A couple years ago I did a detailed set of posts on turning an old laptop into a Ubuntu file, print, and web server. That laptop started having hardware problems so I decided to decommission it and replace it with another recently retired Dell Inspiron 1521 laptop. Here is a checklist of all the steps I did to convert the Windows Dell Inspiron 1521 laptop into a home file, print, and web server. If you are new to Linux you should read my original posts since this checklist assumes you have done stuff like this before.
- Downloaded and burned CD for Ubuntu LTS 10.04 standard desktop
- Installed Ubuntu standard desktop 10.04 on Inspiron 1521. I followed the prompts and used the default options.
- Wrote over existing Windows file system rather than doing dual boot.
- After Ubuntu was installed I started Synaptic and updated packages
- Installed openssh-server and samba using Synaptic
- Opened terminal and ran sudo tasksel to start program that offers a number of options for installing groups of packages for different functions.
- Selected install LAMP server and followed prompts to install.
- Using Firefox on new server I went to truecrypt website, downloaded latest Linux version (7a) to the Desktop, extracted file, double clicked it, and followed the prompts to install Truecrypt.
- Edited /etc/network/interfaces (sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces) to make computer use fixed IP address by adding:
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 10.10.10.123
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 10.10.10.1
- Rebooted new server to put new static IP address in effect
- sudo aptitude install ntp (ntpdate was already installed)
- Set up mount points for encrypted external hard drives:
- sudo mkdir /media/encrypted1
- sudo mkdir /media/encrypted2
- Changed owner of mount points to match what smb.conf will use for them
- sudo chown nobody:nogroup /media/encrypted1
- sudo chown nobody:nogroup /media/encrypted2
- Created directory for my custom scripts for new server: sudo mkdir /home/andy/scripts
- Mounted new server as volume on remote MacBook using MacFusion (SSHFS)
- Copied backup of custom scripts over to new server from MacBook
- Checked ownership and permissions of custom scripts and changed them as needed.
- Ran my custom script to mount truecrypt volumes (/media/encrypted1 etc)
- Made these changes to /etc/samba/smb.conf (sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf)
- workgroup = MYWORKGROUP
- removed semi-colon before interfaces = 127.0.0.0/8 eth0
- removed # before security = user
- Added these under Share Definitions
[public]
comment = Public Share
path = /media/encrypted1
read only = No
force create mode = 777
force directory mode = 777
force user = nobody
[backup]
comment = Public Share
path = /media/encrypted2
read only = No
force create mode = 777
force directory mode = 777
force user = nobody
[pictures]
comment = Public Share
path = "/media/encrypted1/Documents/My Pictures"
read only = Yes
guest only = Yes
guest ok = Yes
- sudo adduser spouse
- sudo smbpasswd -a andy
- sudo smbpasswd -a spouse
- Rebooted new server
- Ran custom script for mounting truecrypt volumes
- Mounted samba share from remote MacBook and opened file to make sure everything was working properly.
- sudo aptitude install phpmyadmin
- From remote MacBook browsed to http://10.10.10.123/phpmyadmin and logged in as user root
- Using phpmyadmin created a new user and gave this user all possible privileges on the MySQL database.
- sudo adduser www
- sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/default
- Changed the DocumentRoot value to /home/www/public and saved the file
- Restarted Apache: sudo services apache2 restart
- From remote MacBook did SSHFS mount as user www using MacFusion
- Copied all html/php files from backup to /home/www
- Used phpMyAdmin to create new user web_app_user with all data (but not structure or database administration) privileges. This is the MySQL user used by the web apps.
- Used phpmyadmin to create new MySQL databases with same names as were used on the old server (including wordpress).
- Used phpmyadmin to go into each database and then import the SQL file backup of that database.
- Edited /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini to change session.gc_maxlifetime = 1440 to 1814400 (this prevents web app users from being logged out of web app shortly after they sign in)
- Edited blank /etc/apache2/httpd.conf to add "ServerName myserversname". This prevents the annoying "Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name" message when you start apache2.
- Restarted apache: sudo service apache2 restart
- Tested that web applications work.
- Got crontab setups from old server by doing contab -e as all users that had crontabs and writing down what was there.
- Changed permissions on custom scripts that would be run by different users via crontab: chmod a+rwx scriptname.sh
- Created logs directory in /home/andy: chmod -R a+rwx logs
- Tested all backup scripts on new server.
- Setup crontabs on new server using crontab -e
- Configured CUPS for printer (not sure all of this is necessary)
- sudo nano /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
- In , and and
- add:
- Allow all
- Commented out "Require user @OWNER @SYSTEM" where ever it appeared except for administrative tasks.
- Changed:
- Listen localhost:631
- to:
- Listen 631
- Added the line: DefaultEncryption Never
- sudo service cups restart
- Browsed to 10.10.10.120:631 from remote machine
- Add printer
- Select HP LaserJet 1012 (HP LaserJet 1012), not the 1012 printer with USB in the name.
- Name: HP_Shed
- Description: HP LaserJet 1012
- Location: Shed
- Select Model: HP LaserJet 1012 - CUPS+Gutenprint v5.2.5(en)
- Select default default options
- Select modify printer just created
- Click Select Another Make/Manufacturer
- Select Make: Raw
