Installing Open Suse 10.3 – LAMP with vsftpd

This install is less than 500 megabytes and will run Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP, and FTP users. Boot up is fast and hardware utilization is minimal, while giving a rock solid performance. This setup even yields no vulnerabilities from Nessus scans when all setup and configuration is complete. Here you can find a straightforward install guide that will help you create an awesome LAMP server. Use the root user for everything in this tutorial.

DVD Install
Insert Open Suse 10.3 Disk into DVD drive
On the Splash screen, select Installation

Preparation
Language Selection
Media Check (Optional)
License Agreement
System Analysis
Installation Mode: New Installation
Time Zone
Desktop Selection

• Hit other
• Select Text Mode

Installation
Click Partitioning

• You want to remove all partitions and accept the default layout

Click Software

• Hit details
• Find Server Functions
• Under File Server, check vsftpd
• Check Web and LAMP server

You are done selecting packages, Select Accept and agree to any prompt(s)
Now you are ready to start the install process

• Select Accept on the Installation Settings Page
• Hit Install on the Confirm Installtion windows

The install will start, taking about 5-15 minutes depending on computer speed
When the install is complete, it will prompt for a reboot, or it will automatically reboot after 15 seconds
At the splash screen, allow it to Boot from Hard Disk

Configuration
Now you will be in text installation mode. There may be no mouse, so use tab to get around and use the space bar to select/deselect.
Set Root Password
Set Hostname

• Set hostname to something like “server1”
• Set domain name to something like “domainname.com”
• Uncheck Change Hostname via DHCP
• Make sure Write Hostname to /etc/hosts is checked

Network

• Leave the IP address to automatically get an IP address from your DHCP server. In your DHCP server, set the server's Mac address to a static IP address.
• Disable IPv6 (Optional)

Test Internet Connection

• Select Yes to run the test
• If it fails, it is ok, it should work later anyway

Online Update Configuration

• Hit Next to begin the online update configuration
• If successful, it will add an update server to your configuration

Online Update

• Hit Next to run Online Update
• Tab to the bottom to Select OK, it automatically selects packages that need to be updated
• The updates will probably require a restart

Users

• Select Local
• Create new Local User

Release Notes
Finish
You can remove the DVD if you wish

Network Setup
In your DHCP settings, find your web server's Mac address, and assign it a manual IP address. Open DMZ to the web server's IP address to make the web server open to the World Wide Web.

To set up your web server's static IP address, open Yast, go to Network Devices, and select Network Card. Select Configure when the network card (i.e. - eth0) is highlighed. Check the box next to Statically assign IP address, enter in the server's IP address (i.e. – 192.168.0.150), subnet mask (i.e. – 255.255.255.0), and hostname (i.e. - server1). Select Next.

Set up the routing for the network card by going to Routing on the main Network Settings page. Enter in the appropriate Default Gateway (i.e. – 192.168.0.1) or router IP address. Set Select Finish to write the network card settings.

Command Line Configuration
Now you can use Putty to configure the rest, or you can continue to use the connected mouse and keyboard.

chkconfig apache2 on

chkconfig mysql on

service apache2 start

service mysql start

Verifying LAMP
Check out your web server on your local network by typing in the IP address on another computer on your network. You should see "It works!" If it does not work, check your firewall settings and make sure all the services necessary are running (service –status-all | more). If the server does not work, then use this command to reboot the server and refresh all settings...

shutdown -r now

To check PHP, create info.php in /srv/www/htdocs/. To see how to do this, see the PHP info setup page.

Domain Settings
Go to your domain name service provider to change your hosting settings.
For users withs GoDaddy, do the following:
Go to Manage Domains
Select the domain name you want to host
Use their name servers

• NS57.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
• NS58.DOMAINCONTROL.COM

Click Total DNS
Click the Edit pencil icon on the right under the A (Host) section
A (Host) Record

• Host Name = @
• IP = external IP address
• TTL = 1 Hour

Find Host Summary under the domain settings page

• Click Add
• Host Name = server1 (or your server name)
• IP = your external IP address

Let it propagate over the internet (takes a little over an hour, but it may take up to 48 hours). In an hour, check your domain name, you should see “It works!” Depending on your ISP, you may have to change these settings periodically as your IP address changes. For now, continue on in the server configuration

vsftpd setup
Turn vsftpd on at startup by typing...

chkconfig vsftpd on

Check that FTP server is working fine by testing connecting and uploading files via FTP/SFTP. To turn on vsftpd, type...

service vsftpd start

To create FTP users, see the FTP users setup page. The FTP user directory is http://www.website.com/~username

Congratulations, you now have a fully functional LAMP with FTP users web server!