ServerSite Linux 0.1 review

ServerSite Linux is a Gentoo-based LiveCD provides an Apache web server with support for PHP, Perl, Python, MySQL and PostgreSQL

License: GPL (GNU General Public License) File size: 0K Developer: ServerSite

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ServerSite Linux is a Gentoo-based LiveCD provides an Apache web server with support for PHP, Perl, Python, MySQL and PostgreSQL. Furthermore, it contains an Xfce desktop environment with Firefox, a FTP and a SSH server as well as a collection of networking tools, such as Nmap, Ethereal, Netcat and traceroute.

A user can integrate own contents via a USB stick. Using the distro-specific tools, one can include external directories for MySQL, Apache and system configuration (/etc). Hereby, the respective directories are exported from the LiveCD to the USB stick, so it contains an exact copy of the originals. Then the USB stick directories are mounted to the LiveCD's file system tree.

A user can create own databases, web contents and system configurations which are at the user's command when he reboots the system. This way, one can for example create individual Apache configuration or let the server syncronize with services like DynDNS (http://www.dyndns.com) at boot.

"ServerSite can be used for many purposes", says project manager Alex G?nsche, "one scenario is bringing up a server with own contents quickly and without software installation." This could be interesting to provisionaly replace a broken down intranet server or provide trainings on multiple computers in foreign networks. Also, the project gives Linux novices insight into a Linux web server, and internet users can "take a look behind the scenes" without having to install and configure complex software and risking a system by malconfigured network applications.

As a specialty, the ServerSite project offers the entire build environment of the Gentoo-based LiveCD for download. With this, practically everybody with a Linux computer can create descents of ServerSite with ease. Thanks to the compressed file system and the tight dimensions of the base system this can be up to one GB of additional data.

The now released version 0.1 is aiming to provide basic functionality and addresses users who are basically familar with Linux systems or have fun in experimenting. In future versions, the distribution's tools are planned to be integrated into the graphic desktop environment. With the next versions, the ServerSite project wants to establish in the field of network oriented Live distributions.