The Perfect Server - OpenSUSE 11.4 x86_64 [ISPConfig 2]

Version 1.0
Author: Falko Timme <ft [at] falkotimme [dot] com>
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Last edited 03/21/2011

This is a detailed description about how to set up an OpenSUSE 11.4 server (x86_64) that offers all services needed by ISPs and hosters: Apache web server (SSL-capable), Postfix mail server with SMTP-AUTH and TLS, BIND DNS server, Proftpd FTP server, MySQL server, Dovecot POP3/IMAP, Quota, Firewall, etc. In the end you should have a system that works reliably, and if you like you can install the free webhosting control panel ISPConfig 2 (i.e., ISPConfig runs on it out of the box).

I will use the following software:

• Web Server: Apache 2.2.17 with PHP 5.3.5, Ruby, and Python
• Database Server: MySQL 5.1.53
• Mail Server: Postfix
• DNS Server: BIND9
• FTP Server: proftpd
• POP3/IMAP: I will use Maildir format and therefore install Courier-POP3/Courier-IMAP.
• Webalizer for web site statistics

Please note that this setup does not work for ISPConfig 3! It is valid for ISPConfig 2 only!

I want to say first that this is not the only way of setting up such a system. There are many ways of achieving this goal but this is the way I take. I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!

1 Requirements

To install such a system you will need the following:

• The OpenSUSE 11.4 DVD. You can download it here: http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/11.4/iso/openSUSE-11.4-DVD-x86_64.iso
• A fast Internet connection...

2 Preliminary Note

In this tutorial I use the hostname server1.example.com with the IP address 192.168.0.100 and the gateway 192.168.0.1. These settings might differ for you, so you have to replace them where appropriate.

3 The Base System

Boot from your OpenSUSE 11.4 DVD and select Installation:

Select your language, keyboard layout and accept the licence terms:

The installer analyzes your hardware and builds the software repository cache:

Select New Installation:

Select the region and timezone:

We select Other > Minimal Server Selection (Text Mode) here as we want to install a server without X-Window desktop. The X-Window system is not necessary to run the server and would slow down the system. We will do all administration tasks on the shell or through an SSH connection, e.g. via PuTTY from a remote desktop.