The best Server

[Mumia W.]

Karl Larsen wrote:
>     I just ran a experiment and it was a total success. I am using 
> Ubuntu Hardy desktop version and I suggest everyone using a Server load 
> the normal Live-CD. You end up with a great stand alone computer you can 
> then convert to a Server.
> 
>     The basic conversion takes place in a terminal window. There type $ 
> sudo init 1 and when you give your password the computer drops to a 
> Server mode. From here you can forget the GUI tools and do all the 
> things your used to on the command line.
> [...]

No, this is not the smart way to make Ubuntu Hardy a "server."

Firstly, as the others have noted, "init 1" puts you into runlevel 1, 
which leaves you with only one tty, so if you need to jump into another 
VC (virtual console), too bad. Do you know how big a deal it is to 
change the runlevel--especially to "1"? Although this has nothing to do 
with Ubuntu, read up on the "Debian runlevel usage."

Secondly, the difference between a "server" computer and a "desktop" 
computer is only in which services are running and how they are 
configured. There's nothing wrong, unusual or uncommon for people to run 
Samba, CUPS, apache, ftp, and dhcp on a Linux desktop while the 
graphical display is running. Disabling the graphical part doesn't make 
the server "better"; it only makes it leaner.

Thirdly, the correct way to disable the graphical login window is to 
execute, as root, "/etc/init.d/gdm stop"; there is a way to make this 
permanent should you desire.

In short, going into runlevel one, "sucks" as a way to shut down the 
graphical software in Linux. Runlevel 1 is the system maintenance 
runlevel; you go into it only rarely, and only so long as it takes to 
fix the system so that it can run normally.

BTW, I hope you're aware that your firewall goes down when you enter 
runlevel 1.