Can it be done?

[H3LL]

Hello all,

and thanks in advance for your time and input. Newbie for GENTOO so bear with me please, I'm trying to supply the information you may need. Main question at the bottom to save your reading it all.

Forced to use Micro$oft for soooo long, I'm familiar with PCs and can write a little code, and did a Unix module at university about 10 years ago. Effectively a complete UNIX/LINUX/GENTOO etc. newbie.

So that's me.

I want to set-up a blind webserver on an old PC I am getting (maxing out my budget).

What I have:

PC box - No Monitor, keyboard or mouse (but can be connected. I will use my existing ones just to set up if I must).

Old PC - Tertiary PC - To be the web server

CPU - 166MHz (Not sure what flavour)
RAM - 64MB
Hard Drive - 1.2GB
Floppy Drive (No CDROM)
Video Card (Unknown)
2 x Ethernet cards (not bought yet)
I have no idea what O/S is installed and will want to format the hard drive.

Connection

ADSL 2G connection (Static IP to be arranged once server up).
2 x TLD (Top Level Domain)

Main PC - Networked to secondary PC - Current ADSL Internet gateway.

CPU - 2.4GHz P-IV
RAM 512MB
Hard Drive - 2 x 80GB
Video Card - FX 5600
Sound card (?)
Floppy
CD/DVD RW
CDROM
2 x Ethernet Cards (1 = ADSL. 1 = Secondary PC)
Windoze XP Pro

Secondary PC - Networked to main PC (badly, through Win XP)

CPU - 860Mhz
RAM - 32MB
Hard Drive - 40MB
Video card - Basic
Sound Card - (?)
Floppy
CDROM
1 x Ethernet card
Windoze XP Pro.

Why?

I want to host 2 or 3 small websites of my own. They are a free service to my local community of ex-pats. I get no income from them and my current host is VERY slow because it is overseas.

Website needs

Any UNIX clone (Gentoo recommended as easy setup and admin. VERY important)
Apache
PHP
MySQL
FTP (Not sure on this one, but think it is inside one of the above)
Mail server (Again, not sure on this one, but think it is inside one of the above).

Plan So Far

Control all from my Main PC using:

Install UNIX clone on tertiary PC (old one)
SSH (again recommended) for FTP and direct control of the blind server.
A windoze GUI package for setting up Apache etc. on the old PC (Possibly Aeonserv or Foxserve) because I am very new to this.
Access to ADSL through the server PC (desirable but not required)
Server and ADSL to be always on
Main and secondary PC, on when needed.

What I think I might be missing, but not sure

Router
Something else in the network configuration

.

Ultimate Plan

To rule the world...Mwuhahaha!... No not really...Seriously...
Get familiar with GENTOO or alternative in the raw
Get familiar with operating a web server
Scrap Micro$oft from secondary PC and replace with UNIX clone O/S
Get familiar with a PC running on a UNIX clone.
Scrap Micro$oft from main PC
Have massive celebration party.
Persuade as many businesses and people as possible to move away from Micro$oft and show them how easy it is because a complete doofus like me can do it.
Spit in Bill Gates' eye...Ptuee!!!!

So..That's all.

The main reason for all the above and the big questions:

Can it be done as above?
Am I mad and have got it all wrong?

and the REALLY big question.

How do I put Gentoo on that old PC to start the ball rolling?
(No CDROM and no O/S for the network or FTP ...a puzzle)

Thanks for your patience.

[cottonmouth]

You'll certainly learn a lot, that's for sure. I can't help you too much with reviewing the feasability of your setup, although I at a first glance can't see any obvious errors.

But, I can point you to a resource for installation. Read the alternative installation handbook, and you'll see how the installation can be done. Basically what you need is a boot disk with network support. As Gentoo does (did) not have one (as of Jan. 04 at least), I used one from RedHat. Boot and let RH detect your network, then flip it into maintainance mode and you're back at the console screen. Run chroot and continue your installation as the normal procedure describes in the normal installation handbook.

All the best
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Answer an unanswered post

[hermes_jr]

First of all, it CAN be done
Then, you ARE mad... like me... maybe let's rule the world together?