About OP-EZY

A bit about our past!

OP-EZY was originally a hacking group for Local Networks, over time OP-EZY became a programming group. I set up this site for a bit of fun,and used it to learn how a web server works!
Using old (recycled) equipment, we have been able to create this site.
We used to use a really old server, that was originally an old School Desktop computer, we then switched to a couple of newer old laptops (confusing, yeah!), then finally switched to a desktop with more RAM and hard drives in a RAID 1 configuration to protect against data loss:

More About Our Servers

We are currently using a custom built machine:

AMD Athlon XP processor (1667 MHz)
1 GB RAM
Two 160GB Hard Drives (Running in a RAID 1 Configuration for protection against hard drive failure)
Ubuntu Linux (Server Edition) 10.04.3 LTS (2.6.32 Kernel) [AKA Lucid Lynx] 32-bit

We previously used another HP laptop, which is now running our Windows Server:

AMD Athlon 64 processor (1400 MHz)
512 MB RAM
120GB Hard Drive
Currently Running: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard 64-bit
Previously Ran: Ubuntu Linux (Server Edition) 10.04 LTS (2.6.32 Kernel) [AKA Lucid Lynx] 64-bit

Previously our server was also an HP Laptop:

Pentium III processor (1000 MHz)
786MB RAM [1 x 512MB and 1 x 256MB chips]
Intel Integrated graphics
30GB Hard drive
Ubuntu Linux (Server Edition) 8.04.1 (2.6.24-21-server) [AKA Hardy Heron] (a direct DD copy from the old server's hard drive!)

The oldest server was a desktop Computer made by Fujitsu:

Pentium II processor (266 MHz)
128MB RAM [2 x 64MB chips of SD-RAM] (2MB powering the graphics)
ATI Rage II onboard graphics
20GB Hard drive (plenty of space ;-) )
Ubuntu Linux (Server Edition) 8.04.1 (2.6.24-21-server) [AKA Hardy Heron]

Because We host at home, our web site has NO forced banner or POP UP ads (we selectively put adverts on our pages and will NEVER use POP-UPs as a form of advertising!).

Some Pictures Of The Servers

Here are some pictures of the servers. The Fujitsu is no longer in use, the second HP laptop-server is now running the Windows portions of our site. We are now using a desktop system with a RAID backup system to protect against hard drive failure.

Why Do We Mainly Use Linux?

There were many reasons why we chose to use Linux:

It's free: We don't have to pay a licence to use it on ANY machine
It's stable: Solid as a rock, it is very unusual for a Linux server to go down without warning.
It works great on low-end machines: More of an issue with the old server, as it's specs were too low to run Windows Server 2008 (The release of Microsoft's Server system that was current at the time of Ubuntu 8.04)
Most things can be accessed via a command line interface: This is REALLY useful (no, I was NOT being sarcastic!), command line is alot more powerful than GUI, mainly because a GUI is limited to what the programmers wanted you to access. Command line allows you to directly input to the machine what you want it to do. It also takes less bandwidth to run remotely, unlike graphical solutions like VNC!

Why Ubuntu Linux?

We started using Ubuntu Linux back in late 2007 (with the release of Ubuntu 7.10) as it was easier to update than the previous system, Slackware.
Another website I know of that runs Ubuntu Servers (that isn't the Ubuntu home page obviously!) is Wikipedia.
Distrowatch, a website that compares different versions of Linux, describes Ubuntu:

Ubuntu is a complete desktop Linux operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. "Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others". The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

...and What About Slackware?

Slackware was our original choice because it has been around since 1993, the Slackware developers go for the KISS approach (Keep It Simple, Stupid!). They make their system work as much like Unix as possible. This means, by default it's command line all the way!

It's a VERY stable system, as it only uses packages that have been around for a few months, and are known to be stable. Sadly, it is rather difficult to upgrade packages, meaning it's more likely you will need to compile an update from the program's source code!
If, like me, you learnt how to use Linux on systems like Slackware, you have a better understanding how the system works, and you will most likely be able to fix things on other Linux system than someone who's been raised on an "easier" system. Therefore it has been known for some people to say:

"If you learn RedHat, you know RedHat. If you learn Slackware, you know Linux"

RedHat Linux was a system that was started in 1994, and discontinued in 2004, it was an easy to use system, but was aimed more at a graphical user, than a command line user. Because the tools used on each system varied, a person competent with a system like RedHat, would find a system like Debian alien to them! As a Slackware user edits the config files directly, this is not a problem!
Here is a summery from Distrowatch:

"Slackware Linux, created by Patrick Volkerding in 1992, is the oldest surviving Linux distribution. It offers no bells and whistles, sticking with a text-based installer and no graphical configuration tools. Where other distributions tried hard to develop easy-to-use front ends for many common utilities, Slackware offers no hand-holding and everything is still done through configuration files. Because of this, Slackware is only recommended to those novice users who intend to spend some time on learning about Linux.
Nevertheless, Slackware has a magic appeal to many users. It is extremely stable and secure - very suitable for server deployment. Experienced Linux administrators find that the distribution is less buggy as it uses most packages in their pristine forms and without too many in-house enhancements which have a potential to introduce new bugs. Releases are infrequent (about once a year), although up-to-date packages are always available for download after the official release. Slackware is a fine distribution for those who are interested in deeper knowledge of Linux internals.
Perhaps the best characteristic of this distribution I have heard is this: if you need help with your Linux box, find a Slackware user. A Slackware user is more likely to fix the problem than a user familiar with any other distribution."

Why Microsoft Windows?

Some people may be wondering, "Why does OP-EZY now have a Windows server?". To put it simply, there are some tools and programs that only work in ASP.NET, these programs may not run correctly with software such as Mono, so we have built a Windows server to develop software and web services using these technolgies. OP-EZY will still use Linux on our main server, but some services my be called upon from our Windows server. The Apache web server software allows for domains, sub-domains and even certain files and folders to be passed through to a seperate server internally, meaning that our Windows server (and any future servers, Linux or Windows) to run through our main site without the need for opening new ports, or aquiring a second IP address.

Keep watching this space for exciting developments coming soon to OP-EZY through the use of our multiple server configurations.

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