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Member #: 4497

Instead of using RedHat, I want to know if I could use something smaller and still have the same security. FreeBSD and Slackware are smaller, but are they as secure? All that I want to run on it is Apache, PHP, MySQL, phpMyAdmin, and some other 3rd Party gamming servers. I have already read the article on making a secure server on RedHat, a long time ago and I already knew most of it. But, I am running the server on a network, behind a router, so I want to tighten the security as much as possible.

Thank you, in advanced.

Rank: ? (2172)
Member #: 11609

As long as the server is not a DMZ host, you shouldn't have a problem with any Linux distribution providing you run the latest and most secure version of httpd, mysqld, and the gaming servers. The distribution you choose does not matter as much as the kernel you use. The 2.4.29 kernel is the most stable and secure kernel available.
I run two public servers on Slackware 10.1 w/ 2.4.29 kernel and have never had a security problem. Just be sure you disable useless services like inetd, wireless, news, nfsd, alsa, etc...

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Member #: 4497

Thank you. Just making sure. I will chose FreeBSD, then, because it can handle more TCP/IP stress (I guess that you could say) than Linux. But, what is the difference between the Mini ISO's and the full, 2-Disk ISO's? Oh course, one has more than the other, but will everything that the 2-Disk ISO has that the 267MB does not have be useless if I am just running a server? Confusing? I just want to make sure that I am not running the full install just to get a bunch of stuff that I do not need and will have to disable anyway. On the other hand, does the full install just have more security measures?

Thank you, once again.

Rank: ? (2172)
Member #: 11609

The distributions with 6-disc and 4-disc installations are packed with various local and third-party packages. Sometimes the source is included, but it's usually on a different set of discs.
With Slackware, the second disc only contains the packages related to the GUI (X, GNOME, KDE, other window managers...) as well as an emergency boot utility (isolinux/syslinux).

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Member #: 4497

That confirmed what I thought it was.

I have a weird problem and that is, nothing is copying from acd0c; bin, doc, dict etc. Therefore, nothing is being mounted, I supose. It asks me if I want to retrieve it again, but, after that, it says that -1 bytes were transfered of X-amount-of-bytes. I did not have any conflicts with devices when configuring the Kernel, as far as I know. The CD seems to work okay, but something is definately wrong.

In hopes that the errors did not really mean what they said, I tried to start FreeBSD. All that was there were a bunch of hexidecimals, overlapping eachother.

Now, I am going to try installing via FTP.

[Edit] Well, just about every attempt has failed, so far. I got to the point where it said "Boot:", but none of the commands, that are suposed to work, did anything. [/edit]

[Edit2] Problem solved, I believe. I installed FreeBSD using the Disk1 ISO, instead of the Mini ISO. I guess that the Mini ISO was for upgrading...? In any case, I just have to get orientated and learn how to install the servers. [/Edit2]

[Edit3] Way to accidently change and not know what the root password is, Einstein(sp?)... Slackware would probably be easier, anyway. I cannot get it to connect to my network, either. So, I am going to install FreeBSD, again, with with X this time and try it out for a while... [/Edit3]

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Do not take this as a double post; I did not want to start too many threads.

I can connect FreeBSD to FTP's and Telnet's (although, the telnet connections fail) without using X, but how can I get FreeBSD to download files? I want to be able to install Apache, PHP, etc. without using the sneakernet. Although I could just burn them to a CD, I would like to know this for future reference. Yes, I did try searching, but I must not have tried the right keywords.

As a side note, X does not like me... It is still not working for me.

Rank: ? (401)
Member #: 4497

Nevermind all of that, now. The problem has been resolved.