The procedure for setting up a home server may vary depending on the purpose of use and the operating system that you want to install as your main software shell. However, when configuring a home server, you must follow a certain sequence of steps.
Operating system (OS) installation
Insert the installation disc with the system into the server drive and start the installation of the operating system according to the instructions provided. Most modern operating systems have automated installers with a graphical interface that is intuitive and will help even a beginner install the right programs.
Follow the instructions on the screen to set the desired system configuration options according to the purposes for which you are installing the server. During the installation process, try not to connect additional modules, the need for which you do not see. Unnecessary modules in each operating system load RAM and take up additional disk space, which can negatively affect the performance of the machine. If you have any difficulties installing the system, you can refer to the official documentation of the selected software product, which is usually available on the developer's website.
Installing Apache, PHP and MySQL
If you are setting up a server and want to use it to run your own website or other internet project, you will need to install the Apache package. To create a home server, you can use ready-made software solutions such as XAMPP and Denwer (if you have Windows). Go to the official website of the package you want and select the appropriate version to download. Download and run the resulting installer and install the software solution. After that, activate the Apache server via the XAMPP Control Panel or Denwer Start shortcut.
If you are using Linux as your server system, you can install a ready-made LAMP application package, which also includes a bunch of Apache, PHP and MySQL. To install, enter the sudo tasksel install lamp-server command in a terminal. If you installed a system with a graphical shell, you can download the required installation package from the official website of the project. After completing the operation, you can also start using the Apache server.
Remote server management
To manage the server remotely, you can also install additional applications on the system, for example, Radmin or Team Viewer. To administer a Linux machine, you can use the PuTTY application, which will make it possible to connect to the console even via ssh.
To manage a Windows system, install Radmin or Team Viewer both on the server and on the computer using the server and client installer. Then run the program on each of the computers and enter the necessary IP and gateway data, and then authorize the computers through the corresponding menu items of the application.
To work with Linux, install the PuTTY program on a Windows computer, then run the program and in the Session section write the IP address and port of the Linux machine. Click Open and wait for the connection to your computer. If the connection fails, install SSH on your Linux server using the sudo apt-get install ssh command. After the package installation is complete, retry the connection operation again.
