Server Installation

[Richard Gaskin]

Malte wrote:

 > Richard wrote:
 >
 >> If someone has time to write a bash script that would be cool, though
 >> perhaps distro- and maybe even version-specific.  With bash you could
 >> download the latest LC Server, unzip it, enable CGI on Apache, alter
 >> the relevant Apache config to use LC Server for ".lc" files, and then
 >> test it to make sure it works.  It would be handy to have.
 >
 > Ok, I want this. Who does it? I am throwing $500 in the pot…
 > Someone also willing to write a .bat for Windows and maybe make the
 > Linux one work on Mac OS also???

I'd do an initial version for that which would handle Ubuntu 14.04 and 
Ubuntu 16.04, under MIT so everyone can extend it for Mac and Windows if 
they need.

Do we want VPS, or should we consider versions for shared hosts?  There 
are subtle differences between shared hosts that can make them more 
challenging, but the upside is they have pro admins hardening and 
monitoring so they're a better option for newcomers to get started.

I could also write a script to harden a VPS, but doing it well requires 
using the script carefully, after setting up shared SSH keys, because I 
prefer to completely turn off password login on any system where I can.


 > This would save so much time and would make sure people who want to
 > fiddle with liveCode server does not need to go through the hassle of
 > needing to be a system pro. And for those who want to deploy open
 > source projects it would help a lot, as end users could easier install
 > everything themselves without needing to ask for help and without
 > needing to understand the technical underpinning…

There's the rub:  we can automate setting things up, but without an 
understanding of what a server needs to be robust and secure then what 
happens with the LiveCode scripts it enables?

Anything connected to the Internet implies a non-trivial level of 
responsibility.

Enabling all the power of LiveCode to become accessible to the Internet 
is powerful, but automating it almost encourages cargo cult development 
(<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult_programming>).

With things that only run on your own local machine, cargo cult errors 
are trivial.  But with a machine connected to the Internet it may make 
the system compromised, perhaps in ways that would be difficult to detect.

We should think carefully about this.

For the amount proposed, I'd write a very good tutorial that would 
enable people to set it up themselves, and understand what each step is 
doing.

I think over the life cycle of a server, that may be a better investment.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Systems
  Software Design and Development for the Desktop, Mobile, and the Web
  ____________________________________________________________________
  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com                http://www.FourthWorld.com