# Home Hosting



## adripillo (Jul 12, 2013)

Ok, following some advices will try to start this again and being more specific if I can. This is what I want to do: I made my own website, now I want to host it on my computer. It is not a commercial thing, it is just for my own use and also to learn about it. First thing I did, I built the site offline on my computer and then once it was finished I registered it on http://www.nic.ar/.

My IP is dynamic so I need to register in some website to take the DNS and put it on the first site. Once that is done, I use cron to set it to deliver each X interval my actual IP to that site so it can "stay" online. Ok, all this is on the Internet, my problem comes now.

I downloaded and installed php5, mysql and apache22; now I am trying to put all the files of the site inside my computer and make it all run nicely.


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## Chris_H (Jul 15, 2013)

Greetings,

*Wow*. You're not asking much, are you.

While it is elementary to install, and run the necessary ports, and services to host your own web site. It is _not_ a trivial task to _maintain_ it, and the services involved. You _will_ be plagued with attacks, no matter how good you are. Attacks stream in daily, _and_ with varying degrees of skill. It takes a great deal of time to become savvy enough not to be _HACKED_. Ask yourself; do I want to devote the necessary time it takes to maintain a site on my computer? Am I willing to possibly be HACKED, with all the possible outcome(s) that might be manifested? If you are _absolutely_ sure. If you want to make the time necessary to track Apache, PHP, and the software that uses them, and FreeBSD, for all of the security patches, or issues that arise. Then you can proceed. But _do_ know, you _will_ need to dedicate that time, or you _will_ get HACKED -- really! For the record; I see you have chosen PHP. This, and all the software/scripts that are available for it, are rapidly moving targets, where security is concerned. You may wish to choose Perl, as an alternative.

I say all of this from experience. I began on the internet (so to speak) running a BBS. I have been "hosting" since l-o-n-g before the internet was ever widely known to exist.

If your answer is "yes". I'll try to give you the additional information you request. But do not make that decision hastily.

--chris


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## ShelLuser (Jul 15, 2013)

Chris_H said:
			
		

> I say all of this from experience. I began on the internet (so to speak) running a BBS. I have been "hosting" since l-o-n-g before the internet was ever widely known to exist.


Uhm, no offense but a BBS is by far comparable (or counts for experience) with hosting a website and/or maintaining stuff like a LAMP environment (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP).

And on a lesser serious note; node addresses or it didn't happen 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





.

You're talking to the former 2:2801/0 and 2:2801/13 here   Of course I also had access to other networks, but I think FidoNet is the best known amongst the lot.


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## Chris_H (Jul 15, 2013)

@@ShelLuser
Yes. I had fiber dragged up to my place, and implemented a FidoTosser. So users could exchange _actual_ email! I'd love to share all the fun we had with AOL, when they tried to get involved with BBS's, and the Internet -- woot! Those were the days. It was like the old Wild West!  

--chris


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## ShelLuser (Jul 15, 2013)

adripillo said:
			
		

> My IP is dynamic so I need to register in some website to take the DNS and put it on the first site.


You'd need a registrant which also provides support for dynamic DNS. I know demand for that is declining but if you search for "dynamic DNS" I'm sure you'll find some free providers.

However, always be careful there because "free" isn't always free. Whatever you do make sure that you don't "just" hand over your domain to them because that can come to haunt you. They should be able to provide solutions besides having access to the domain itself.



			
				adripillo said:
			
		

> I downloaded and installed php5, mysql and apache22; now I am trying to put all the files of the site inside my computer and make it all run nicely.


The best way to start is the manual. And I'm not saying that to go RTFM on you, but because it simply is. It's one thing to set it up, its another issue to maintain it. And that is also something which is very important.

I'd start on the Apache documentation wiki. Excellent source of information where users help out users. And the best part: because FreeBSD simply provides you with the software "as is" without trying to change it into something "FreeBSD specific" all the instructions you find there will also apply to your setup (to a certain degree). After that a good place to look around (and use for reference) is the Apache documentation.

MySQL is a bit of the same. It can be a little rough to get into, but if you simply follow the reference guide or the user manual (which link you can find on that same site) you should be well on your way.

As to PHP..  I can refer you to the PHP website, which I'm sure has documentation available, but that's as far as my knowledge of PHP goes. Even though its one of the most used languages out there its something I want as little to do with as possible  Note that it says more about me than the language by the way.

Hope this can give you some pointers.


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## Chris_H (Jul 15, 2013)

ShelLuser said:
			
		

> Uhm, no offense but a BBS is by far comparable (or counts for experience) with hosting a website and/or maintaining stuff like a LAMP environment (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP).


Maybe not. Unless you consider that back then, I ran a FidoTosser to relay email to fiber I had hauled up to my location. So I could provide _Internet_ email to my users. 

I don't suppose that currently owning/hosting ~160 domains would have anything to do with "LAMP environment (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP)"? 

Just saying 

--chris


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## wblock@ (Jul 16, 2013)

Back to the original question:

The only thing required for a web site is web server software.  Unless you plan to use or write dynamic web pages, databases are not required.  PHP is not required unless the software to be used needs it.  Dynamic web pages are easier to exploit.  The less you install, the smaller the "attack surface".

So first, define what the web site will do, and pick the software to do that.


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## adripillo (Jul 18, 2013)

Ok, thanks all!


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