Server Questions

Here are the answers to all questions known to me about our server. Anyone who can not find his question answered should best send it via mail to Webmaster@ccw.ch (so that I can add it here):
What does the server consist of?
How long will this server stay in operation?
How much does it cost me to be present here?
How do I get into the server?
What about backup of the server?
What about security?
What can be used as FTP pasword?
What data am I allowed to publish?
What about Scripts, CGI, Perl, Guestbooks, Webcounters?
Which of my data is getting read, how often?
How do I make my Web pages?
What should one specially look out for when making pages?
What is the real name for this server?
What are these funny dates on the pages?
Where does the server actually stand?

Question:
What does the server consist of?
Answer:
The server consists of an completely normal PC (i486DX33, 8MB RAM, 400MB HD and NE2000 Ethernet card). The software ist OS: Linux 2.0.27, mail: Sendmail 8.7.6, Web: Apache 1.1.1, download: WU-FTP 2.4 and login: SSH 1.2.19

Question:
How long will this server stay in operation?
Answer:
The Contract with the Internet provider runs for 1 year, but it is extendable. We intend to extend, as long as somebody wants to use the Server (most likely until the Internet via cable television arrives)!

Question:
How much does it cost me to be present here?
Answer:
Nothing! The hardware (machine from Ruedi and Ethernet from Paul) and the administration (from Neil) are give free of cost to the user group, the Internet connection is being payed for from the normal CCW membership dues

Question:
How do I get into the server?
Answer:
Any member can demand an entry into the mail server and a subdirectory in the Web/file server. Entries are free of cost but must be explicitely asked for , they are not made "in advance". Your own pages can be uploaded to the server via FTP (with own user account and password) or preferably by SSH (with own user account and RSA key). Logins to manipulate the pages can be done also (only by SSH)

Question:
What about backup of the server?
Answer:
None! The system administrator ist capable of recreating the system (copy of his own desktop), the user group pages and his own pages (of both he has copies at home). The pages of the mambers are entirely their own resposibility

Question:
What about security?
Answer:
Only that, which simple took place on its own. As all data is intended for public reading and all data is backed up by the member who created it, nothing more is needed

Question:
What can be used as FTP pasword?
Answer:
Anything that is min 6 characters long and contains upper/lower case or digits or punctuation symbols. I do not accept passwords via E-Mail, so use the phone or come to the Stamm

Question:
What data am I allowed to publish?
Answer:
Anything, that doesn't cause trouble for other users of the system, for the CCW or for the provider (such as: large disk usage, large download rates). The arrangement with the provider allows only non-commercial usage. Juristical responsibility for the members data rests fully at the uploading member

Question:
What about Scripts, CGI, Perl, Guestbooks, Webcounters?
Answer:
At the moment CGI is disabled, so scripts are not possible. After the planned upgrade to Apache 1.2.5 I will then configure chrooted servers, then CGI will be enabled. Perl will be supported immediately, but only version 4, version 5 requires an upgrade. Guestbooks or Webcounters must be installed as scripts by the user, so they are only possible after CGI is enabled

Frage:
Which of my data is getting read, how often?
Antwort:
Everyone with an FTP user account and password can look that up. Simply goto the directory /var/log/apache/ and download: access.log (today since 06:42) access.log.0 (yesterday entire day), access.log.1.gz to access.log.6.gz (earlier days)

Format: Client - - [Date/Time] "Command" Success Amount
Command is: GET filename HTTP/version
Success is: 200 = fetched, 302 = correct URL, 304 = fetched already, 403 = access denied, 404 = not found

Question:
How do I make my Web pages?
Answer:
For this there exist multiple methods:
  • Study the pages of other authors. For this simply fetch a page you like into your Web browser and chose the view - document source menu
  • Read a HTML book. I recommend HTML: The Definitive Guide from Chuck Musciano and Bill Kennedy , published by O'Reilly & Associates, 1996, ISBN 1-56592-175-5
  • Use a Web editor (such as Frontpage) or a HTML converter (such as Word .DOC->.HTML). I myself don't like such tools, but others find them the simplest solution
  • Ask other colleagues, how they do it

Question:
What should one specially look out for when making pages?
Answer:
One should specially use only relative links (file.ext, dir/file.ext, ../file.ext, ../dir/file.ext) in ones pages to point to other pages in ones section. If one uses absolute links (/dir/file.ext or even //www.ccw.ch/dir/file.ext) it can happen, that after server internal moving of the file section the links fail

Also make sure, that URLs pointing to directories end with an /, else you will get an "unknown file" error message

And don't forget, that the server distinguishes between upper/lower case, else you will also get "unknown file"

Question:
What is the real name for this server?
Answer:
The server can be addressed as http://www.ccw.ch/ or as ftp://anonymous@ftp.ccw.ch/ (both have exactly the same content). FTP allows people without an Web browser to download our pages. Use these for your bookmarks. The short form ccw.ch (as written errorneously in the first announcement) is only a short alias for lazy typists (such as me!) for entering by hand

Question:
What are these funny dates on the pages?
Answer:
ANSI format (YYYY.MM.DD), the only format where ASCII sorting really sorts by date!

Question:
Where does the server actually stand?
Answer:
dolphins.ch in Otelfingen on the end of an high speed leased line

This page is by CCW Sysadmin, last modification 1998.03.21