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How To Run A Ubuntu Webserver And Torrent Client Under Windows XP

howtoforge.com — This tutorial is meant for Linux newbies who want to try and build a Ubuntu server box as a webserver and torrent client. It is a step by step instruction on how to do this in VMware on Windows XP to get the feel of it.

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  • dreea, on 10/12/2007, -30/+3Yes! That's what I have been waiting for - getting rid of Windows:-) for "absolute beginners".
    • pbaehr, on 10/12/2007, -4/+28Only you're not getting rid of Windows at all...
    • dshPls, on 10/12/2007, -19/+5Because windows is easier..
  • happyhappyhappy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8No need for this complex solution. To quote from their web page: "Just download the Ubuntu DesktopCD and test Ubuntu without changing anything on your computer. "
    • TaeBoX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Linux live CDs really are the best way to test the waters before you go all out.
      Not that there is anything wrong with VMware.
  • xfTwitch, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Wow. That seems like an awful lot of work to install what is essentially just a bit torrent client...
    • Simon80, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Seriously, eh? Who diggs this crap? Ubuntu SHIPS with a torrent client. So lets get back to this "guide" then shall we?

      1. turn on PC/Mac/Sun server/toaster
      2. insert bootable Ubuntu Dapper live/install CD
      3. wait a few minutes while your PC boots off of the CD

      Was that hard? And yes, it IS as simple as dling a torrent file and double clicking on it. Why people continue to defend Windows, or offer guides for such simple stuff on Ubuntu, I don't know. This article might as well be veiled FUD. Look, here, Live CDs are hard, so lets install VMWare, and as an added bonus, this guide contains the solution to the never before solved bittorrent problem. Gah!
  • Haplo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Step 1: Installing VMWare Player and VMXBuilder

    This step is out of scope of this how-to, if there are a lot of questions about it i might try to explain this."

    No need, just link to: http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2005/11/07/vmware-player-ubuntu-installation.html
  • paerez, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Very cool. This is great for people like me, who spend a lot of time on campus. I can get downloads running remotely and when I come back from class my stuff is done!

    VMWare provides an awesome test environment for stuff you are afraid to deploy before you become experienced with it (like edgy eft).
    • vr6stress, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Why not just run remote desktop or vnc or pcanywhere to do things remotely? Or you could use p2p clients that allow for remote administration, I think Azureus and Shareaza do this...

      It's much easier to control your computer remotely this way then going through the trouble of setting up a bunch of other things...
  • lbermude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I was reading the free vmware player license and found this:
    """
    RESTRICTIONS
    You may not (i)
    ....
    (v) permit another individual or entity to access or use any software running in a virtual machine using the Software;
    .....
    (vii) use the Software to provide network, application hosting or other services to third parties.
    """

    Does it mean that you cannot use apache or serve torrents because its restricted by the license?

    • tracker1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Well, considering VMWare Server is now free (beer!), it seems you could use that if you need to provide network access to the VM environment.. I use VMWare Player for one sole npurpose, to provide access to the two applications that I need Windows for (sigh).
    • Haplo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@tracker1: free (in beer) still means that you have to use it within the restrictions of the license.
    • starquake, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes with the restrictions of the VMWare server which are different than the player ones
  • peschelnet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Excellent!!! I did this very thing about 10 days ago and love the results. This is the easiest way to expand your knowledge of other OS's and still have the comfort of knowing that you can switch back to Windoz.

    FYI...You can do this very thing with any other OS as well if you really wanna have a versatile machine. I am currently running this setup:
    Windows XP With VMware
    VM 1 = WinXP (Template)
    VM 2 = WinXP (Working...lol)
    VM 3 = WinXP (Gaming)
    VM 4 = Ubuntu
    VM 5 = OS X
    VM 6 = Vista Beta

    The reason for using Win Xp as a core is:
    1) I'm comfortable withing XP
    2) Software
    3) Trying to find drivers for wireless and video that work is not as easy as it should be.

    • CalipsoII, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Heh, a bit contradictory peschelnet.. you take the time to explain that you're most comfortable working in WinXP, but then backpedal and elaborate on why you're stuck using 'Windoz'. It's a capable OS in it's own right, and the ability to run a program like VMware to add in the functionality of the other major OS's just furthers that. Leave the 'windoze' and 'm$' comments for those who are typing their comments via the toaster they just finished installing Linux on =)

      Definitely a good submitted article though, Digg++.
  • ditangquan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i've been doing this same thing using Ubuntu and Torrentflux under Mac OS X using Parallels for quite some time. Works fantastic. Same thing, different virtual machine.

    very nice to be able to remotely access your torrentflux box anywhere in the world.

    props to qrome (writer of http://www.torrentflux.com)
  • ditangquan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0lame digg URL parser:

    http://www.torrentflux.com
  • visik7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0why not just using colinux faster and better then vmware
  • Adenosine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1wow, I never knew about torrent flux, I am rushing home right now and doing this on my closet box (the old one collecting dust in my closet). This is awesome, but screw VMware, gets some balls and commit some harddrive space
  • IAmAI, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3What's wrong with Apache server for Windows? It works fine for me. I'm sure you'll get far better performance by not running it via VMware.
  • FarcicalFart, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why bother? Just install it to the hard disk. If the only thing you are using it for is TorrentFlux, there is no point in using VMWare.
  • elihusmails, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0just install one of the Ubuntu images from here....

    http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/directory/cat/45

    this will make the tutorial much shorter.
    • Haplo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It does, but the thing of installing this yourself the "hard" way is that it might give you ideas *and* instructions on how to make those ideas happen.

      I in general don't recommend using LAMP/WAMP, but install each application yourself manually and learn how to edit config files with an editor especially if you want to use it for development or learning.
  • Calvin1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2A lot of people commenting here miss the point of this tutorial: "to get the feel of it."

    Of course your newly baked server in VMWare is not for 'the real thing'. As soon as you tried all this risc free without the need for repartitioning or whatever and it is what you want... go for a real box and create your own physical web server.
    - it's not 'just a bit-torrent client': it's also a web server which you can use to host your web page, your files and which you can connect to through SSH.
    - installing a VMWare appliance is a possibility but would miss the point of getting the feel of what happens when you want to install all this on a real box.
  • Kanundra, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I wish Apple had the live cd's for OS X, so I don't have to drop $1,000 and buy one just to try it out. And no there isn't an Apple store anywhere even remotely close to me.
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