Newbie Server--Admin. Questions.

[Kevin Brown]

> I have been using linux for a while new mostly as a
> work station and playing with it by setting up a home
> server.  Tomorrow I finally get DSL with a static IP
> addy, and I am going to have a web server.  All my
> experience before hand with linux is pretty much for
> programming.  I may be asking a lot of questions for
> help during this process, but tomorrow I was going to
> start setting up the software.  On this server the
> only services I want is the http server, ftp, ssh, and
> email server.  So a few questions:
> 
> If I am only going to have these service, it the
> X-windows system needed to be installed?  As a newbie
> would there be a benifit for me to have X on there, or
> should I just not install it?  When I set up a home
> server 95% of my configuring was on the command line,
> so I have to imagine I could do with it.

Xwindows on a server is usually unecessary.  I tend to manage my servers 
remotely, so the rare times I need a gui app running from the server, I just 
export the display to the box I am managing them from.

> Would it be recommend to have the network tools, like
> nmap and ping on the server?

During setup, nmap and ping are useful.  However once up and running you might 
want to remove uneeded tools in case of system compromise (compilers, unecessary 
services, etc...).

> Can/does the e-mail server go on the same box as the
> http server?

Can they, yes.  Should you, I'd say no.  The fewer services each box runs, the 
fewer possible points of entry an intruder will have to each system.  You might 
want to check out a few security lists with regards to security issues of 
various programs (apache, sendmail, qmail, ftp servers, etc...).  FTP is a very 
big security risk.  You're better off utilizing sftp that is part of the ssh 
package instead of an ftp server.

>   I am going to be using Slackware as the O/S, the
> Apache as the http server.  The others I have not
> decided.
> 
>   I am open to other advice, and I would appreciate
> any help.