I should have given more info.

I am not a system admin I am a PHP developer.  I think I know a fair
amount about Linux when it comes to PHP/MySql hosting.  For instance I
used an old laptop to create a development environment using my Cox
business connection and for DNS I use ZoneEdit.  I think it might be
running Ubuntu 218.04LTS.

Mail and DNS are beyond my limits.  I do understand DNS, however I could
know more.

About 6 years ago a friend built me a complete web server on an old
desktop that way just laying around.  It worked well.

Based on that I bought a Dell i3 with 8G of RAM.  I was going to do all
my hosting locally ... I know foolish...  But it was a learning project.

Fast forward 6 years or so and the i3 has never been used.  I'm pretty
sure about 3 years ago I swapped the spinner for an SSD.

Another friend who owns a data center asked me to evaluate ISPConfig
maybe 3 years ago.  I found it confusing and there was little
information available beyond what ISPConfig provided.

So here I sit with and i3, a copy of Ubuntu 20.04LTS, and an Internet
connection that does not block ports.

Currently I am hosting my websites on a VPS that is managed by Plesk. 
Plesk is really nice and has so many features I'm sure I have missed
some opportunity.

Based on all of this I do not want to do away with my VPS I just want to
configure that now old i3 and play around with it.

What I am looking for:
1) Automate creating vhost accounts. ( I think I read that ISPConfig is
a replacement for WHM and Cpanel)
2) Automate creating DNS zone files.
3) Automate creating email accounts.
4) Automate registering and configuring Let's Encrypt certs.

Basically something that does for me what Plesk does for me.  I am not a
mail man nor is DNS really something I would like to manage by hand -
maybe sometime in the future.

Thank You for All Your Feedback!!


  - - -



On 2021-05-08 20:22, James Mcphee via PLUG-discuss wrote:
> ISPConfig is a web application so other people can host websites on
> your stuff.  It's a fat stack to maintain, and as such will take much
> more time to work with than just standing up a webserver.
>
> If you're looking at learning ISPConfig, then there's no alternative.
> Things like it are cPanel and Plesk if you want that kind of thing,
> but haven't decided on ISPConfig.
>
> If you're just looking at standing up a webserver to do webservery
> things, then i'd recommend not getting overly complicated.  Install
> just what you need so you don't end up with a giant stack to maintain,
> instead of focussing on what you're trying to learn.
> There aren't many details on what you're looking for as an end result,
> so I can't offer much advice there.  Generally I stand up a
> loadbalancer that takes traffic from the interwebs, and use that to
> route to whatever server behind I feel like playing with that day.
> But this is very specific to my use case, and not for everyone.
>
> On Sat, May 8, 2021 at 7:22 PM Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss
> <plug-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org> wrote:
>
>> I have a business account with Cox and they allow servers.  It will
>> be
>> public facing.  I would like to hear more about "it makes
>> assumptions
>> you may or may not be willing to accept.".
>>
>> Thank you for your feedback!!
>>
>> On 2021-05-07 21:19, Stephen Partington via PLUG-discuss wrote:
>>> ISP config is really geared to running an external facing server
>> and
>>> become hosting. It's very good for that, but it makes assumptions
>> you
>>> may or may not be willing to accept.
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 6:31 PM Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss
>>> <plug-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I am considering configuring a "home web server" using ISPConfig.
>>>> This
>>>> is not a production situation.  It is for learning.
>>>>
>>>> Any thoughts?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!!
>>>> Keith
>>>> ---------------------------------------------------
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>>>
>>> --
>>> A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you
>> from
>>> rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze
>> button.
>>>
>>> Stephen
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>>> https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
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>
> --
> James McPhee
> jmcphe@gmail.com
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