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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?"
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.
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
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));
I agree. An advantage of Cobalt servers, though, is some ISP's offer discounts for cobalt colocations.
-Sean
Looks like this is one of those rare cases where a shameless plug is on-topic. Hope that's OK. :-)
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
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.
Can you say Code Red"Hat"?