[Chixla] Yup! Debian Development LAMP Server Install for our next meeting

[SMichelle]

> > Our own Betty wants to have a development LAMP server to run off of
> > her dsl line and I thought that this would make a wonderful meeting
> > topic. Anyone up for a Debian server install meeting? I'm thinking
> > it might be one of the weekends anytime after Aug 11th.
> 
> Well, if I knew the date I might actually try to attend.  :)  DefCon
> is Aug 4-6, and LinuxWorld SF is Aug 14-17, so any Saturday after the
> 11th would be fine for me.

Cool!
> Have I really been too lazy to check the web site?

Well ... I've been a bit too lazy to update the web site ... so not much
has been missed :)
> > While I've done installs before, I've not set up a server sans X so
> > this will be a learning experience for me. Interesting learning
> > opportunities could be setting up Apache for virtual domains,
> > firewalls, serving behind a NAT, ssh security issues, setting
> > automatic apt-get security updates, MySQL user/databases, system
> > admin, logging ... whew, sounds like fun :)
> 
> This certainly sounds like a lot to get done in a single afternoon. 
> Depending on the speed of the machine, and if you already have all the
> 
> update DEBs downloaded, it could take a long time to just install the
> box.

Yeah, my hope was to do the install, and set up ssh and apache
connectivity through the NAT, and setting up dns to handle dynamic ip
addresses.  The rest could be ongoing meetings and/or email updates.
This is sounding like a *very* interesting series of topics with real
world howto hands-ons examples. 
> In production I prefer to have an installation server to serve all
> this up over NFS, and I like RedHat's kickstart system which allows me
> to automate a bunch of post-install steps.  I'm sure there's a way to
> do NFS installs for Debian, but I'm not positive on anything like 
> kickstart.  Perhaps a post-install script is in order.

There is a windows desktop, laptop, and this server, so, at least for
this instance, it is a straight install. 
> Virtual hosting with Apache is pretty easy.  I have a fairly general 
> purpose firewall script I like to use, which you are welcome to also 
> use.  It also handles NAT.  For SSH, just disable root logins.  For 
> MySQL, I guess that all depends on what data she wants to have. 
> Syslog should already be configured fairly appropriately, unless you
> are suggesting going to syslog-ng, or you meant something like Apache 
> mod_log_mysql.  As for "system admin," I'm not sure to what you are 
> referring.  And I don't know Debian enough to know if it comes with
> any sort of automated apt-get upgrades, although setting up a cron job
> to handle this should be no problem at all.

By "system admin" I just meant what is expected generally when
responsible for a server, i.e., which logs need too be looked at on a
regular basis, how and when to create new users, etc. General system
administration housekeeping stuff.
> A couple other suggestions.  First, use version control on all config 
> files.  RCS is simple enough and gets the job done.  It's a good thing
> 
> to be able to simply check out an older, but known-working, config
> file when you break something.  Read the rcsintro man page for enough
> to get started.  Second, configure the mail server to send root's mail
> to a real user, preferably an account that will be read fairly
> consistently. 
>   Maybe this is what you mean by "system admin."

Very cool idea.
Oooo ... shiver of excitment. I am so looking forward to this.
/Sharon