G5 Xserve – Too much to handle?

[stephen]

Hi all

Found a link to this site from the Apple OS X Server resource page. Very helpful.

I’m thinking of getting an Xserve for remote backups, setting up a web space for my nephews and as a deployment stage for testing websites.

I’m no unix wizard but I understand the basics of the client operating system and can just about find my way around a terminal window. I have been using a headless Mac mini (MySQL, PHP 5, Movable Type) for testing out ideas but I would prefer a remote solution.

As I am behind a hardware firewall, I just tend to use personal file sharing at home but I know things are very different when you have a server out there in the wild.

What I wanted to know was whether OS X Server was secure enough out-of-the-box without me having to worry about it being hacked. I don’t mind examining a few files as part of a routine to check for signs of intrusion but I don’t want to spend my whole life monitoring processes and scouring the contents of /var for changes.

My needs are simple. Jabber chat, built-in blog facility, PHP, My SQL, serving up a couple of sites. Is this manageable without too much effort. I am willing to learn.

Also, is a single CPU a false economy? Budget is a consideration but I also want get the most out of my Xserve.

Thanks!

[Author]

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