L.A.M.P - Linux Apache MySQL PHP
Many of the most successful sites on the internet runs on this open source technology server model.
An excellent model to go with when creating your own web hosting environment. A proper LAMP setup can run for many years without ever loosing any stability or performance.
In big business and corporations, there might be a question about how cost effective this model is. I believe this comes down to the expertise the company has available. A good server admin will be able to make this model very automated and cost effective, while it will require more knowledge from the admin than that of building a windows server environment model. But after the initial setup of both models, the linux based one should require less work if done right to maintain performance, stability and security.
Some resources to start with.
- LAMP on Sarge (Apache2, PHP5, MySQL5, phpMyAdmin, Smarty, ADODB)
- Apache 2, MySQL 5, and PHP 5 for RedHat innstallations
- Slackware 10.2 LAMP & MAIL install
- The Perfect Setup - Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Server (Dapper Drake)
Qmail + vpopmail is very viable for a mail server. The setup at http://qmailrocks.org/ is a good starting point.
Update
For those looking for an easy system to manage, check out ISPconfig.
