I was using Ubuntu for web developing purpose several years. At the beginning, I'm not so familiar with pure command line. So I started with Ubuntu Server with Gnome installation. Until I get more familiar with command line, and there are few useful web-based tools to manage linux server, then I have more confidence to run Ubuntu Server without GUI.

For a geek guys like many friends of mine, they can operate all the task via SSH. I'm also like to do many things on SSH, but as my knowledge is limited, I still need help from GUI tools to manage some other tasks. Event the task is just simple text editing, but to edit it via Web-based text editor till much easier than edit it directly from SSH.

I have heard about nginx the light weight and very fast webserver and many of my friends are using it on production for static contents. But I'm running multiple CMS sites, it is not easy at all to separate static contents or images from CMS path to another server. So I was looking for the solution that can run nginx for static contents and run apache for dynamic contents (php) on the same server.

I'm always interested in web development, and virtualization, so I like to learn how to operate simple webserver for my hobby. I started to learn about Linux about 5 years ago with ubuntu 6.06. So I was operating ubuntu webserver on production on VMware ESXi for a few years in my home office. But one day when the traffic is high and I need more reliable service, then I moved to datacenter but it based on Debian.

Today I reinstall my home webserver again according to some file corruption problems. My web development hobby is become more and more critical and need to fix the mess around before moving forward. Otherwise I will have stupid simple problems later on. Then I decided to write the instruction how I made it to share and remind myself. My structure is Ubuntu 8.04.2 LTS on VMware ESXi 3.5 on Dell Optiplex SX280.

Last night I just imigrated my webserver from Ubuntu 6.06 Dapper Drake to Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron. It didn't so difficult to install into vmware like Ubuntu 7.04 and 7.10. The installation for Ubuntu 8.04 is smooth as slik without any problem.  The imigration of webserver data is a bit difficult but finally, I have got main sites to published.

I found this clip in youtube about the 3D desktop features in Ubuntu 7. Unfortunately, I cannot use this feature under VMware. But I can see real stuff works on my friend's Labtop.

At the beginning, I'm totally have no idea about managing Linux server to run DHCP and DNS service. Do not dare to start learning how to configure all text files. I known about webmin long time ago, but I heard about the security issue, so I decided to do not use it for a long time, and I don't like to manage this stuff via web browser. Every click it has to reload the whole page, that takes time.

Time changes, think changes. The web site technology has been developed, better looking interface. I come back to have a look on webmin again, and wow... this is much better than I think. So, why not I should try it before I decide that it's not good. Otherwise, nobody will use it. And, I like it... hahaha.