 3128 tho).

SME Server is constructed to have only those packages necessary for a server; there is no GUI intentionally and no support for one.

Leave the run levels alone, they are set securely by default.

Look for the SME 6 manual in the Wiki which has just been revamped and is almost ready for 'production'.

HTH

[raem]

Dear jgates

> I'm in server only mode.

Do you have a seperate firewall, if not turn on Server & Gateway mode immediately.

You configure services that you want to run in the text or GUI server manager.

> When I can work out how to get calls for HTTP to go to the server

Your domain name host needs to point your domain at your servers static IP.

> can I create an I-bay called say, cars, and give the url as http://staticip/hostname/cars/index ?

You can have as many ibays as you want and they all have addresses like:
http://yourdomainname/ibayname/
eg
http://yourdomainname/cars
just have an index.htm file (or similar) in the.../ibayname/html folder, note you need to enable web access when setting up the ibay.

> Out of the myriad of HOWTO’s can anyone point me to good ole simple information for thickies??

Also read the help.chm file at dungog.net, as well as other documentation at contribs.org.

Type the subject you are interested in into the Search box on contribs.org, you will find lots of answers.

> I’m quite excited at the prospect of having found an open source server solution ....

This server (as is) will do all the things you are asking plus a lot more. There are many add on contribs in the download area for other things that don't come "with the box".

[jgates]

Thanks Gents,

At least with those few pointers I know I'm on the right track. I've looked at the indicated items and well, I guess it's all in front of me now...
Cheers.. ..and thanks,

John