iKVM
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Basic DNS
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Apache and PHP
Maria DB
Mail Server Basics
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Overview
So I decided to change my server provider from Superb Servers to Dedicated.com. I'd been with Superb since 2005 and I had both Windows and later Debian servers with them. As you can imagine, the internet was a very different place when I first started renting servers and the concerns were very different so I've seen a lot of hacker action over the years and also more than my fair share of spam.
Superb support was very good, their uptime was pretty solid, in fact in nearly 20 years I can only really remember being in a server down state once or twice and then only for an hour or two. They were also very good when things went wrong, they'd let you know if your server was misbehaving on their network.
The only criticism I have is the pricing, which still crept up over time even on an older server. After spending some time researching other providers, I found Dedicated.com, rented a server so I could try their hardware initially for a month and once I was confident they ticked all the boxes I ended my relationship with Superb Servers and moved over to Dedicated.
So far I'm a very happy customer. The hardware is good, it's reasonably priced and I've found the support to be knowledgeable and responsive. The real test will come once the traffic ramps up a bit over Christmas. It looks to me like they'll easily suit my needs for the foreseeable future.
I went with Debian 12 as my OS because I've run the Debian platform before and I feel comfortable in that environment. I've always found it to be very reliable.
Whilst I was in the process of setting the server up, I made a lot of notes and I made sure to start using the newer patterns. I'd got locked in to a lot of older syntax and really ignored some of the newer paradigms, as you can imagine I've been doing this for a long time and that can get you into some bad habits!
So I've documented my little journey in a series of articles here which will hopefully save you a bit of time when you do your own configuration. I've covered the Dedicated.com environment, especially getting iKVM, networking and your extra drives working nicely.
I'm confident that most of it incorporates best practice but my knowledge is a little thin around some of the nuances of DNS and I intend to revisit those articles as I accumulate more information.
Postfix and Dovecot were a bit of a pain to cover because they're a moving target and very flexible and so the best advice really depends on your environment. I think I've given the most up to date methods for a single server scenario but I'm an open book because things have changed a lot over the years (especially in Dovecot).
My advice would be to make sure you consult the manual for your version of the software . Sometimes, you'll find out-dated methods on the internet described in 20 steps that are just a simple switch in later versions.
Hopefully, it's all laid out sensibly. Ultimately, use your brain. Sometimes I'll deliberately leave one of my domain names in the transcript for example because I want you to be able to see what that option looks like in context (and I don't want you entering a silly value like < your password here >!).
I'm assuming you have some background in Linux so you understand about elevating your privileges and how your PATH variable will change when you sudo.
If not, I recommend setting up a virtual machine so you can do a bit of experimenting, it does wonders for your confidence! I do recommend having a little read about the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy because once you're familiar with it, you'll know where you can expect to find things on your server.
If you want to get in touch with questions or comments then feel free to visit benosborne.com/contact.php - it uses the script I show you how to set up in Dovecot Sieve so you need to add a DNS record or your message won't arrive but you can enter your email and it spits all the schmoo on that page so you should find it easy!
Anyway, enough waffling from me. I hope you find the articles useful!