Atron's
Beginners Guide To Running Your Own Server
I. Down Loading Perl
II. Down Loading Apache 2.2.2
III. Configuring httpd.conf
IV. Configuring Your Router
V. Configuring Your Firewall
VI. Getting Your World Wide Web IP
VII. Starting & Testing Your Server
VIII. Additional Information
Having access to a server is very important in building a successful online business. You will need it to upload pictures, banners and alternate web pages you will use to advertise your business. You can also use it for music and other things you would like to share over the web. This is why we here at Atron's IBOs wrote this guide, so let's get started.
I.
Down Loading Perl
Perl is a server support software that is used in cgi / perl programming. These are the scripts that are used in forms and other data manipulation. You should have a version of perl installed on your computer before you install the server software. Click Here to down load Perl 5.8.
II.
Down Loading Apache 2.2.2
Apache Server Software is the world's #1 server software. Click Here to down load Apache 2.2.2. This version of the Apache Server Software has been especially designed to run under windows. Most server software is designed to run under Unix. When installing choose typical.
1.
For Network Domain enter homeip.net
2. For Server Name enter homeip.net
3. For Administrator Email Address enter any valid email address you wish
4. Choose For All Users, on port 80, As a service - Recommended
III.
Configuring httpd.conf
After you have downloaded and installed the server software, you may wish to configure the httpd.conf file. This file instructs the server on how to do its job.
1. Go to conf directory.
2. With Note Pad open up httpd.conf.
3. Find DocumentRoot - This is where you will instruct the server where to find the files you want to be available for down load from your server. The default directory is htdocs, but you can put any directory here. An example on how this should look is as follows :
DocumentRoot "C:/Program Files/Apache Software
Foundation/Apache2.2/htdocs"
I recommend you leave this as the installation software set it up, and you put the file you want on your server in htdocs.
4. If you change the DocumentRoot you will have to change this line in the httpd.conf file also <Directory "C:/Program Files/Apache Software Foundation/Apache2.2/htdocs">. This line must be the same as the DocumentRoot.
5. Create a Password for your Password Protected Directory. This is where you will put your files that will need a user name and password to access. To create a password,
a. open up a MSDOS window, then enter the path to
\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin
Here is an example; cd down to the bin directory.
< C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin >
b. Then run the executable program htpasswd -cmds passwordfile Atron5
Where passwordfile will contain an encrypted password of your choosing and Atron5 will be the user name. You should put a user name appropriate for you. The complete command should look something like this:
< C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin >
htpasswd -cmds passwordfile Atron5
c. Next create a Password Protected Directory. This should be placed under your DocumentRoot Directory. After you have created the Protected Directory add the following instructions lines into the httpd.conf file. You may want to place this at the very end of the file.
# Note: Password Protected Directories
#
<Directory "C:/Program Files/Apache Software
Foundation/Apache2.2/htdocs/pwp">
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Restricted Files"
# (Following line optional)
AuthBasicProvider file
AuthUserFile "C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin\passwordfile"
Require user Atron5
</Directory>
pwp - is the password protected directory
passwordfile - has the encrypted password in it
Atron5 - is the user name
IV.
Configuring Your Router
If you use a router, it must be configured to allow the server software to access the Internet. To configure your router, do the following, this is for a LinkSys Router:
1. Find your system IP by opening up MSDOS and typing in the following command c:\>ipconfig
2. Open your browser and type in http://192.168.1.1
3. Leave the user blank and put admin in the password field.
4. Go to the Advance section and find Fowarding
5. Enable the http line. Add your IP address if not already there.
6. Press Apply and exit.
V.
Configuring Your Firewall
You will have to give the server software access to the Internet (httpd.exe) and you will have to expose your computer's service ports to the World Wide Web. On McAfee Personal Firewall do the following:
1. Go to Options
2. Click on System Services
3. Check Web Services (HTTP) Port 80 & Mail Server (SMTP) Port 25
4. In the Incoming & Outgoing TCP/IP ports enter 80
VI.
Getting Your World Wide Web
IP
To get your World Wide Web IP address, open your browser and enter the following:
VII.
Starting & Testing Your
Server
To start your server double click on httpd.exe or run it from the command line run. A MSDOS window should open up, it may or may not minimize by itself, if it does not, minimize the window. If it minimizes on its own, look for a little green arrow in the Apache Icon in the System Tray. Open up your browser and type in http://localhost or your system ip address (i.e. http://192.168.5.69/). You should get an output of It Works. Next type in your World Wide Web IP address, you should also get It Works. Your system ip will work on an internal network but not on the outside world or the world wide net. If you want your server to be accessible to the world wide web, you will need to get your world wide web ip address working - see Configuring Your Router & Firewall. If you are setting up this server on an internal network (Intranet), you will need your System Administrator permission to access the outside net.
Put all of the files you want to be able to be accessed via your server in the htdocs/ directory. Put all of your files you want to be protected but have access via your server in the htdocs/pwp/ directory. Put all of your cgi files in the cgi-bin directory.
VIII. Additional Information
For additional information on this subject checkout the following links:
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.1/howto/cgi.html
http://www.buildtolearn.com/learn-yourself-tutorials/1289-turning-your-pc-into-web-server.html
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/feature/how-to-set-up-a-personal-home-web-server-124212.php#b3#b3
