Topic: Few e-smith questions for you gurus...

[Allen Vailliencourt]

So far i really am enjoying the e-smith server! It runs great!

Here are my questions...

1.  I have a website running off my cable modem, dns is setup and working fine (http://valien.net), etc.  I want to have a few friends not on my lan (dialup users) to be able to do some website work on the site and by uploading files via ftp, etc.  I read and reread the e-smith manual and it sounds like it can't be done from the 'net.  Only read-only rights and not write-rights.  Is there a way where friend 1 from his dialup 56k modem can ftp to my site and upload website info and have it become active in the traditional sense when you publish a website?  I guess I could play with the conf files on the server (I've use linux for around 1.5 years now and am comfortable with it) but I don't want to if it comes to that.

2.  HTML publishing.  I know it has Apache installed, etc.  Does anyone know what exact modules are installed with the e-smith server? It has CGI support and also Perl installed, but how configurable is the Apache server? I have some special cgi scripts that I run on my outside site that I want to bring on this site.

BTW, I'm using e-smith 3.1.

The manual is great for newbies, etc but do they have a 'technical' manual?

Thanks ya'll!

~Allen

[Charlie Brady]

Allen Vailliencourt wrote:

> 1.  I have a website running off my cable modem, dns is setup
> and working fine (http://valien.net), etc.  I want to have a
> few friends not on my lan (dialup users) to be able to do some
> website work on the site and by uploading files via ftp, etc.
> I read and reread the e-smith manual and it sounds like it
> can't be done from the 'net.  Only read-only rights and not
> write-rights.  Is there a way where friend 1 from his dialup
> 56k modem can ftp to my site and upload website info and have
> it become active in the traditional sense when you publish a
> website?  I guess I could play with the conf files on the
> server (I've use linux for around 1.5 years now and am
> comfortable with it) but I don't want to if it comes to that.

There is a feature in e-smith 4.0 (currently in beta test) which will allow you to classify the IP address of "friend 1"
as being equivalent to a LAN address, to allow ftp uploading. However, with e-smith 3.1, this feature is not available, and in any case, there may be a better alternative available to you. Install SSH (for instance, using the RPMs available at http://e-smith.gormand.com.au), and have your friends use "scp" to upload the files securely.

> 2.  HTML publishing.  I know it has Apache installed, etc.
> Does anyone know what exact modules are installed with the
> e-smith server? It has CGI support and also Perl installed, but
> how configurable is the Apache  server? I have some special
> cgi scripts that I run on my outside site that I want to bring on this site.

>  BTW, I'm using e-smith 3.1.
>
>  The manual is great for newbies, etc but do they have a 'technical' manual? ....

You will find both a technical overview and customisation advice on this web site - www.e-smith.org.
If you have futher questions, you should join the developers mailing list and ask your questions there. As to your specific Apache question, Apache is of course completely configurable, but you will need to follow the customisation documentation to avoid breaking the e-smith configuration management system.

Regards

Charlie