
8
Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
Setting Up a Linux
Multifunction Server
There’s a real difference between reading about something and doing it. That’s why
schools provide laboratories for so many of their courses. If you plan on learning
Linux system administration, you need a server. So, the first task in this book
involves building a basic server environment. Once you’ve built one, you’ll have a
good foundation for practicing and learning Linux.
The Linux operating system resembles the wheelbase of a car, which can take on an
enormous variety of different functions depending on the choice of chassis and fea-
tures. As you add services such as email or a database, the system takes on a differ-
ent character. Do you need a web server, a development platform, a gateway, or a file
and print server? Whatever you need requires a core, which this chapter provides.
We’re going to start with a server you might find on the Internet, hosting web sites.
Why, you might ask? Because you can adapt an Internet server to do many addi-
tional tasks, such as managing user authentication, providing print and file services,
handling local email, and providing remote access. You can take the server to a web
hosting facility, plug it in, and begin offering web services. You can even keep it in
your own home, if you obtain a static IP address from your ISP.
Setting up a server on the Internet may change your perspective about