I'm thinking about setting up a test environment in my home network to work on web-sites and test different formats.

What are the different opinions on this.

I have a few older computers including an old server that are in the garage collecting dust. My home network consists of W98, XP home and XP pro computers.

I'm looking for:
What software to install, what OS to use, what version of DB are stable. And any other tips or tricks that I can use to setup this.

I'm new to developing web-sites so there are areas that I may have missed in this list so feel free to add to the list.

What are the minimum specs for the computer, etc, etc.

I'm trying to develop a web-site using CSS, html and sql database for data that will change on a daily to weekly bases. (Input to the DB will come from multiple users and me so interface between DB and users are a must)

Thank you,
Nils

This post has been edited by microscopic^earthling: Aug 8 2005, 05:20 AM

weird....
anyway if your planning to use msSQL you have to use windows. for the stable, free, and fastest db. it's mySQL, it supports both unix and win system.
just check thier corresponding site for more info.

I have access to M$SQL at work, but I'm planning to steup my own to use. I started downloading Mandrake 10 ISO, It shouldnt take to long.

Nils

if you have 3 PCs

1#:
OS: Win XP
DB: MySQL 4.1.8
PHP: PHP 5.0.3(not installed form binaries)
HTTPD: Apache 2.0.52

2#:(Test and unstable version)
OS: Win XP
DB: MySQL 5.x
PHP: PHP 5.0.3(the same)
HTTPD: Apache 2.0.52(if you can compile it from the source)

3#*nix Box, compile everything you can)
OS: Linux/GPL, try Debian (Mdk is not good for server and test)or slackware
DB: MySQL 4.1.x
PHP: PHP 5.0.3
HTTPD: Apache 2.0.52, Open_ssl

on unix compile the most part of the softs because you can add more features and you can better administrate you apps

k22,

thanks. I can do your first suggestion. I have a XP box that I can load those components. I'm downloading the mySql version as we speak (type )

#3 should be possible, I just have to work a little harder on figuring it out. You think the mandrake download was a waste of time? I'll look for the "Debian" download and see if I can get that before the weekend is over.

Nils

[quote=NilsC,Dec 30 2004, 04:02 PM]
I'm thinking about setting up a test environment in my home network to work on web-sites and test different formats.

What are the different opinions on this.

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Do yourself a favor and stay away from the Microsoft scenario. And, no I am not a Bill Gates hater. Microsoft rules the world and that is fine with me. But, we are talking about a server environment for testing web page development and what you need are speed and reliability, and that spells Linux and MySQL. Both are open source, both are stable, and both are a lot easier to set up than people who have not used them might think. A Linux server can run for months, if not years without any trouble or even any maintenance. Try that with any Microsoft OS. You can get load scripts for both, and all you have to do is determine your setup parameters as the load progresses. I am not going to go into detail other than to refer you to the respective web sites, www.mysql.com and www.linux.org. Go this route and you can concentrate on your web development and not spend a lot of time server and network maintenance. Good luck and have fun!

Rodney Lay

From the hardware point of view, take or build (with already owned or cheap obtainable pieces) a machine with as much memory as possible. If you have the choice of two processors, choose that, otherwise, one is fine as well.

Make sure the machine has one or two 100 (or more) Mbit network cards (an aditional network card costs next to nothing these days).

Then choose an operating systems that has "some" security built in. In case of Windows, use Win2000 or higher. Any Linux, Solaris or similar is fine as well. Don't go back into NT because of the lack of two many features and because you don't want to use IIS (whatever version).

If you are into exotics BeOs or OS/2 or more exotic are fine.

Then you have to choose the webserver. I would recommend Apache. Every vendor of some or more to large importance (except for Microsoft) has done similar Don't think about the Netscape WebServer, how good it maybe was, it's obsolete now. SUN, IBM and others, they all use Apache as WebServer. So unless you want to learn from building a WebServer yourself, I would stick to Apache.

For the database of your desire several possibilities exist, whereas for scripting and programming languages the choice is all yours.

That's how I see it

Nils,

Hi

I don't recommend Debian to you, unless you have *nix experience, but I am sure you would have told me before that. Personally, go with Fedora, and do a server install, that should give you all you need, or use a graphical environment (Fedora too) and install the server packages. It's not that hard.

Now if you wanna stick to windows, make it easy on yourself and use xampp. It's a one package install containing Apache 2, PHP (don't ask me which version - I think 4) and MySQL and Mercury FTP server (which you can disable) and a mail server.

When I see you on MSN, I'll explain some more But Debian is an install I haven't even tried, and quite frankly I don't think I would manage. I've always stayed with graphical stuff. Though I can easily maintain a nix box in command line.