Installing PowerDNS with MySql backend
The PowerDNS Nameserver is a modern, advanced and high performance authoritative-only nameserver. It is written from scratch and conforms to all relevant DNS standards documents. Furthermore, PowerDNS interfaces with almost any database.
This tutorial has been tested and is working on Debian etch and lenny
1. Install the PowerDNS server and MySql backend using apt
apt-get install pdns-server pdns-backend-mysql
Monitoring Varnish with Munin
Varnish is a great reverse proxy and very useful for load balancing. Here you can find a tutorial on installing Varnish: Installing and configuring Varnish HTTP accelerator.
Munin is a network/system monitoring application that presents output in graphs through a web interface. If you haven't installed it already, use this tutorial: Monitoring multiple servers with Munin.
Assuming you have both varnish and munin installed, here's a tutorial on installing a plugin for munin to monitor Varnish.
1. Install git-core to receive the plugin from github
apt-get install git-core
Scan your server for rootkits with rkhunter
rkhunter (Rootkit Hunter) is a tool that scans for rootkits, backdoors and possible local exploits. It does this by comparing SHA-1 hashes of important files with known good ones in online database, searching for default directories (of rootkits), wrong permissions, hidden files, suspicious strings in kernel modules, and special tests for Linux and FreeBSD.
1. Install rkhunter
apt-get install rkhunter
Installing and using the IPMI tool
The Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is a standardized computer system interface used by system administrators to manage a computer system and monitor its operation.
The development of this interface specification was led by Intel Corporation and is supported by more than two hundred computer systems vendors including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and NEC Corporation.
1. Install the ipmitool which is used to send commands and receive information from the management interface.
apt-get install ipmitool
How to install LAMP (Apache, PHP and MySql in Linux)
Here's a basic guide on how to get Apache2, PHP5 and MySql working on most Debian based distros in a few easy steps.
1. Install Apache2 and PHP5 (as an Apache module)
apt-get install apache2 php5 libapache2-mod-php5 php5-mysql
Configuring goldfish autoresponder for Postfix
goldfish is a quite simple autoresponder for Postfix in conjunction with MySQL, written in PHP. It consists of only one PHP file which can be started through a cronjob.
In this tutorial, it's assumed that you have already installed Postfix with MySql backend using this tutorial: Installing Postfix with MySql backend and SASL for SMTP authentication
1. Install PHP5-CLI (Command Line Interpreter) if it's not already installed
apt-get install php5-cli
Installing and configuring Squid proxy server
Squid is a caching proxy supporting HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more. It reduces bandwidth and improves response times by caching and reusing frequently-requested web pages. Squid has extensive access controls and makes a great server accelerator.
1. Install the Squid package
apt-get install squid
Disable root login to SSH
Allowing root logins to your SSH damon is a big security threat. If the SSH port is open, hackers will probably at some time attempt to brute force your root password. It's a good idea to disable root logins to SSH and instead use a normal user to login and type "su -" to enter the super user shell or sudo to perform tasks that require root privileges.
1. Open the SSH daemon config file and change this line: (pico /etc/ssh/sshd_config)
PermitRootLogin no
Adding a sudoer to use sudo on Debian
Sudo allows a system administrator to delegate authority to give certain users (or groups of users) the ability to run some (or all) commands as root or another user while providing an audit trail of the commands and their arguments.
1. Create a new user (optional)
adduser user1
Setup Trac and Subversion
Setup Trac and Subversion
First install packages for both Trac and Subversion. We'll be using Apache to publish the Subversion reposatories
apt-get install python-setuptools trac subversion libapache2-svn
Create the SVN reposatory directory structure, used to create new reposatories later
mkdir /var/svn/
mkdir /var/svn/tmpproject
mkdir /var/svn/tmpproject/branches
mkdir /var/svn/tmpproject/tags
mkdir /var/svn/tmpproject/trunk