First Try at Creating Website

[David A. Bandel]

On Mon, 18 Mar 2002 13:36:24 -0500
begin  kbb0927 at cs.com spewed forth:

> Hello All,
> 
> First of all, I am a physician and not a programmer.  I am currently
> using SuSE 7.2 as a fileserver, 7.2 gateway and the rest of the machines
> are using SuSE 7.3 -- all Pro.  I have SuSEfirewall2 up and whizzing
> along on a home network, with no ports open for incoming access, only
> masquerading and forwarding.
> 
> I want to set up website on my server for my family to access a family
> genealogy page/reunion page.  I am versed in Kylix and am familiar with
> mySQL.  I know I need apache, which I will install.  Can anyone:
> 
> 1)  Give me a SXS on what I need to set up and suggestions as to how.
>     I have downloaded the infon on .htaccess and apache from the SxS
>     site.

I'd need more info here on exactly what you want to do (other than let
some family members access port 80 -- even that is unclear as to whether
they'll all only access from inside your private LAN or also from outside
based on the above).

> 2)  Recommendations on database:  mysql vs interbase vs postgres SQL.

Depends on your wants/needs.  Postgres is ACID* compliant, MySQL is not,
but it's fast.  I haven't looked at Interbase enough to tell you.  But
between PostgreSQL and MySQL, you need to decide on a few things:
PostgreSQL offers subqueries (subselects), stored procedures (functions),
triggers, and a few other things.  MySQL offers raw speed.  In general,
you'll be better off with PostgreSQL unless your web site is taking hits
like Slashdot.

*ACID: atomicity, consistency, integrity, durability.  That is, a proper
SQL database works with transactions and either _all_ are committed or
_none_ are committed, the db is never inconsistent.  Imagine transferring
$100 from account A to account B. You delete the $100 from A, then insert
it into B.  At all times, the money will be in one or the other account
(using transactions).  Ditto for adding $50 to the salaries of 10,000
employees.  It's all or nothing and if one single part of the transaction
can't or doesn't occur, then everything is rolled back (meanwhile,
everyone accessing sees a consistent db, no one sees some rows with $50 in
it and not other rows).  MySQL is not transactional and can contain
inconsistent data.  Postgres, Sybase, Informix, Oracle, are transactional,
which is why banks choose them.

> 3)  What ports other than 80 I will need to address and open in SuSE
>     firewall2.

You might want to look at 443 (https) so you can do encrypted data
transfers rather than 80.  I'd also suggest 22.  Between 22 and 443, you
should be able to do anything you want (between Linux/UNIX and your
server) encrypted and relatively safely.

> 4)  Can I do this without FTP access?

OpenSSH has scp, secure copy.  It's throughput is on par with FTP, but I
don't know if you can use it with Windoze (if that's a problem).

> 
> Hope this is not too stupid of a question.  I have never done this 

The only stupid question is the one you didn't ask, Dr.  I've never
treated a patient before, either, and if I were to, I'd sure have a lot of
"stupid" questions (same ones I ask when a Dr. is saying 'ahah, ahah'
while examining me).

> before from scratch.  BTW, I am on comcast.net and DO NOT plan to
> set up a mailserver, just a site to access and leave information for
> other family members with an old-fashioned BBS type feel.  Of course,
> I only want linux due to it's stability and security. There will be no
> samba access, although I am sure most of the family will be windoze
> users.

There are good programs using PHP (under Apache) that are "bulletin
boards" or chat boards.  Check Freshmeat.

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
-- 
Focus on the dream, not the competition.
		-- Nemesis Racing Team motto
Internet (H323) phone: 206.28.187.30