Building a Local Web Server: Linux

I hope that this document will spare someone the headaches I've had while building the local TCP/IP network I'm (finally) developing these pages on. I've found having my own Linux server and Mac client an unbelievable aid to my understanding of and skill with Web materials, but getting here has taken a few weeks.

Once I was frustrated enough with online connections to want my own system, I had to settle down for a while and figure out how best to create it. I already had a great Macintosh to work with, and DOS/Windows skills from my job. I wasn't terrified of UNIX, having worked with it for several years off and on, and I worked for a computer books publisher, so at least I knew a few places to look for help.

Since most of my work would be posted to a UNIX server, I decided that I wanted a UNIX box for my livingroom. Since I also do PC database work with Access, Linux seemed like the perfect solution. It's cheap (read: free), can run all of the UNIX software I needed, and I could run Windows on the PC when I wasn't using it for Linux. I talked my business partner, a dedicated Macophile, into the brave new multiplatform world, and we were off. A few weeks later I'd managed to do all that I will now describe - and it works!

Using this document

This document is not 100% guaranteed to work on your particular system. If you find flaws, please email me. I expect that there will at least be typos. This does not explain how to setup your Linux system from start to finish - there are lots of books in the $30-$50 range that do that, and most of them even come with a copy of the software. There are several distributions of Linux software, and what works here for me may be slightly different on your distribution. (I'm using Slackware for this setup.) I have relied heavily on several books to get me through this without losing my mind completely, and recommend that you do the same. Finally, please read this entire document before using it to set up a system. For quick reference, I've set up an outline.

That said, please take a quick look at my notes for setting up Linux. Then let's look at the TCP/IP setup of my little network.

Back to the outline

Copyright 1995 by Simon St.Laurent. All rights reserved. You may print this document for yourself or others at no charge, but commercial distribution without permission is prohibited.

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