Linux Unleashed, Third Edition:Setting up an Internet Site





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Part VIISetting up an Internet Site


In This Part
•   Setting up an Internet Site
•   Setting up an FTP and Anonymous FTP Site
•   Configuring a WAIS Site
•   Setting up a Gopher Service
•   Configuring a WWW Site
•   CGI Scripts
•   HTML Programming Basics
•   Java and JavaScript Basics
•   Creating a Solid Web Site

Chapter 47Setting up an Internet Site

by Tim Parker

In This Chapter
•   Connecting to the Internet

Linux is well-suited for connecting to the Internet and for using many of the Internet services. We’re not just talking about using Linux to browse the Web or using FTP to transfer files from an archive site to your machine but using Linux as your own server. You can serve up your own World Wide Web pages, provide your own FTP site, or act as a Gopher host all with a minimum amount of configuration of your Linux system. You don’t need any special software, just the distribution CD-ROM or archives. This chapter looks at the ways you can connect to the Internet. The upcoming chapters show you how to set up your Linux system as a server for four popular services.

If you only want to use your Linux system to access other servers, you don’t have to worry about any of the material in the next four chapters (although you may still want to read this chapter to find out how to connect to the net). On the other hand, sharing your system’s resources with others—whether in a local area network, a small circle of friends, or the worldwide Internet community—can be most of the fun.
If you intend to use your Linux system to offer some Internet services (such as FTP, WWW, or Gopher) but don’t want to let everyone gain access (maybe just a few friends), you may not need to worry about connecting to the Internet. You still have to set up the server software, though.
Connecting to the Internet
There are many different ways to connect to the Internet. Your choice of method depends primarily on your usage habits and the services you want access to. It may seem as though an overwhelming number of companies offer Internet access or services. Actually, there are only four ways to connect to the Internet.

Briefly, your options for connecting to the Internet are as follows:

•  A direct connection to the Internet—This method uses a dedicated machine (a gateway) to connect into the Internet backbone through a high-speed telephone connection such as a T1 line (1.544Mbps) or ISDN (128kbps). This method gives you full access to all services but is expensive to set up and maintain.
•  Connecting through someone else’s gateway—This usually involves getting permission to use someone else’s machine for full access to all Internet services.
•  Using a direct service provider—This way uses a specialty company’s gateway that your machine can access to offer limited or full access to Internet services. These companies are not the same as online services because all they do is act as a gateway to the Internet. Usually, this type of service provider uses modem or dedicated telephone connections with high-speed lines to provide fast service. The company you connect to becomes your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
•  Using an indirect service provider—This involves using an online company (such as Delphi or CompuServe) to access some or all of the Internet’s services. This is usually suitable only for low-volume usage and doesn’t take advantage of Linux at all.

If you are part of a company or sharing the costs with a number of friends, online service providers are seldom able to offer the level of performance you need for support of email, FTP, and other Internet services. Another negative aspect about online services is that most do not allow you to have your own domain name.

It is rare to find a gateway that you can “borrow” for access of your own, unless you are willing to share the costs of the gateway. Most companies that have a gateway are reluctant to allow many outsiders to use their system.
This leaves only two options: a direct gateway of your own to the Internet or the use of a service provider. The choice between these two usually comes down to an issue of the connection costs. Setting up your own gateway is expensive but may be cheaper than arranging accounts with a service provider if the volume of traffic is high.
If you want access for yourself or for a very small company, it is unreasonable to have your own dedicated gateway. Setting up an account with a service provider is a possible choice for individuals, but sometimes the costs and machine overhead are too high. Service providers are typically used by small companies, and there is no reason why you can’t use a service provider if you anticipate a high Internet usage.
Services You Need
When deciding which method you want to use to access the Internet, one of the important items to consider is the type of services you want from the Internet. If all you need is email, then any kind of access can provide it, but some may be ridiculously expensive for what you get.

As a starting point, decide which of the following services are necessary and which are less important:

•  Electronic mail—Sending mail to and from other Internet users.
•  Telnet—Remote logins to other machines on the Internet.
•  FTP—File transfers between machines.
•  World Wide Web (WWW) access—A popular Hypertext Markup Language-based (and usually graphical) information service.
•  Usenet newsgroups—A set of bulletin boards for conversations on many different subjects.
•  Gopher—An information search and retrieval system.
•  WAIS—A menu-based document search and retrieval system.
•  Archie—A method for finding files to transfer.
•  Internet Relay Chat (IRC)—A conversation system much like CB radio.

Any system that is directly connected to the Internet through a gateway (yours, a borrowed gateway, or most direct service providers) will provide complete access to all the services listed. Some direct service providers support all the services, but at a slower speed than a gateway. Slower speeds may be a limitation for the World Wide Web if you intend to use and offer graphics (instead of just text). Some service providers limit their access to email and newsgroups, so a little research is necessary.




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