small simple lowend-(web/mail/db)-server for misc. stuff

whoops · 2009-09-04 15:50:42

Hi!

Can anyone recommend me a general direction in which to go for a small (virtual) server? I'm pretty confused with all the different possibilities and have a hard time choosing what's right for me...

- mail: 3 to 10 email users
-- with 1 or 2 email accounts each
--- and those with 1 to 5 aliases each

- web: 4 to 20 websites & domains
-- only simple CMS or access by me (ssh), no other users that p.e. know what "ftp" is.
-- low traffic, mostly static, not many updates, no high security etc. needed

- database
-- one used only by a phpbb
-- another one for random stuff, accessed only by me

I've spent the last two days getting rid of strange web admin interfaces and cleaning up the preinstalled modified debian... and now that all the strange stuff that messes around behind my back is gone, I'd like something simple.

- I think I'll go with apache, as that's the only webserver I have used regularly. But I'm open for alternatives, if those are really better for something that small.
- I've got no idea how to do the emails. I want access via pop3, smtp & webinterface... a few accounts, a few aliasses, and I want to change as few configs & install as few programs as possible. Most people seem to use a lot of interacting... things... even if there's only one or two email users and I've got a hard time finding a simple example setup. I'm not that familiar with the mail stuff and don't even know the program names to go with and do my research, if I really want something simple/basic. Postfix & courier? I remember that dovecot thing, I think it had just too many features for me and looked very chaotic, but then again, that was quite a while ago. So what would you use?
- Some small cms... single user: gallery, blog, guesbook (or comments), not too many features, no community, easy for the news-posting enduser (like "put the right shape in the right hole"-easy) BUT simple (like not a thousand different features I don't need) in the background where I do my layout / code customizations.

I'm reading and trying around a lot at the moment, but there's just too much information to be found on unnecessarily more complicated setups... too many choooices!!! Well - so, someone try to kick me some steps into the right direction pls! Or any direction... *g*

Thanks!

keenerd · 2009-09-04 16:57:57

Hiawatha for web server. I love it. Configs are dirt simple and sensible. It fits well with Arch philosophy.

marxav · 2009-09-04 17:30:28

For mail, I use fetchmail to downloand my POP3mail. I use procmail to manipulate a bit (spamassassin) and iether use mutt or squirrelmail to read. I am not infront of my machine, but I think imap-courrier is required too...

rusty99 · 2009-09-04 18:25:38

For a simple-to-use, lightweight, multi-purpose CMS you might find sNews is just what you're looking for. For something more robust and better suited to handling multiple sites ExpressionEngine is certainly worth looking into.

fukawi2 · 2009-09-05 07:15:43

whoops wrote:

no high security etc. needed

Please don't make your Linux server an easy target for abuse otherwise it's just going to join the army of Windows botnets around the web.

FWIW, I use Postfix with courier-imap, which does pop and imap. cyrus-sasl takes care of SMTP auth. I us a PostgreSQL database for everything.

Last edited by fukawi2 (2009-09-05 07:18:08)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-09-04 15:50:42

small simple lowend-(web/mail/db)-server for misc. stuff

#2 2009-09-04 16:57:57

Re: small simple lowend-(web/mail/db)-server for misc. stuff

#3 2009-09-04 17:30:28

Re: small simple lowend-(web/mail/db)-server for misc. stuff

#4 2009-09-04 18:25:38

Re: small simple lowend-(web/mail/db)-server for misc. stuff

#5 2009-09-05 07:15:43

Re: small simple lowend-(web/mail/db)-server for misc. stuff

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