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Preconfigured Linux Servers for Sale?
a-singularity writes "I work for several small businesses and try to promote Linux and Open Source Software use amongst them. Several of them now use Open Office and have deployed Linux servers. Recently one of them acquired an InstagateEX2 for email serving. A Linux-running closed appliance, that does quite a few things including web serving. It doesn't, however, use MySQL which is something that their website runs. They can't configure a Linux server for themselves, and I don't have the security experience. Is there a place to buy preconfigured Linux servers that will run Apache, PHP, and MySQL out of the box?"
But alot of distros run those services right out of the box. Mandrake RedHat Slack etc... (not always a good thing imho) The installs are easy enough to do why not throw one of those on your server?
You mentioned that you had no security experience....
First things first - your database server should be behind a firewall. Databaases are big peices of software and it's unreasonable to assume that they are bug/exploit free.
Secondly - and importantly, consider using OpenBSD. It runs MySQL just fine, and importantly, it has good security built in. Instead of noodeling around with a Linux distribution to get it secure, with OpenBSD - you have to explicitly create the security holes yourself. It's no magic bullit but it's a good start.
If OpenBSD, for what ever reason, is not an option, I would still recommend you install Linux yourself - someone at your company needs to understand what it going on, and it looks like the learing experience would help.
If even that is not an option, get someone with Linux experience to do the install for you - it will be a better solution that buying a server and hoping it works out of the box. Someone needs to actually verify that the computer is working process wise, security wise and backup wise. And somthing form a box wont do that - you need sombody competent to verify.
Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.
It is not that difficult to secure a server running the above services. By the time you find a vendor/ Value Added Reseller that will fit your needs, you can educate yourself on how to secure the thing, as well as ensure that you are getting something that fits your needs. Knowledge of security is imperative these days, regardless of whether you decide to build this server or not.
These Sun Server Appliances seem to be a good hcoice you, you don't need a lot of experience with Linux as you can set up everything via web-interface.
I personally don't like them that much because i like to configure my own machines, but Cobalt's are suited for people who don't have the time or the experience to manage a custom server.
Life sucks.
Although mandrake is not the most stable I'll admit. I like its easy to use configuration wizards. They are probably the easiest and best to use in the Linux server market. Many people actually use it for servers, and it has tools for apache, SQL, samba, mail, and much more. You should look into this, it is really nice.
Most vendors will install Linux on a new system (IBM, Dell, HP/Compaq, etc). It sounds like you probably need RedHat, which just so happens to be the most widely used distro for pre-configured systems.
All you have to do is call one of those vendors (like Dell) and tell em what you need, and that you need Linux pre-installed and what you want with it. This is a pretty standard configuration for small (workstation class) servers. Anything bigger and you should really go with something like an RS/6000 which still has Linux support as well (if you don't wanna use AIX).
I recommend that you start by reading "Building Internet Firewalls" (forget the authors names, but published by Oreilly (www.ora.com)). This will gove you a basic understanding of secure network design (something you should probably have anyway) and then read the security documentation related to the products you are installing. No magic bullet, but it is a very good start-- at least that way you can understand what you are doing.
LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
If you are looking for servers preconfigured with Linux, check out VA Lin...wait...what....when.....never mind.
I like e-smith, now called something like SME, but you still can download the CD from e-smith.org. It's really easy to use and admin. You can also buy support from them if you want.
-Kz-
IBM ships their xSeries, pSeries, iSeries, zSeries all with Linux installed.
Check out IBM's Linux page.
int func(int a);
func((b += 3, b));
Looks like this is one of those rare cases where a shameless plug is on-topic. Hope that's OK. :-)
FreeBSD is what every server should use. RedHat has a lot of daemons on by default, so it's baaad ;)
OpenBSD has had some bugs as of late.
BTW, look at the top 50 uptimes for Netcraft to prove my point.
I have bought prebuilt Linux systems from Penguin Computing and ASL with success.
If the people don't know how to run a server, I'd go with Red Hat and subscribe to Red Hat's automatic security update program. Make sure they use one of the user-friendly tools to turn off all the stuff they don't need, though.
If that's not enough, they should probably just hire somebody to help them. A custom off-the-shelf system is a contradiction in terms; if you want something a little different than everybody else, then you can't just open the box and plug it in: cash or elbow grease is required.
If you look in your local computer monthly (most cities have at least one) or newspapers, you're almost certainly going to find a handful of local consultants, who will be happy to build a system for you and install it just as you want it.
I do this, although I generally work locally (in the Portland, Oregon area). I'd be glad to help if you'd like to pay the extra shipping (there's usually shipping to get the parts to me, then I deliver the system myself). I can do post-installation customization if you want to allow an incoming external connection via SSH or FreeS/WAN. I'm building a mail server for a client just this week; cost with on-site installation, local admin training, and integration with their existing systems is going to be around $3000.
I'd even be glad to give you hands-on training and on-site installation if you want to pick up the cost for the flight. (Most don't, which is why I mostly work locally.)
See Naked Ape Consutling.
Wil
wiki
http://www.penguincomputing.com sells rackmount servers, and can probably do workstation server sales without any problems.
Cheers-
JB
"I love deadlines. I love the "whooshing" sound they make as they pass by." - Douglas Adams.
He didn't ask how, why, or where to get security experience. He didn't ask which Distribution was best, He didn't want to know anything more then his question. Where can I buy a preconfigured box with this on it. To answer your question I do not know of any off hand. But you may find several at http://dmoz.org/Computers/Hardware/Systems/Linux/
Get a free ipod.
We resell them..
Go to www.nexserver.com
If you're not a Liberal in your 20's, then you have no heart.If you're still a Liberal in your 30's you have no brain.
Looks like you need a Net Integrator. It does all of what you ask for, has a cool backup system, RAID support, and is winning all of the awards in magazine reviews (yes, kicking the ass of Cobalts soundly). For example, PC Magazine got pretty happy about the NI.
Disclaimer: I do work for Net Integration Technologies, check out our web site for more info. It's a pretty cool place to work at, with bright people and supportive of open source software.
Yeah, we're the guys behind the famous WvDial program.
(An on-topic shameless plug)
We offer custom configured linux servers at Backwatcher. We're really a security company, but we sell preconfigured boxes and do sysadmin work as well.
1. No SMP support.
2. Theo
3. Theo
4. Theo
5. THEO!
It's UNIX, not UN*X-Like
VM handling
Stable
It's UNIX
Secure
Reliable
It's not pretentious enough to think that it's ment for the desktop.
It's UNIX
It's not pretentious enough to try to be an OS for a refrigerator.
IP Fragments are handled properly.
It's UNIX
a view points:
if you want any more than the securityblades you have to pay... and I find it rather expensive.
E-smith (SME) offers My-SQL out of the box. SME is based on Red Hat 7.1 (with a lot of patches and updates)
If you need a more recent Perl than included you might run in to problems. The configuration relies havily on Perl.
It has some powerfull features often forgotten. Such as a decent backup system build in. If you don't want to buy a tape streamer, you can also 'backup to workstation'. Which works really easy.
---
Been using it for years. It's a file and print server (Samba), email server (Qmail, with Imp webmail), web server (Apache, for internet and intranet), database server (MySQL), and it's all run from a handy web interface. It installs in 30 mins max, and it just works.
They have some value-added features that you can pay for, like support and antivirus and stuff, but the ISO itself is a free download.
You could try Open Network Architecture's secure linux solutions.
Can you say Code Red"Hat"?
http://www.sun.com/hardware/serverappliances/qube3 /index.html