Bowl.fysh.org: Difference between revisions

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bowl.fysh.org is currently a dedicated machine rented from and hosted by [[http://uk2.net/ UK2]].  This is paid for via subscriptions charged to the principal users of the machine.  Any queries about payments, or obtaining an account, should be directed to [[Mike Ashton]].
bowl.fysh.org is currently a dedicated machine rented from and hosted by [[http://uk2.net/ UK2]].  This is paid for via subscriptions charged to the principal users of the machine.  Any queries about payments, or obtaining an account, should be directed to [[Mike Ashton]].


The machine generally runs the current Stable version of the [[http://www.debian.org/ Debian]] distribution of Linux. The majority of the software installed on it is that which is directly supported by Debian, as this makes day-to-day administration and keeping things up to date very easy.  We will, however, install software by hand if sufficient need is demonstrated.  Our aim is to offer a ''stable'' service first and foremost, so don't necessarily expect cutting-edge versions of software.
The machine generally runs the current Stable version of the [[http://www.debian.org/ Debian]] distribution of [[http://www.linux.org/ Linux]]. The majority of the software installed on it is that which is directly supported by Debian, as this makes day-to-day administration and keeping things up to date very easy.  We will, however, install software by hand if sufficient need is demonstrated.  Our aim is to offer a ''stable'' service first and foremost, so don't necessarily expect cutting-edge versions of software.


== Services ==
== Services ==

Revision as of 21:06, 31 October 2006

NB: All the information provided here-in about the fysh.org services is made available on a best-effort basis. If you're in in doubt as to if the information provided here is up to date please check the History link at the top of the page.

Introduction

bowl.fysh.org is currently a dedicated machine rented from and hosted by [UK2]. This is paid for via subscriptions charged to the principal users of the machine. Any queries about payments, or obtaining an account, should be directed to Mike Ashton.

The machine generally runs the current Stable version of the [Debian] distribution of [Linux]. The majority of the software installed on it is that which is directly supported by Debian, as this makes day-to-day administration and keeping things up to date very easy. We will, however, install software by hand if sufficient need is demonstrated. Our aim is to offer a stable service first and foremost, so don't necessarily expect cutting-edge versions of software.

Services

bowl.fysh.org hosts a wide range of services, ranging from email and web pages, through hosting of domains to the more esoteric such as [TeamSpeak] servers.

If you have a problem with, or a query about, any of the services on bowl.fysh.org, or would like to request an additional service, please send email to [The Fyshy Admin].

Mail

bowl.fysh.org hosts the primary MX for fysh.org itself and any other domain configured to deliver locally on it. In addition we have agreements with operators of other servers to provide secondary MX capability.

We currently use [exim4] as the [MTA] that handles all the email. This is configured to allow relaying only for Email:SMTP#Auth authorised users and also employs a number of Email:Spam#Counter_Measures Anti-Spam Countermeasures to help protect our users from the deluge that is the norm on the Internet today.

In addition we provide both POP3 and IMAP access for remote retrieval of email, both of which are accessible using SSL/TLS encryption. Users can opt to use a [MUA] locally through a shell login if they prefer.

Shell Accounts

By default any user account on bowl.fysh.org has shell login enabled. This principally means you can make use of SSH to login to the account with full access to your own files and all software installed on the machine. A few accounts are restricted to only using remote services like POP3 and IMAP for email, but this is far from the norm.


WWW

Any user with an account on fysh can create a page on the [WWW] simply by placing the requisite files in a directory called public_html in their home directory. This will yield a URL of http://www.fysh.org/~username/ for example.

Additionally we will host the web pages for any domain that a user owns or controls and can get the DNS changed to point to our IP.

Going beyond simple static content we support use of [CGI]s written using any of the installed development languages and PHP scripts


DNS

We'll happily either host the master DNS for any domain a user owns or controls, or provide secondary DNS service for a domain held elsewhere. Please email all pertinent details to [Hostmaster] before doing anything else so we can be sure to inform you of the correct hostname(s) to use when specifying nameservers to your domain registrar.


News

bowl.fysh.org hosts an INN-powered news server. However it currently only carries a very small subset of newsgroups due to past bandwidth restrictions and lack of interest. This may be reviewed in future but anyone wanting full [Usenet/Netnews] access should first check with their ISP for what service they offer.

Note that important announcements about fysh.org services have in the past been made on the newsgroup fysh.announce which is only carried on nntp.fysh.org. These are the same announcements as you'll see, when there's a new one, upon logging into a bowl.fysh.org shell account.


Miscellaneous Services

FTP The FTP service on bowl.fysh.org is principally as an additional means (beyond SCP or SFTP) for a user to get files onto the machine.

There is a small anonymous FTP area which does also allow uploads in /incoming but no-one but system administrators can get at the files in there via FTP (so the server can't be used as a dead-drop by undesirables). HTTP is a much better option if a bowl.fysh.org user needs to host a file for others to pick up without logging in.


History

bowl.fysh.org is not the first 'main server' for fysh.org as it was the replacement for crucigera.fysh.org which in various forms shouldered the load from fysh.org's inception until June 2001.

Initially fysh.org was intended to primarily be for the benefit of certain graduates from [The University of Warwick]'s [Department of Computer Science] who were just some of the self-proclaimed Fysh. Indeed it was initally hosted, as the server crucigera.fysh.org, in the office of a friendly member of Warwick DCS staff.