Home server machine...

IMO setting up ubuntu is no worse than windows today especially if you are using entire machine.

Mac OS is a version of linux(modified and improved upon)
You can try a live CD and see for yourself.

I would much rather setup a linux box than try to protect an xp installation.

I have no knowledge of Netgear Prosafe VPN Firewall FVS338 maybe this would suffice with xp

Also not sure how it would work with isp and @sottwells solution.

If you want to be able to access it from anywhere I would recommend downloading hamachi aka Logmein.com

It even has a command line interface now. You can stay connected to the "server" wherever you are, and it doesn’t open up the server to as much vulnerabilities.

As far as OS - CentOS is your best friend. A little trickier than Ubuntu, but it’s what many actual web servers run off of.

If you want an adventure use Centos, if your not up for an adventure, install Ubuntu and see how it runs : )

Actually Mac OS is based on a version BSD UNIX called Darwin, which is a slightly different animal. Although all of the *nix clones (Solaris, BSD, Linux, Darwin among others) are very similar; skills learned at one are 99.9% applicable to the others. Most software has to be recompiled for each one, however.

If it’s adventure you want, go for this http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ and this http://nginx.org/ or this http://www.devshed.com/c/a/Administration/How-To-Build-the-Apache-of-Your-Dreams/

I did that, plus compiling PHP many years ago, and it was a lot of headscratching and a lot of work, but a whole lot of fun too. I compiled my first Slackware Linux (version 1) on a 386sx laptop with 4Mb RAM and 20Mb hard drive. Took four hours to compile. Uphill both ways in knee-deep snow, too

Hi Susan
I knew that Mac OS was based on Darwin but was unaware that was a BSD derivative.

Also started with slackware 8 floppy disks as I remember, can’t remember why I tried but remember many hours of frustration


Just out of curiosity I ran Ubuntu 10.04 desktop as a LAMP server and accessed same from an XP machine it was a slower m/c than the XP m/c but was much faster at working with Revo as a remote server on wired home network than XP direct on Localhost.

@JNet suggested CentOS never tried this will give it a look.

At present I am using Ubuntu 10.04 mainly locally works great for me.

Thanks for all the input folks. allanb, was Ubuntu easy to set up? You mentioned you were using locally and like it, but what about accessing it to work on a MODx project, say when I am out of state, or simply across town? That is the real reason for me wanting to set it up this way. Thanks!

Ubuntu is one of the easiest linux distro’s to setup, plenty of help and tutorials for LAMP server.
I had no trouble.
Version 10.04 is a LTS (Long Term Support) 3 years I think. This is what I am using

I am not sure about hardware firewall.

I am sure you could change the webserver port and just open another port for remote access to machine.

@aznative
Did you pick up my post on Templates http://modxcms.com/forums/index.php/topic,64323.msg364334.html#msg364334
And the follow ups.

Just catching those allenb. I have been off the forums for a few days so just getting caught up. I found some themes on Themeforest.com that I am going to work with. Hopefully all will go well! Thank you for your posts and help.