[QUERY] Beginner Question How to Buy/Choose a Server : Linux

yeokaiwei

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Hi,
I was looking for this question on the beginner tutorials but it didn't exist.

How should one go about buying a server to host Linux?

In my case, I have 2 needs

1. I need to learn to run an email server that is accessible to the public ie like Hotmail.

2. I need to web server to host a webpage, forums and create accounts for the email server in part 1.

What hardware should I buy?

What are the checklists that I should look at?

The user base is unknown but free email usually runs in the millions of accounts.
 


Hello @yeokaiwei and welcome!
I have no idea about servers and obviously I'm not who will answer to your question
but as far as I know there are many sites that offer virtual servers.
Since you are looking for training needs I think is the best choice for you
before you spent a lot of money for expensive equipment.
 
G'day @yeokaiwei and welcome to linux.org :)

I'm moving this Thread to one of our Server sections in the hope you get the answers you are seeking.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
A link to the new thread location would be helpful, especially as the number of threads gets larger. Thanks
 
A link to the new thread location would be helpful, especially as the number of threads gets larger. Thanks

You're already there, if you found this.

The Thread was moved from General Linux. :)

Wizard
 
Hi,
I was looking for this question on the beginner tutorials but it didn't exist.

How should one go about buying a server to host Linux?

In my case, I have 2 needs

1. I need to learn to run an email server that is accessible to the public ie like Hotmail.

2. I need to web server to host a webpage, forums and create accounts for the email server in part 1.

What hardware should I buy?

What are the checklists that I should look at?

The user base is unknown but free email usually runs in the millions of accounts.

For me, mentoring something like this would be a large commitment of time. You'll need to pay a lot of attention to security nowadays (ex. TLS sorts of things). I don't know how the legal ramifications have changed lately with all the social media cracks that have been, are being, reported.

Look at Tom's Hardware for the board reviews. Not knowing the budget, the pricing and features change too quickly to give a good contemporary recommendation.

If you are just starting off, I would suggest using a Raspberry Pi as a test platform to determine needs/wants and financial commitment.

Once you formalize your hardware requirements, repurpose the RPi as an admin host to a headless server.
Any system you go with for the server should be stripped down to bare bones for speed and efficiency in backups.
Installations using Xen, qemu, or virtual box hypervisors are highly recommended but that is a sidebar to getting the server up and running.

A general overview from a few years ago:
I would go with postfix/dovecot now if I had the time.
https://arstechnica.com/information...wn-e-mail-server-with-your-own-domain-part-1/

As for 'checklists' here are some links that take it step by step for some of the distros:
Using Slackware:
A full install has all the pieces/parts, just need to configure and enable the services, but you can tailor it to your desires.
https://docs.slackware.com
https://docs.slackware.com/howtos:network_services:postfix_with_cyrus
Good discussion at:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-installation-40/email-server-4175558253/
Slackware turn key ops:
https://www.cybercon.com/slackware-linux?ccode=WHTDB20A
Using Gentoo:
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Complete_Virtual_Mail_Server
Using Arch:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dovecot
Using RedHat:
http://www.linuxmail.info/
https://likegeeks.com/linux-mail-server/
Using Debian(Ubuntu):
https://www.linux.com/learn/install-and-configure-postfix-mail-server
 
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