Best way to host multiple websites on the same server ip?

[zeroburn]

Hello to all.

I am currently hosting my own website from my own dedicated 'nix machine, running ubuntu server 11.10, apache2, ext

so, my question is how can i host multiple websites from this server ip?

what i have set up right now is a welcome page with links, although i know this is not the most efficient.

The server domain (that im getting from freedns.afraid.org because i don't want to invest in this yet) is mcplay.jared.tw.

If i am forced to do the welcome page idea, is there any way i can use CSS menu's VERY creatively on that page to make a good first impression?

thanks

(and if anyone knows where there is a good guide or video for setting up custom web mail and checking it from a email client (like thunderbird) (in english!) please let me know)

[Geek-9pm]

Welcome!
Computer Hope is the number one location for free computer help.
The forum will help everyone with all computer questions.

My web site has four sites on on the same server.
But I don't know how it is done. I rent the space from some company and they take care of it.

Linux hosts are more often done with Red Hat.
But there is a Ubuntu release for web hosting.
Did you already see this?
How to host multiple websites on one Ubuntu machine with one network card

Did you try the Ubuntu chat room?

[Rob Pomeroy]

One of the first things I install on any Linux server I use is Webmin.  Great for secure, remote administration.  On all servers that I use for web hosting, I then install Virtualmin (the free version).  Virtualmin makes managing multiple websites a piece of cake and does all the Apache VirtualHost configuration for you.

When a browser requests a web page from a web server, one of the things the browser gives the server is a "host header" - that is, the domain name.  The web server that uses this domain name to look up the correct web site.  Hence multiple websites are possible on a single IP address through a single port.

You'll note that the distinguishing feature in this scenario is the domain - so if your free DNS host doesn't allow subdomains (e.g. http://kat.mcplay.jared.tw) then you may not be able to make use of this yet.  Personally, I bought a domain from GoDaddy (pomeroy.me) for about $6 and GoDaddy allows up to 100 DNS entries with this package.  I'm hosting probably about 20 different subdomains and websites this way.

For using CSS creatively, I recommend two great sites for ideas: http://www.csszengarden.com/ and http://www.cssplay.co.uk/

For webmail from your box, consider SquirrelMail.  https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Squirrelmail

[zeroburn]

Right now, i just have a user portal. I did my best to create a decent menu without the use of flash or java.

is this a good idea for now?

[Rob Pomeroy]

is this a good idea for now?

I don't know - I don't know what you want to achieve really.

[zeroburn]

I have in essence, multiple websites hosted from the same Ubuntu Server 11.10 distro on the same machine. I have it set up as really one site. Because of this, typing in the domain directly will take the user to a portal, however, i am not sure if this is the best way to achieve this.

I want this site to be the easyest for visitors to use.

Is using different domains (if possible) a better way to do this, even though it has more cost, and are there other options i should be achieving.

[Geek-9pm]

Not sure of what you want to do.
Here is one way some do this.
Let's say my domain is www.geek9pm.com, which I do nave.
I can buy www.geek9pm.nett barbecue it is unused. Or even www.geek9pm.org. But that means another $10 every year for each new domain.

I can put the domains on the one server and no cost, but then cost is to register the domains

So, to avoid more cost, I set up sub domains.
www.net.geek9pn.com
www.org.geek9pm.com
Then I tell my technical rt friends to use the net sub site.
And my charitable friends shall use the org sub site.
Internally, the sub domains become folders in my public area.

The server I use allows any number of sub-domains.

Is that of any help?

[Rob Pomeroy]

i am not sure if this is the best way to achieve this

There are a few potential problems with doing that - like what happens when people hand-type URLs but get key bits wrong.  And the way some web-based software will really insist on being installed in the root of the web file system.

As Geek says, sub domains are the cheapest way to go.  You could even have a catch-all whereby if the user types the sub domain wrong, an informative page (maybe with links) provides further directions.