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{{From|https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ServerFaq}}
 
{{From|https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ServerFaq}}
 
{{Languages|UbuntuHelp:ServerFaq}}
 
{{Languages|UbuntuHelp:ServerFaq}}
== This is a FAQ document for the Ubuntu Server, version 6.06 Dapper ==
+
== This is a FAQ document for the Ubuntu Server ==
 
This Frequently-Asked-Questions document is intended to help system administrators and users of the Ubuntu Server edition.  See the section sources at the bottom of the page for more information.  And please update the document if you have new information or even new questions :-)
 
This Frequently-Asked-Questions document is intended to help system administrators and users of the Ubuntu Server edition.  See the section sources at the bottom of the page for more information.  And please update the document if you have new information or even new questions :-)
----
+
=== How do I partition the, server? ===
==== How do I partition thee, server? ====
+
Partitioning a server's disk space is more art then science. Using Logical Volume Manager ('''LVM''') and RAID hardware or software allows greater flexibility in terms of disk layout. Partitions using LVM can be easily expanded to meet future requirements.
I would like to have some tips on partitioning my hard drive. I have an extra computer that I'm going to turn into a special type of webserver. Any tips or suggestions, or sites that give any help would be nice. It will be a webserver that also sends out my music for me. I want a special webpage served up for people that log into the box, like google personlized home page. It will only be serving me and maybe a few friends or family members so I'm not concerned about space. However I want to maximize space and preformance on my hard drive. Like will I need a 5 GB root partition if I have /usr, /home, /var, and /boot all mounted diffrently?
+
A common partition configuration is to have /home, /opt, /usr, /var, /tmp, and /srv on separate partitions from '''/'''. Depending on the services provided by the server and where you wish to store your data will determine how much space each partition is alloted.  Ubuntu complies with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard Filesystem Hierarchy Standard], where you will get additional information on which is what.
-nugget.
+
As an example we have a home web server that will also serve files to Windows clients using Samba. The server has one 250G hard drive and will be partitioned:
For what you describe, a 5G partition would likely be enough all by itself (except for the music files, of course - no one ever has enough space of all his media files for any length of time!).  Just sayin'
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{|border="1" cellspacing="0"
For a server, I routinely setup separate partitions for /tmp, /var, /usr, and /home.
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| '''mount point''' || '''Size''' || '''Comment'''
In my view /boot is for special needs only, and I've rarely used it since getting away from ancient hardware that could only boot from filesystems that are entirely within the first 512MB of the disk.
+
|-
I guess the remaining use is if you want to use a filesystem for the root that's not compatible with the boot manager you want to use, but despite putting most things into LVM these days I just don't see the point (given separate /tmp et. al.) of messing with it.
+
| / || 5G ||
I just make the root filesystem ext3 in a plain ol' partition and have no need for /boot.
+
|-
And that root has no reason, unless you're doing something odd, to be any larger than 1G.
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| /home || 20G ||
Given the sizes of the cheapest disks these days I haven't probed the limits in a while, but you could probably get by with 1/2G still - so much goes into the other partitions anyway.
+
|-
I '''know''' 1G is still plenty: I did a scratch install in a single 1G partition just the other day and had no trouble fitting in everything I needed for a Xen domain0.
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| /opt || 5G ||
Oh, and about performance - ext3, for example, spreads directories out across the disk in order to avoid fragmentation. Which is a Good Thing, but it means that if you have a few hundred MB of files in a 10G root, there's going to be a lot of empty space between things, and empty space just means more time spent moving the heads...
+
|-
-''MartinManey''
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| /usr || 30G ||
----
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|-
==== What's the difference between desktop and server? ====
+
| /tmp || 2G ||
*The first difference is in the CD contents. I hope that the desktop version doesn't need an explanation, while the "Server" CD instead of having packages like X, Gnome or KDE has all those packages that can be useful on a server: Apache2, Bind9 and so on. This is only for the users' comfort, nothing more. In theory, using a Desktop CD with a minimal installation and installing, for example, apache2 from the network, one can obtain the exact same result that can be obtained by inserting the Server CD and installing apache2 from the cd-rom. This is going to change slightly in the future, for dapper.
+
|-
*Ubuntu server install by default a server optimized kernel. See above for details on available kernels.
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| /var || 50G || contains /var/www which will be served by Apache.
*Ubuntu Desktop will receive a 3 years support, Ubuntu Kernel will be supported for 5 years.
+
|-
----
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| /srv || 50G || contains /srv/samba served by Samba.
==== New User Question ====
+
|-
- Can I add a "Graphic User Interface", [GUI] To a Server?
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| || 93G || Unpartitioned space can be alloted where necessary using LVM.
*Newbie Question ;) [[UbuntuHelp:Stanz|Stanz]]
+
|}
Yes you can, depending on what window manager you wish to use you can install the xserver and the window manager via apt-get. This will install fluxbox for you. Plus you may want some other programs to add to it as you see fit.
+
This is just an example there are many other ways that the space can be used, but however you decide to partition your drives using LVM is a good idea in case things change and a partition requires more space. 
<code><nowiki>sudo apt-get install fluxbox x-window-system-core xdm</nowiki></code>
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See the [http://tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/ LVM HOWTO] for more details on setting up LVM. Also, [[UbuntuHelp:Installation/LVMOnRaid|Installation|LVM on RAID]] wiki page has some good information.
This would install the default GNOME desktop that comes with Ubuntu Desktop version.
+
=== What's the difference between desktop and server? ===
<pre><nowiki>
+
* The first difference is in the CD contents. I hope that the desktop version doesn't need an explanation, while the "Server" CD instead of having packages like X, Gnome or KDE has that can be useful on a server: Apache2, Bind9 and so on. Using a Desktop CD with a minimal installation and installing, for example, apache2 from the network, one can obtain the exact same result that can be obtained by inserting the Server CD and installing apache2 from the cd-rom.  
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
+
* The Ubuntu Server Edition installation process is slightly different then the Desktop Edition.  Since by default Ubuntu Server doesn't have a GUI the process is menu driven, very similar to the Alternate CD installation process.
sudo apt-get install gdm
+
* Ubuntu server install by default a server optimized kernel.
sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start
+
* Ubuntu Desktop will receive a 3 years support, Ubuntu Server will be supported for 5 years.
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg</nowiki></pre>
+
=== What is the maintenance period of my server? ===
Gdm is what handles your x system starting automatically instead of entering start x at the command line each time you boot. The reconfigure runs the xserver setup so you can configure your system monitor, video card etc.
+
You get free security updates for at least 18 months on the desktop and server. With the Long Term Support (LTS) version you get three years support on the desktop, and five years on the server.
----
+
=== Can I add a "Graphic User Interface", [GUI] To a Server? ===
==== What exactly will change for Dapper (from Breezy)? ====
+
Yes you can, depending on what window manager you wish to use you can install the xserver and the window manager via apt-get. For details see the [[UbuntuHelp:ServerGUI|ServerGUI]] page.
The technical goals for dapper are:
+
=== Where can I find the Ubuntu server CD images? ===
- an optimized kernel that will be installed automatically from the CD and will also be available for a network installation.
+
* http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download to get official images
- better selection of packages available from the CD.
+
* http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/ for all builds (including unsupported ones)
- 5 years support (against 3 years for the desktop version).
+
=== Where can I get help? ===
----
+
For Ubuntu Server related questions, community support is available from:
==== Where can I find the Ubuntu server CD images? ====
+
* The mailing list, https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/
+
* The IRC Channel, server: irc.freenode.net - channel: #ubuntu-server
----
+
* The forum, http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45
==== Where can I get help? ====
+
Commercial Support:
For ubuntu server related questions you can use:
+
* Available from Canonical: http://www.canonical.com/services/support
-The mailing list, https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server
+
=== How do I tell if my question is Ubuntu Server related? ===
-The IRC Channel, server: irc.freenode.net - channel: #ubuntu-server
+
-The forum, http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45
+
----
+
===== How do I tell if my question is ubuntu server related? =====
+
 
A common pitfall is considering a problem server related because the server version, and not the desktop one, is installed. But if you have read the previous paragrahps you know that they share a lot, so where the problem belongs is not given. Here a list of things you want to take into account when deciding:
 
A common pitfall is considering a problem server related because the server version, and not the desktop one, is installed. But if you have read the previous paragrahps you know that they share a lot, so where the problem belongs is not given. Here a list of things you want to take into account when deciding:
- If your problem is hardware related, is your machine a real server or a common pc acting as such?
+
* If your problem is hardware related, is your machine a real server or a common pc acting as such?
- If it's a software problem, is it about one of the officially supported applications (see the paragraph about supported packages later on this page)?  
+
* If it's a software problem, is it about one of the officially supported applications (see the paragraph about supported packages later on this page)?  
- If it's a kernel related problem, is it about something specific to the server's one?
+
* If it's a kernel related problem, is it about something specific to the server's one?
- As a rule of thumb any generic question like "how do I install application xyz?" does not belong to ubuntu server
+
* As a rule of thumb any generic question like "how do I install application xyz?" does not belong to ubuntu server
 
Anyway do not be scared of asking, if the place is not appropriate for your question you will be simply redirected to the right one.
 
Anyway do not be scared of asking, if the place is not appropriate for your question you will be simply redirected to the right one.
----
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=== When will new versions of Ubuntu server be released? ===
==== When will new versions of Ubuntu server be released? ====
+
 
Ubuntu server follows the same release plan as Ubuntu desktop: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases
 
Ubuntu server follows the same release plan as Ubuntu desktop: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases
----
+
=== Are there different repositories for desktop and server? ===
==== Are there different repositories for desktop and server? ====
+
No, there are no desktop and server-specific repositories.  This means that you can install server packages on an Ubuntu Desktop installation as well as a Ubuntu Server Edition install.
No, there are no desktop and server-specific repositories
+
=== How does the package system (apt) know what to install/update (server or desktop packages)? ===
----
+
==== How does the package system (apt) know what to install/update (server or desktop packages)? ====
+
 
It doesn't. The sysadmin should know what he/she is installing. While upgrading/updating packages (apt-get update && apt-get upgrade) apt will update only the packages already installed on the system.
 
It doesn't. The sysadmin should know what he/she is installing. While upgrading/updating packages (apt-get update && apt-get upgrade) apt will update only the packages already installed on the system.
----
+
There are also some packages available to automate the process.  One is '''apticron''' a cron script that will email an administrator with details about which packages are ready for updating.  The '''unattended-upgrades''' package can be configured to automatically install security updates, or all updates.
==== Where can I find a list of packages included with Dapper server? ====
+
=== Where can I find a list of packages included with Ubuntu Server? ===
*Please Note: "The requested URL /ubuntu-server/daily/current/dapper-install-i386.list was not found on this server."
+
The [http://packages.ubuntu.com/ Ubuntu Packages Search] page provides an easy way to browse and search the thousands of packages available.
*Found [http://web.archive.org/web/20060429100501/http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily/current/dapper-install-i386.list via internet archive] -- Pyrotica
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=== What (packages/repositories) will be supported? ===
- http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily/current/dapper-install-i386.list -
+
Not all packages in the main repository are supported:
And for Dapper desktop: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily/current/dapper-install-i386.list
+
* Dapper : there is a list of supported Dapper packages here: http://people.ubuntu.com/~cjwatson/seeds/ubuntu-server-dapper/serverThese packages are supported 5 years.  
----
+
* Hardy and beyond: All packages that are part of the the seeds "server-ship" or "supported-common" are supported for five years.  To check out the seed, see germinate's output at: http://people.ubuntu.com/~ubuntu-archive/germinate-output/
==== What (packages/repositories) will be supported? ====
+
All other packages in main are supported 3 years, all other packages (universe, multiverse, etc) are not official supported but may be getting some support from the community or an ISV. Be aware that apt does not check if a package is supported or not, you have to do that on your own.
Not all packages in the main repository are supported, there is a list of supported Dapper packages here: http://people.ubuntu.com/~cjwatson/seeds/ubuntu-server-dapper/server These packages are supported 5 years. All other packages in main are supported 3 years, all other packages (universe, multiverse) are not supported. Be aware that apt does not check if a package is supported or not, you have to do that on your own.
+
=== What happens if I install packages that are not supported? Are there security patches for five years for those packages also? ===
----
+
If you install packages that are not supported, you are on your own. No security update is committed to be provided for unsupported packages or bug fixes.
==== What happens if I install packages that are not supported? Are there security patches for five years for those packages also? ====
+
=== Is my RAID Controller supported? ===
If you install packages that are not supported, you are on your own. No security is provided for unsupported packages or bug fixes.
+
If it is a SATA controller, take a look at the page http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html  if it is a [http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html#fakeraid fakeraid] they say that you are better off using Linux Software RAID.
----
+
=== Does the Ubuntu Server support Software RAID? ===
==== Is my RAID Controler supported? ====
+
Software RAID is often a less expensive, and more flexible alternative to hardware RAID.  Furthermore, there's no special hardware required for Software RAID -- just disks.
If it is a SATA controler, take a look at the page http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html  if it is a [http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html#fakeraid fakeraid] they say that you are better off using Linux Software RAID.
+
The Ubuntu Server installer supports partitioning and installation onto [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID_0 RAID0] (striping), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID_1 RAID1] (mirroring), and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID_5 RAID5] (striped set with distributed parity), with a few caveats.
 +
Some considerations...
 +
* LVM is generally preferred over RAID0 to attain the same effect (concatenating storage across multiple disks), as it allows for more flexible extendability.
 +
* This might make sense for auxiliary storage, but you would not want to spread your root filesystem over multiple disks, as a failure of any disk would render the system unbootable.
 +
* For full redundancy of the entire system, you can install the Ubuntu Server to a root filesystem on a RAID1 mirror.
 +
* If you wish to install the Ubuntu Server to a root filesystem on a RAID5 set, you will need to create a separate /boot filesystems on a RAID1 mirror.
 
For more info about Ubuntu and RAID you can take a look to: [[UbuntuHelp:Raid|Raid]] [[UbuntuHelp:Installation/LVMOnRaid|Installation/LVMOnRaid]] [[UbuntuHelp:FakeRaidHowto|FakeRaidHowto]]
 
For more info about Ubuntu and RAID you can take a look to: [[UbuntuHelp:Raid|Raid]] [[UbuntuHelp:Installation/LVMOnRaid|Installation/LVMOnRaid]] [[UbuntuHelp:FakeRaidHowto|FakeRaidHowto]]
----
+
=== Is a dedicated SMP kernel available from Ubuntu Server install CD? ===
==== Is a dedicated SMP kernel available from Dapper server install CD? ====
+
No, there is no dedicated SMP kernel. The kernel has been patched to support both uni-processors and smp at the same time without performance hit. The minimum requirement for the server kernel is that your architecture supports PAE (which allows addressing of more than 3G of RAM).
No, there is no dedicated SMP kernel. The kernel has been patched to support both uni-processors and smp at the same time without performance hit.
+
=== Which kernels versions/types are available on the Ubuntu Server CD? ===
----
+
The kernel on the CD will depend on which ISO you have downloaded.
==== Which kernels versions/types are available on the Dapper server CD? ====
+
* *-server-i386.iso -- contains the x86 kernel.
Dapper server:
+
* *-server-amd64.iso -- contains the amd64 kernel.
- linux-image-386 -> this is the same for Dapper i386 desktop required for the installation.
+
There is also an option to install a [[UbuntuHelp:ServerFaq#What_are_the_differences_between_server_and_virtual_kernels?|virtual|kernel]] as part of a minimal virtual installation by pressing F4 on the first installer screen.
- linux-image-server -> this will be installed as default on Dapper i386 server, needs i686 or higher architecture
+
=== What's the difference between kernel linux-image-server and linux-image-generic? What architecture is linux-image-server? Which one should I use? ===
- linux-image-server-bigiron -> for use on BigIron servers
+
The '''linux-image-server''' package is a ''meta'' package that will install the latest Server kernel version, while the '''linux-image-generic''' package is a ''meta'' package for the latest Desktop kernel version. The server pages include some details on the [http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/serveredition/features/kernel specific kernel optimizations] made for servers.
- linux-image-amd64-generic-> this is the same for Dapper amd64 desktop required for the installation.
+
'''linux-image-server''' is used for both architectures x86 and amd64.
- linux-image-amd64-server -> this will be installed as default on Dapper amd64 server
+
Which one you should use will depend on the type of system you have.  If you have a 64 bit processor you can use the amd64 architecture, or the x86 architecture.  However, if your processor is 32 bit you can only use the x86 kernel.
- linux-image-amd64-xeon -> for Xeon processors
+
=== Are there also server images for other hardware architectures? ===
- other kernels (powerpc) are also available, these kernels have also some improvements for server systems
+
Currently only x86 and amd64 architectures are officially supported. Other architectures (sparc, ppc, etc...) can be found on http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ but they are not currently officially supported.
----
+
=== Do I have to choose the kernel for my system on my own? ===
==== What's the difference between kernel linux-image-server and linux-image-686? What architecture is linux-image-server? Which one should I use? ====
+
Depending on the installation method, a proper kernel is installed for your system.  It is also possible to install a different kernel after installation.  For example, if you have installed Ubuntu Server Edition then decide to install a wireless network card, it may be better to use the generic kernel and modules.  The generic kernel can be installed from a terminal by entering: <code><nowiki>sudo apt-get install linux-generic linux-restricted-modules</nowiki></code>
The main difference is tuning done at low level in the kernel. Some "desktop" features like PREEMPT are clearly disabled on the server kernel. Few drivers, like cluster filesystems, have been disabled on the desktop. The list is long..
+
=== What are the differences between server and virtual kernels? ===
----
+
The difference between the '''Virtual''' and '''Server''' kernels, is that the Virtual Kernel is intended to be utilized inside a Virtual Machine environment.  The virtual kernel only includes the necessary drivers to run inside popular virtualization technologies such as KVM, Xen, and VMWare.  The server kernel in contrast contains the necessary drivers to work with a wide range of hardware, and should be installed directly on host systems. Other than that all other options are identical between the server and the virtual kernel. 
==== Are there also server kernel images for other hardware architectures? ====
+
For the difference between generic and the server kernel, see the [[UbuntuHelp:ServerFaq#What_s_the_difference_between_kernel_linux-image-server_and_linux-image-generic?_What_architecture_is_linux-image-server?_Which_one_should_I_use?|above|question]].
Yes, amd64 and powerpc.
+
=== How do I install "tasks" after the installer has ran? ===
----
+
The server '''tasks''' are groups of related packages that can be installed at the same time.  The '''tasksel''' package is used to accomplish this.  To install a task post installation simply enter <code><nowiki>sudo tasksel</nowiki></code> inside a terminal.
==== Do I have to choose the kernel for my system on my own? ====
+
'''tasksel''' can also be used to install non-server related tasks, such as a desktop environment.  See [https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/serverguide/C/installing-from-cd.html#install-tasks] for more details.
The installer is capable of recognizing your cpu and install the "best" kernel for it.
+
=== What virtualization technologies are supported? ===
----
+
Currently '''KVM''' is the supported host virtualization solution. Since Intrepid, Xen is also supported as a guest (DomU) option, but not as a Dom0. VMWare, Parallel, and other virtualization option can be supported by their respective vendors/communities.  Also, Xen and VMWare have a large number of user's in the community and help with these applications can generally be found. 
==== Sources ====
+
See also:
http://www.ossblog.it/post/338/interview-with-the-team-leader-of-the-ubuntu-server-project
+
* the [http://www.ubuntu.com/servervirtualization server virtualization page]
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server
+
* the [[UbuntuHelp:KVM|KVM]] page for more details on how to setup KVM
#ubuntu-server @ freenode
+
=== Why doesn't Ubuntu provide a root account by default ===
 +
Ubuntu, as all Unix or Linux system, does have a root account, it is just that the password to log into it is not set by default.  This is done on purpose as explained below.
 +
Ubuntu implements a role-based administration model with no default root access. Other Linux distributions typically provide this root access but role-based administration allows for better security, error prevention and auditing. This is particularly useful on systems where more than one user might have been given root access, as in a traditional model.  Privileged user that are part of the admin group can issue commands as if they were root using the sudo command, including "sudo su" which will bring them to a root prompt. The /etc/sudoers, which should be edited with the '''sudo visudo''' command, allows to specify finer execution rights for particular users or groups. All sudo action are logged as the original user, therefore allowing to trace who has done what and when.
 +
It is also much more complicated for a remote attacker to target a brute force password attack on an account when it does not know the name the account will use by default.  The root account is common to all UNIX/Linux platforms, the name you will give to you privileged account is not likely to be.
 +
See also:
 +
* https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo
 +
* https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Sudoers
 +
==== I need a root account in case of network failure ====
 +
This is likely to be a misunderstanding.  What you need is a '''local''' user with rights to use the sudo command (part of the admin group).  Just make sure that the admin group is also a local group.
 +
==== Reversing the default (not recommended) ====
 +
This default can be reversed once the user is confident that root access will be secure in their particular situation. To do so type "sudo passwd root" at any command prompt from a privileged user account.  This will set the password account for root which, by default, is not set.  '''Note that this is not recommended and we strongly advise users against doing this.'''
 +
== About this FAQ ==
 +
=== Sources ===
 +
* http://www.ossblog.it/post/338/interview-with-the-team-leader-of-the-ubuntu-server-project
 +
* https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-server
 +
* #ubuntu-server @ freenode
 +
* the [https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-server Ubuntu Server Community]
 +
=== New questions ===
 +
''If there are some common questions that you would like to see answered here, please add them below, we'll try to provide an answer as time permits.  Please understand that this is not a support place, please only add questions which you feel are common enough to be placed in this FAQ.''
 
----
 
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[[category:CategoryDocumentation]]
 
[[category:CategoryDocumentation]]
  
 
[[category:UbuntuHelp]]
 
[[category:UbuntuHelp]]

2008年12月16日 (二) 20:04的版本

目录

This is a FAQ document for the Ubuntu Server

This Frequently-Asked-Questions document is intended to help system administrators and users of the Ubuntu Server edition. See the section sources at the bottom of the page for more information. And please update the document if you have new information or even new questions :-)

How do I partition the, server?

Partitioning a server's disk space is more art then science. Using Logical Volume Manager (LVM) and RAID hardware or software allows greater flexibility in terms of disk layout. Partitions using LVM can be easily expanded to meet future requirements. A common partition configuration is to have /home, /opt, /usr, /var, /tmp, and /srv on separate partitions from /. Depending on the services provided by the server and where you wish to store your data will determine how much space each partition is alloted. Ubuntu complies with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, where you will get additional information on which is what. As an example we have a home web server that will also serve files to Windows clients using Samba. The server has one 250G hard drive and will be partitioned:

mount point Size Comment
/ 5G
/home 20G
/opt 5G
/usr 30G
/tmp 2G
/var 50G contains /var/www which will be served by Apache.
/srv 50G contains /srv/samba served by Samba.
93G Unpartitioned space can be alloted where necessary using LVM.

This is just an example there are many other ways that the space can be used, but however you decide to partition your drives using LVM is a good idea in case things change and a partition requires more space. See the LVM HOWTO for more details on setting up LVM. Also, Installation|LVM on RAID wiki page has some good information.

What's the difference between desktop and server?

  • The first difference is in the CD contents. I hope that the desktop version doesn't need an explanation, while the "Server" CD instead of having packages like X, Gnome or KDE has that can be useful on a server: Apache2, Bind9 and so on. Using a Desktop CD with a minimal installation and installing, for example, apache2 from the network, one can obtain the exact same result that can be obtained by inserting the Server CD and installing apache2 from the cd-rom.
  • The Ubuntu Server Edition installation process is slightly different then the Desktop Edition. Since by default Ubuntu Server doesn't have a GUI the process is menu driven, very similar to the Alternate CD installation process.
  • Ubuntu server install by default a server optimized kernel.
  • Ubuntu Desktop will receive a 3 years support, Ubuntu Server will be supported for 5 years.

What is the maintenance period of my server?

You get free security updates for at least 18 months on the desktop and server. With the Long Term Support (LTS) version you get three years support on the desktop, and five years on the server.

Can I add a "Graphic User Interface", [GUI] To a Server?

Yes you can, depending on what window manager you wish to use you can install the xserver and the window manager via apt-get. For details see the ServerGUI page.

Where can I find the Ubuntu server CD images?

Where can I get help?

For Ubuntu Server related questions, community support is available from:

Commercial Support:

How do I tell if my question is Ubuntu Server related?

A common pitfall is considering a problem server related because the server version, and not the desktop one, is installed. But if you have read the previous paragrahps you know that they share a lot, so where the problem belongs is not given. Here a list of things you want to take into account when deciding:

  • If your problem is hardware related, is your machine a real server or a common pc acting as such?
  • If it's a software problem, is it about one of the officially supported applications (see the paragraph about supported packages later on this page)?
  • If it's a kernel related problem, is it about something specific to the server's one?
  • As a rule of thumb any generic question like "how do I install application xyz?" does not belong to ubuntu server

Anyway do not be scared of asking, if the place is not appropriate for your question you will be simply redirected to the right one.

When will new versions of Ubuntu server be released?

Ubuntu server follows the same release plan as Ubuntu desktop: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

Are there different repositories for desktop and server?

No, there are no desktop and server-specific repositories. This means that you can install server packages on an Ubuntu Desktop installation as well as a Ubuntu Server Edition install.

How does the package system (apt) know what to install/update (server or desktop packages)?

It doesn't. The sysadmin should know what he/she is installing. While upgrading/updating packages (apt-get update && apt-get upgrade) apt will update only the packages already installed on the system. There are also some packages available to automate the process. One is apticron a cron script that will email an administrator with details about which packages are ready for updating. The unattended-upgrades package can be configured to automatically install security updates, or all updates.

Where can I find a list of packages included with Ubuntu Server?

The Ubuntu Packages Search page provides an easy way to browse and search the thousands of packages available.

What (packages/repositories) will be supported?

Not all packages in the main repository are supported:

All other packages in main are supported 3 years, all other packages (universe, multiverse, etc) are not official supported but may be getting some support from the community or an ISV. Be aware that apt does not check if a package is supported or not, you have to do that on your own.

What happens if I install packages that are not supported? Are there security patches for five years for those packages also?

If you install packages that are not supported, you are on your own. No security update is committed to be provided for unsupported packages or bug fixes.

Is my RAID Controller supported?

If it is a SATA controller, take a look at the page http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html if it is a fakeraid they say that you are better off using Linux Software RAID.

Does the Ubuntu Server support Software RAID?

Software RAID is often a less expensive, and more flexible alternative to hardware RAID. Furthermore, there's no special hardware required for Software RAID -- just disks. The Ubuntu Server installer supports partitioning and installation onto RAID0 (striping), RAID1 (mirroring), and RAID5 (striped set with distributed parity), with a few caveats. Some considerations...

  • LVM is generally preferred over RAID0 to attain the same effect (concatenating storage across multiple disks), as it allows for more flexible extendability.
  • This might make sense for auxiliary storage, but you would not want to spread your root filesystem over multiple disks, as a failure of any disk would render the system unbootable.
  • For full redundancy of the entire system, you can install the Ubuntu Server to a root filesystem on a RAID1 mirror.
  • If you wish to install the Ubuntu Server to a root filesystem on a RAID5 set, you will need to create a separate /boot filesystems on a RAID1 mirror.

For more info about Ubuntu and RAID you can take a look to: Raid Installation/LVMOnRaid FakeRaidHowto

Is a dedicated SMP kernel available from Ubuntu Server install CD?

No, there is no dedicated SMP kernel. The kernel has been patched to support both uni-processors and smp at the same time without performance hit. The minimum requirement for the server kernel is that your architecture supports PAE (which allows addressing of more than 3G of RAM).

Which kernels versions/types are available on the Ubuntu Server CD?

The kernel on the CD will depend on which ISO you have downloaded.

  • *-server-i386.iso -- contains the x86 kernel.
  • *-server-amd64.iso -- contains the amd64 kernel.

There is also an option to install a virtual|kernel as part of a minimal virtual installation by pressing F4 on the first installer screen.

What's the difference between kernel linux-image-server and linux-image-generic? What architecture is linux-image-server? Which one should I use?

The linux-image-server package is a meta package that will install the latest Server kernel version, while the linux-image-generic package is a meta package for the latest Desktop kernel version. The server pages include some details on the specific kernel optimizations made for servers. linux-image-server is used for both architectures x86 and amd64. Which one you should use will depend on the type of system you have. If you have a 64 bit processor you can use the amd64 architecture, or the x86 architecture. However, if your processor is 32 bit you can only use the x86 kernel.

Are there also server images for other hardware architectures?

Currently only x86 and amd64 architectures are officially supported. Other architectures (sparc, ppc, etc...) can be found on http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ but they are not currently officially supported.

Do I have to choose the kernel for my system on my own?

Depending on the installation method, a proper kernel is installed for your system. It is also possible to install a different kernel after installation. For example, if you have installed Ubuntu Server Edition then decide to install a wireless network card, it may be better to use the generic kernel and modules. The generic kernel can be installed from a terminal by entering: sudo apt-get install linux-generic linux-restricted-modules

What are the differences between server and virtual kernels?

The difference between the Virtual and Server kernels, is that the Virtual Kernel is intended to be utilized inside a Virtual Machine environment. The virtual kernel only includes the necessary drivers to run inside popular virtualization technologies such as KVM, Xen, and VMWare. The server kernel in contrast contains the necessary drivers to work with a wide range of hardware, and should be installed directly on host systems. Other than that all other options are identical between the server and the virtual kernel. For the difference between generic and the server kernel, see the above|question.

How do I install "tasks" after the installer has ran?

The server tasks are groups of related packages that can be installed at the same time. The tasksel package is used to accomplish this. To install a task post installation simply enter sudo tasksel inside a terminal. tasksel can also be used to install non-server related tasks, such as a desktop environment. See [1] for more details.

What virtualization technologies are supported?

Currently KVM is the supported host virtualization solution. Since Intrepid, Xen is also supported as a guest (DomU) option, but not as a Dom0. VMWare, Parallel, and other virtualization option can be supported by their respective vendors/communities. Also, Xen and VMWare have a large number of user's in the community and help with these applications can generally be found. See also:

Why doesn't Ubuntu provide a root account by default

Ubuntu, as all Unix or Linux system, does have a root account, it is just that the password to log into it is not set by default. This is done on purpose as explained below. Ubuntu implements a role-based administration model with no default root access. Other Linux distributions typically provide this root access but role-based administration allows for better security, error prevention and auditing. This is particularly useful on systems where more than one user might have been given root access, as in a traditional model. Privileged user that are part of the admin group can issue commands as if they were root using the sudo command, including "sudo su" which will bring them to a root prompt. The /etc/sudoers, which should be edited with the sudo visudo command, allows to specify finer execution rights for particular users or groups. All sudo action are logged as the original user, therefore allowing to trace who has done what and when. It is also much more complicated for a remote attacker to target a brute force password attack on an account when it does not know the name the account will use by default. The root account is common to all UNIX/Linux platforms, the name you will give to you privileged account is not likely to be. See also:

I need a root account in case of network failure

This is likely to be a misunderstanding. What you need is a local user with rights to use the sudo command (part of the admin group). Just make sure that the admin group is also a local group.

Reversing the default (not recommended)

This default can be reversed once the user is confident that root access will be secure in their particular situation. To do so type "sudo passwd root" at any command prompt from a privileged user account. This will set the password account for root which, by default, is not set. Note that this is not recommended and we strongly advise users against doing this.

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