Linux question

[guerillahost]

Does Apache come with most Linux distros.. Ie: RedHat, YellowDog, etc.. If so, I'm having trouble locating it and using it as an editor. I'm currently using FrontPage running on a windows server.

I'm able to get Linux(various distros) up and running but can't navigate the GUI very well and I'm clueless with the command line.

Any suggestions on where to go to find step by step instructions for Apache web hosting using Linux with the GUI? or am I just 'stuck like Chuck' and it's basically up to me to figure this stuff out.

On a side note, are there any groups/clubs concerning Linux for noobies here localy in the DFW area?


Thanks to all!

[Alienswede]

Apache is not an editor. It's a webserver and you can't actually use it to edit anything.

If you're wanting to do webhosting with Apache you're pretty much going to have to learn to be comfortable with the command line and editing configuration files. There are some GUI based administration tools like Webmin but you're really better off learning how it really works.

There are tons and tons of good tutorials online on any possible imaginable linux topic. Start searching on google.

As for clubs go, there is NTLUG (North Texas Linux Users Group). Check out their site for information on how to join and attend their meetings.

Hope that helps.

[guerillahost]

I've read lot's of articles but most are geared towards the command line. I'll try searching harder for GUI based admin tools.

Apache is the program running the webpage? Can it use .asp or .php?

Thanks for the help!!!

[xryptic]

I'm going to be blunt here, if you won't or can't learn to use the command line then you really shouldn't be running Linux.

[Alienswede]

Originally posted by Wes.Glockzin
Apache is the program running the webpage? Can it use .asp or .php?

Apache is the software used to serve the webpages yes. It can not server asp or php out of the box. You need to download php by itself, compile it and integrate it with apache. There are a number of different ways to do that. None of which are possible without first being comfortable with the command line unfortunately.

Same thing goes for asp. Asp is primarily used with IIS (Internet Information Server) which is a Microsoft webserver that runs on Windows. There's at least one open source project that will let you run asp on Linux but I would stay away from asp if I were you.

Basically though, it all comes back to the fact that you really need to learn the command line first.

[guerillahost]

Originally posted by xryptic
I'm going to be blunt here, if you won't or can't learn to use the command line then you really shouldn't be running Linux.

Oh you command line purist, where would we be without you..

Is there anyway to obtain a COMPLETE list of commands for Linux? Ie: I can type 'dir ?' and that gives switches but a complete list of commands is what I need. The RedHat text book are dry and outdate and I know things can very from distro to distro but does a general list of commands exist?

The only ones I can find are task specific and incomplete at best.

I willing to use the command line but I'm clueless on what to type.

[xryptic]

Originally posted by Wes.Glockzin
Oh you command line purist, where would we be without you..

Is there anyway to obtain a COMPLETE list of commands for Linux? Ie: I can type 'dir ?' and that gives switches but a complete list of commands is what I need. The RedHat text book are dry and outdate and I know things can very from distro to distro but does a general list of commands exist?

The only ones I can find are task specific and incomplete at best.

I willing to use the command line but I'm clueless on what to type.

I'm not actually a command line purist, I love X, but some things are just not possible in Linux(at this time) without using the command line. It also tends to be much faster. Add to this that most servers are administered remotely and the most effective way to do that is through the command line and you'll understand why it's neccessary to know(plus it keeps most idiots from running servers, and idiots+servers=insecure servers).

As for a complete command reference, the best resource I can think of is a book called "Linux Complete Command Reference". You can probably find it online as a pdf if you look around. I'm also gonna guess that that's the Redhat book you're referring to. Check out "Linux In A Nutshell" too, released by O'Reilly. If you're unsure of the specific syntax and usage of a particular command try typing man commandname (where commandname is the name of the command, of course) from the command line. Of course certain things are going to vary from distribution to distribution but the core commands will remain the same, know them and know your distro and you'll be fine.

Also keep in mind that any file flagged as executable(and that actually is executable) is technically a command. Those that are in directories in your PATH variable are the ones that can be used without having to be in their parent directory or having to type in the whole path to them(generally those in bin and sbin directories, varying from user to user of course).

[guerillahost]

thanks!

In the beginning, there was the command line.

.....I couldn't resist .

North Lake College offers one of the best unix certifications programs in DFW. At one time, I was an admin of various servers within that domain, and I would not have been able to do that without learning the basics of "the command line".

Good luck and make sure to drink splenty of coffee in your unix ventures !!!

Rudy