Web Server

[Greg12]

What is a user friendly web server I can d/l and install on my computer. I want to have all my pictures of Japan here so I can just send my friends a link and let them view it from my computer.

I don't want to use a free host

[tgpo]

Apache

[wellmashed]

I was wondering this myself so I downloaded Apache a few days ago.

Before installing it I read a bit about it and it said it would ask me for my own domain name during install.

Would we need to buy a domain name or could we get away with anything else?

[Baldrick]

You don't need a domain, you can use your IP (like http://233.233.233.233 ) or if you have a modem/dsl connection with different IPs you can use a "dyndns" address like http://myserver.dyndns.com or something that always points to your computers IP. But if you wan't www.yourname.com you must register it of course and then point it to your own computer.

http://www.dyndns.org/

[wellmashed]

Thank you..........

[Greg12]

I wish the installer was more user friendly.


Like I wish it would let me set my root directory and document directory during install, instead of editing those httpd config files.

[ember]

I would seriously consider opting for MS IIS and not apache. Apache is unreliable for hosting large traffic. It has shown to be unreliable in a well documented case involving a UK Genealogy site (it understimated the traffic in February, closed down its servers and is still not running!) and Apache is open sourse: that means any hacker can find weaknesses in the SOURCE code.

[Greg12]

It works for what i'm doing.

I just need to show my friends pics from Japan, I'm not allowed to run servers on comcast, so it's only on for a little bit.

It's max user is 2

[grouch]

I used Xitami for a while and it was great for the beginner. had full functionality and was great for configuring. http://www.imatix.com/html/xitami/index.htm that's if you care to read about it. also you may not have realized this but your standard windows install has a webserver ready to go. it's called personal web server and all you had to do was enable it. (unless you chose to not install it) and if you don't have it already installed it is on the install cd and you can easily start it up. only drawback i had with it is that it uses alot of resourses and doesn't like to give them back to you.
anyway i'm glad that apache is good for you. just trying to give you two more options that you can try.
later
and if you want to go nuts and read alot of others click here http://www.netcraft.com/Survey/servers.html it's a list of all the webservers known to man. (just kidding)