Server Admin for Noobs
Someone asked on Server Fault:
I’m a total noob when it comes to Servers. I’ve been designing websites for about four years, and I’m completely self-tought (22 years old)…
I want to get away from Mediatemple because they don’t support rails.
I’m trying Rackspace cloud hosting right now, and I’ve got a beginner’s grasp on Ubuntu, but only slightly. I’m probably going to start my config over…so if I stick with Rackspace, will I have to monitor stuff all the time, or can I set it up, and check back like once a month?
If I can set it and forget it, which platform should I use? (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)…And what are some good things to keep in mind?
P.S. I’m currently having trouble setting up a basic mail server. I’m a bit frustrated with the learning curve, but I still like the versatility. Should I just stick with managed hosting?
I posted the following answer, which was chosen as the accepted answer and received 3 upvotes:
IMO, for small sites, managed hosting price is hard to beat. If you need the dedicated box, Ubuntu has a good balance of usability and functionality, though other Linux distros may have more functionality available, they can’t match Ubuntu for ease of use to a beginner.
Originally posted on Server Fault — 3 upvotes (accepted answer). Licensed under CC BY-SA.
