Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex Slices

Latest Article:

Basic MySQL server tasks

Even the most basic MySQL server installation for Linux will have you performing basic administrative tasks like creating users and granting permissions. We look at some of those tasks here.

Ubuntu Intrepid Setup:

Ubuntu Intrepid setup - page 1: So you have your new, or reinstalled, Slice with Ubuntu Intrepid as the OS. Let's get on and secure it.

Ubuntu Intrepid setup - page 2: From the previous article, we now have a secured Slice. Let's move on and update the Slice and install some essentials.

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Log rotation:

Understanding logrotate on Ubuntu - part 1: It's no fun when log files grow out of control. In this two-part series, learn how to use logrotate to keep those logs in check.

Understanding logrotate on Ubuntu - part 2: In this second part of the logrotate series we look at how to set up rotation for virtual host logs, as well as some troubleshooting techniques.

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Ubuntu Intrepid and MySQL:

MySQL with Rails and PHP options: Installing MySQL with Ruby on Rails and PHP integration is a simple process using the aptitude package manager.

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Ubuntu Intrepid and Ruby on Rails:

Ruby on Rails: Our Ubuntu Intrepid Slice is now ready for a Ruby on Rails stack with subversion and Postfix support.

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mod_rails installation: Passenger (mod_rails) is an exciting and very easy to use method of serving your Ruby on Rails application.

Using mod_rails to serve your application: Now passenger is installed, let's see how to serve our Ruby on Rails application.

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Thin web server for Ruby: Thin is a well established method of serving Ruby on Rails applications. Let's look at the installation and configuration of thin.

Apache, Rails and Thin: Now we've installed and looked at configuring the thin web server, let's create an Apache vhost to proxy our requests.

Nginx, Rails and thin: Creating a virtual host to proxy requests to the thin web server is very simple. Even easier then using mongrels.

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Mongrel and mongrel_cluster installation: Mongrels are one of the original ways of serving a Ruby on Rails application using a 3rd party server. Let's look at the installation.

Apache, Rails and mongrels: Now we have mongrels and mongrel_clusters installed, we can move onto create an Apache vhost for our rails application.

Nginx, Rails and mongrels: Creating a virtual host to proxy requests to our rails application is very simple. Using a mongrel cluster has never been easier.

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Ubuntu Intrepid and Email:

Barebones Postfix install for Ubuntu: A barebones set of instructions for installing Postfix. Aimed at experienced admins who just want to set up a basic postfix install to send email from a slice.

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Ubuntu Intrepid Apache Specific:

Apache and PHP install: Installing Apache 2.2.9 and PHP 5.2.6 on an Ubuntu Intrepid Slice is simple using the 'aptitude' package manager.

Apache Configuration Layout: Ubuntu Intrepid uses a 'Debian' style layout for the Apache install. Let's look at what that means.

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Apache Configuration #1: Now we can take a look at the main Intrepid apache2.conf and ports.conf files and see what the settings mean and what effect they have.

Apache Configuration #2: Continuing from the first Apache configuration article, this one looks at some further settings in the main apache2.conf file.

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Apache Virtual Hosts #1: Now Apache is installed and running we can configure it to host multiple sites by creating our own custom virtual hosts.

Apache Virtual Hosts #2: Continuing from the previous article, we now look in detail at the settings we can use in the vhosts file.

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Barebones apache install for Ubuntu: How to set up a basic, no-frills apache server. Recommended for experienced admins only.

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Enabling and using apache's mod_status on Ubuntu: Apache's mod_status module allows it to display a web page containing statistics about the web server's current state, including worker processes and active connections.

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Ubuntu Intrepid and Nginx:

Installing Nginx via aptitude: Using the 'aptitude' package manager to install Nginx is very simple as it takes care of any dependencies and init scripts.

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Installing Nginx from source: Although Ubuntu Intrepid includes Nginx in its repositories, compiling from source will ensure we have the very latest version.

Adding an Nginx init script: Installing Nginx from source does not create an init file. Let's rectify that so Nginx automatically starts on a reboot.

Nginx from source layout: Adjusting the default layout created when installing Nginx from source allows for much easier administration on the vhosts.

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Nginx Configuration: Whether installed from the package manager or from source, we can take a look at the default nginx.conf file and see what can be improved.

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Nginx Virtual Hosts #1: Now Nginx is installed and running we can configure it to host multiple sites by creating virtual hosts.

Nginx Virtual Hosts #2: Continuing from the previous article, we can now look in detail at more of the settings available to us when creating a vhost.

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Network Time Protocol

Using NTP to sync time on Ubuntu: Keeping your Ubuntu system's date and time accurate is easy to do using NTP.

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Ubuntu Intrepid and Munin:

Installing munin on Ubuntu: Anticipating problems and resource shortages on a slice can be more valuable than fixing them after they've happened. A monitoring tool like munin lets you watch your slice's resource use over time. The graphs will highlight issues before they cause downtime or bandwidth quota overages.

Munin configuration and testing on Ubuntu: This article continues the installation and setup of munin on a single slice. It explains how to determine or change the URL used to access munin's reports and then check to make sure those reports are viewable and being updated.

Installing additional munin nodes on Ubuntu: Following up on the article about installing a munin master slice, if you want to monitor additional slices you'll need to install a munin node service on each.

Enabling munin node plug-ins on Ubuntu: Munin uses plug-ins to determine what data is gathered and reported. It includes several plug-ins for the types of data most people would be interested in, but not all of those plug-ins are enabled on a fresh installation.