Linux Server : FAQ

Can I create mail accounts on my server?

All Linux servers will have software called Sendmail installed at no additional cost. You can create as many email accounts as you like and setup up auto-responders, forwarding, aliasing, and any other mail services you require using Sendmail.

Does Linux Servers come with PHP and MySQL by default?

Yes the Linux Servers come with PHP and MySqL by default.

Do you do an off the disk installation of Red Hat?

We do use an off the disk install but it does have many holes in it therefore we have applied all the latest security patches. The installation of the operating system you will get from us is secure. The ongoing security is your responsibility. The versions of the Apache, Sendmail, Bind, and so on are the same as on the disk as well. When you get the server and it does not have the versions you like (in most cases the version that have recently been released) then you are more than welcome to install them. We do not immediately roll out the new versions of anything as they are not yet stable. We have to test the newer versions until we are comfortable enough to roll them out and still uphold the current service level guarantees we provide.

How do I install Software from a CD to my server?

You may FTP an image of the disk to the server here and login via SSH to do the install.

What version of Linux comes on the servers?

It does vary based on what OS you choose. They will be the same as the ones you get directly from the manufacture. Our current options are Fedora, ES 3.0 and Free BSD.

Will I have Root Control (Super User Access)?

You will have full root/admin access to your server. You are welcome to install whatever you like, make whatever changes, and add mail accounts, domains, sub-domains, or FTP Accounts. Any other software or method of installation will not be supported and Server99 will not be responsible for any problems that may occur.

Will my server have a web-based control panel?

Linux Servers has a web-based interface called Webmin see www.webmin.com for online manuals and screenshots of this interface. The other servers have Control Panel Software included that was designed to make your life much simpler as the single point administrator. This tool allows you to manage multiple domains very easily on a Linux Server. They are for running a Virtual hosting business.

Will there be a statistics program installed on my server?

The Control Panel servers come with Webalyzer by default. You may install whatever package you are comfortable with on Red Hat Linux server. Analyze 2.2 or HTTP Analyze is a free stats package you may install. It does give you bandwidth usage per domain.

On the Linux install CD there are 3 choices, which one does Server99 use?

We use a custom RedHat kickstart installation which is the equivalent of a "Server" installation with all RedHat updates included. Your server will be secure against *known* exploits on the day it is installed.

What software is included with the servers?

The servers come with a standard install of Red Hat Linux depending on which package you choose. Some of the Control Panel Software only supporting certain versions of Red Hat Linux at this time. Each server will include Apache Sendmail, Bind, Perl, PHP 4 and MySql. Plesk for example uses Q-mail instead of Sendmail so it depends on which package you choose. You will have root control with full Telnet and FTP access. SSH and SSL come enabled on the servers as well. All software depends upon which server you purchase.

How do I preview my website before DNS finishes propogating?

You can preview your website by typing the following into the URL bar of your browser: http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/~username where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP address of your server. well this also depends on the Control panel and procedure you followed for setting up a domain on server.