RE: [cobalt-developers] Common question XTR, 550

["Matthew Nuzum" <cobalt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I like the cobalt Raq platform, but I'm not going to get any new ones.  Over
the last few years of managing servers, I've grown more comfortable with
server management and feel I can do a better job using a standard RedHat7.3
distribution.

The justifications for cobalt servers have lost their benefit to me.  For
example,
* I don't allow user's to manage their own site.  They keep doing things
like adding a user called "info" that suddenly starts getting all of my
other customer's e-mail (who have an alias named info).
* The PKG package format is OK, but there's more choice for standard RPM
format.  Apt-get is even better, but I'm just not a debian person and
apt-get for RPM is still focused on the workstation, not the server (IMHO).
* On my first server that was on the Internet that wasn't a cobalt, I
downloaded and installed webmin which does everything the cobalt raq can do
(focused on server management, you wouldn't want your end users to go in
there) and much more.  I have always been very happy with it as a server
management tool.

Plus, 
* Stock RedHat 7.3 out of the box (or off the .iso) is more secure by leaps
and bounds than a raq4.  Pick up Sams Teach Yourself Linux Security Basics
in 24 Hours to get a good overview and hands on experience with some
important security concepts.
* On Freshmeat or Google you can find links to several websites that will
help you create a custom IPTABLES firewall for your server to lock it down.
Simply fill out the form and hit the submit button and it will generate a
text file with instructions for updating your firewall rules to the desired
level.
* Your co-lo facility can probably provide you with a server that will be
faster and cheaper.  For example, my host offered me a 1GHz PC, 256MB Ram,
10-20 GB hard drive server with 150 GB of transfer each moth for $69/mo USD.
That's about the same price as a buying a server if you spread the cost over
two years.
* WebDav, Frontpage 2002 server extensions, mod_python, and many other
apache modules are going to be much easier to install.

Some tricks to make life easier when using a stock distribution:
* Get Sam's Teach Yourself Linux Security Basics in 24 Hours.
* Use a prog like webmin.
* Look into tools that make routine tasks easier.  Linux Journal had an
article about making a mail server based on LDAP last month.  Very detailed,
step by step instructions provided a mail server that can be managed simply
by adding a new entry into the LDAP directory.
* Delegate DNS management if you can.
* Sticking with a standard distro like RedHat or Debian makes keeping up on
Security patches easy.  I have my workstation set to dual boot into Linux or
Windows.  When I want to update my server's packages, I can boot into Linux,
SSH into my remote server, run up2date and use RedHat's graphical tools to
help me do my software updates.  Using SSH from a comuter running an X
server allows the graphical program to run on the server but have the actual
window appear on your own PC.

If you like Sun, and in general I do, you can check into the Netra servers.
You can get one for a very reasonable price from Sun, or you can go to e-bay
and get an even more reasonable price.  Do a search for Sun Netra.  The N1
is an entry level unit that has almost the same form factor as the cobalt
Raqs.  It was designed to be managed remotely and you can find them NEW for
about $1,000 USD.  The Netra T1 line has some more bells and whistles and
you can often get a 5 pack on E-bay for $700-$1200 per server. 

Sun also has great incentives for those people who develop software
solutions for the Sun platforms.  Check out the developer program (recently
renamed, can't remember the new name) and you can get some excellent deals
on new sun hardware.  I think you can get there by going to
developer.cobalt.com.

Just my 2 cents worth. Feel free to disagree, it won't hurt my feelings and
I'm always interested in seeing other people's views.

One advantage of the cobalt platform, I must admit, is this mailing list.  I
haven't found its peer when it comes to managing standard servers.

--
Matthew Nuzum
www.bearfruit.org
cobalt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx