Unmanaged VPS Beginner: Setting up OS/Nginx/PHP/etc

Server NGINX
1

I decided to go with an unmanaged VPS but I don’t understand the basics
so I’m a little lost… right now my panel looks like this
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8550/screenshot05c.jpg

and I did install Debian 5 and Nginx using the “Reinstall OS” feature
inside the VPS Panel but I’m not sure if I have the latest version of
Debian 5 or Nginx. I haven’t had too much luck in the Nginx forum or in
the IRC channel so I’m asking here

My Questions are:

  1. How do I check the versions of Debian-5 and the Nginx that are
    installed? If I have to upgrade them, is there anywhere I can go to find
    out how?
  2. After I figure out if i have the latest versions for number 1, how do
    I install PHP / MySQL / phpMyAdmin?
  3. How do I add other sites without a control panel?

I don’t expect 1 person to answer everythin… I just need help… its
been 2 days now and I haven’t beena ble to figure anythin out so any
help at all is appreciated

Thanks!

2

On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 4:19 PM, [email protected] wrote:

  1. How do I check the versions of Debian-5 and the Nginx that are installed?
    If I have to upgrade them, is there anywhere I can go to find out how?

nginx -v

  1. After I figure out if i have the latest versions for number 1, how do I
    install PHP / MySQL / phpMyAdmin?

Use php-fpm. It may already be installed - ps aux |grep php-fpm. If it
isn’t, you need to compile php with fpm support and deploy some
service scripts (see the nginx wiki), and configure nginx to use it
via location directives.

  1. How do I add other sites without a control panel?

By editing the nginx config files. Nginx by default is not as nicely
laid out as apache for multiple sites. You will have to consult the
nginx wiki and take an approach along the lines of include
/usr/local/nginx/sites-enabled/* in your main http base config, along
with writing a few scripts to provision new domains.

Cheers
Kon

3

thx alot for the help Kon… the thing is im so new im not sure where
nginx -v would actually go… im new to pretty much everything on the
unmanaged side… Ive logged into root b4 and used the command line… but
with an unmanaged vps im not 2 sure where i log in or any of that

Thanks again

4

a friend of mine told me to try apt-get update and apt-get upgrade b4 i
saw this response and i did both… seems it updated pretty much
everything…
cat /etc/debian_version = 5.0.6
nginx -v = nginx/0.8.37
mysql -V = mysql Ver 14.12 Distrib 5.0.51a, for debian-linux-gnu
(x86_64) using readline 5.2

php -v doesnt seem to be returning anything so I’m guessing I dont have
it installed… should I start over or does the way I upgraded not
matter?
I know MySQL is a requirement for some of the things ill be using…
whats the difference with MariaDB? I’m not adding sites yet until I’m
done with this server stuff but thanks for the info ill try that script
when i get to that part

How do I check to see if MySQL and PHP are on the serv? and how do i
check if m

5

On 30 Set 2010 00h19 WEST, [email protected] wrote:

My Questions are:

  1. How do I check the versions of Debian-5 and the Nginx that are
    installed? If I have to upgrade them, is there anywhere I can go
    to find out how?

Debian 5. Check the release. The current release number is in
/etc/debian_version

cat /etc/debian_version

Alternatively, if you have the lsb-release package installed:
lsb_release -d gives you the Debian version, release and codename.
The current is: 5.0.6 (lenny).

For nginx, if you used the package from Lenny (quite old) you can find
out which package you have installed with: dpkg -s nginx

  1. After I figure out if i have the latest versions for number 1,
    how do I install PHP / MySQL / phpMyAdmin?

Get the version from dotdeb is the latest 5.2.x. Or 5.3.x if go that
route.

http://www.dotdeb.org/instructions/

I suggest MariaDB instead of the standard MySQL:
http://ourdelta.org/debian

I advise against installing phpmyadmin. There are exploits and holes
being found every other day for it. Instead I suggest you use the
console over SSH.

  1. How do I add other sites without a control panel?

Create a configuration for each site (virtual host) in
/etc/nginx/sites-available and enable it. Currently Debian has no
script in the nginx package (any version) for emulating the
a2ensite/a2dissite Apache utility. I wrote a small Bash script for
that. It’s referenced in the Wiki and also you can get it from
GitHub - perusio/nginx_ensite: A script to enable or disable a site in nginx..

After enabling each host, reload nginx. The new site is up.

I don’t expect 1 person to answer everythin… I just need help… its
been 2 days now and I haven’t beena ble to figure anythin out so any
help at all is appreciated

Check this: http://library.linode.com/

Also run a firewall and secure your machine as much as possible. These
guides have everything you need follow them and you’ll be clear from
dangerous dark woods.

— appa

6

On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 11:18 PM, [email protected] wrote:

How do I check to see if MySQL and PHP are on the serv? and how do i check if m
On Sep 29, 2010, at 5:05 PM, António P. P. Almeida wrote:

I’m sorry, but this isn’t the forum for free general technical support
of Debain systems. If your unmanaged hosting vendor won’t help you
with this, you need to do a lot of reading, or use a managed hosting
provider and pay for it.

RPM