Ubuntu Domain Server

[Chan Chung Hang Christopher]

Derek Broughton wrote:
> Dotan Cohen wrote:
>
>   
>>> In the first place, nothing they can do in the world of server
>>> configuration is going to be that hazardous, and in the second, it's not
>>> and never has been about whether it's wise to let them do that: THEY WILL
>>> DO IT.  So it's in _everybody's_ best interest to give them the tools
>>> that will prevent them shooting themselves in the foot and making the
>>> innertubes worse for everybody.
>>>
>>>       
>> Here I agree with you 100%, Derek. It is in everyone's best interest
>> to provide those who want to run a server with tools that will prevent
>> them from shooting themselves in the foot.
>>
>> Slapping a GUI on apache config files is _not_ the tool to give them.
>>     
>
> Why not?  Though the thread was originally about Domain servers, not Web 
> servers (really, I can't get worried about what Mom and Pop can do with 
> their web server), I'm fine with config tools for Apache too.  And they 
> don't strictly have to be gui - I just figure any config tool you can make 
> can be GUI-ized (sorry for that abuse of the language), and most of the 
> people it would be aimed at would be more comfortable there.
>
>   

/me wonders if mom and pop in general will understand the stuff 
below...and not enable an exploitable php module/formmail.cgi/remember 
to update to security fixed packages. Best make this for zee sysadmin.

>> If you could suggest what such a tool would actually do, I'd love to
>> hear it. Not the general "make it easy, make it safe" but details.
>>     
>
> First - since I've spent way too much time in the last couple of weeks 
> trying to explain the concept on Experts Exchange - a designer for 
> VirtualHosts.  You would need to:
> - know the domain name(s) used to reach the vhost - and test that their DNS 
> is correct.  
> - select filesystem paths and URLs to be exposed to the server, and the 
> Option settings for those paths (with decent help about what those options 
> are)
> - set log files (and log rotations) for the vhosts.
> - set the email address for the vhost's admin and test that the email 
> address works.
>
> Another thing that would be hugely useful would be a mod_rewrite rule 
> tester.
>
> Enablers for the various modules (with, at least, links to the apache 
> documentation for those modules).
>
> And of course, syntax check the whole thing before committing it.
>
> I'm actually doing this, in a non-generic way, for a site I administer, 
> specifically because I don't consider it worth my time to do it 
> repetitively.
>   

in python-gtk/qt4? :-D