If you are looking for a way to create a functional and affordable web server that you can use as a test environment or as a place to store your files, then the little Raspberry Pi is the ideal solution. Are you wondering what a Raspberry Pi is? This is a very inexpensive mini computer, perfect for performing all the basic functions required of a server. This article explains how to turn a Raspberry Pi into a web server. A Windows computer was used to perform all the procedures described in this guide.
Steps
Part 1 of 7: Boot into the Raspberry Pi Operating System
Step 1. Get a copy of the Raspberry Pi OS from the link in the "References" section of the article
There are several distributions of this operating system available, but the "Raspbian" version was used for this guide.
Step 2. Extract the operating system image to an SD card
To perform this step, you will need to use a program called "Win32 Disc Imager". You can download it using the appropriate link in the "References" section of the article. Launch the program, access the SD card using the corresponding drive letter, select the Raspberry Pi OS operating system image, then click the "Write" button. Wait for the data transfer process to complete.
Step 3. Access the SD card using the Windows "File Explorer" system window
Create a new file which you will name ssh. This is a security feature introduced after the release of the "Raspbian Jessie" version of the operating system.
Step 4. Eject the SD card from the computer and insert it into the Raspberry Pi slot, then wire all the cables necessary for the mini computer to operate
Make sure you connect the power USB cable last.
Step 5. When the operating system has booted successfully, log into the mini computer
The default username is "pi" and the default password is "raspberry". New versions of the Raspbian operating system, by default, use an automatic login feature.
Step 6. The first step is to change the login password
Run the following command from the command line:
sudo passwd pi.
Step 7. You can also change the password by running the "sudo raspi-config" command, choosing the "Change User Password" option or using the "System Configuration" dialog
Step 8. Enter the new security password twice to confirm it is correct
Remember that, for security reasons, the text cursor will not move when you enter passwords, but what you type will still be entered into your computer.
Part 2 of 7: Run the Software Update
Step 1. Start by installing all available updates
Since you are using a new version of Debian, you will need to perform some maintenance and software updates. The first step is to set the system clock, update the package sources and install any package updates already present. Follow these instructions by pressing the "Enter" key after entering each command indicated:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade
Step 2. Set the correct date and time
Type the following command from the command line to change the date and time according to your need:
sudo date --set = "30 December 2013 10:00:00"
Part 3 of 7: Update the Firmware
Step 1. Install the Hexxeh "RPI Update" program to ensure that the Raspberry Pi firmware is always up to date
Follow these instructions by pressing the "Enter" key after entering each command indicated:
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates sudo apt-get install git-core sudo wget https://raw.github.com/Hexxeh/rpi-update/master/rpi-update -O / usr / bin / rpi-update && sudo chmod + x / usr / bin / rpi-update sudo rpi-update sudo shutdown -r now
Part 4 of 7: Configure the SSH Protocol
Step 1. Configure the SSH connection protocol so that you can connect to the server from any other computer
First, make a note of the Raspberry Pi's IP address using the following command:
hostname -I
192.168.1.17
Step 2. Enable the SSH connection protocol and restart the device (again, press the "Enter" key after entering each command):
After taking note of the mini computer's IP address run this command: sudo /etc/init.d/ssh start You will need to run it every time you turn on the Raspberry Pi. Tip: If you get any error messages, try running the following command before running the one above. sudo apt-get install ssh After executing this last command restart the Raspberry Pi: sudo shutdown -r now
Step 3. Disconnect the USB keyboard and external monitor cables from the Raspberry Pi
These two devices are no longer needed. At this point, you can connect to the server remotely via SSH connection.
Step 4. Download an SSH client like PuTTy (from the official website www.putty.org)
You can download it for free and use it to connect to the Raspberry Pi using its IP address. Log in using the username "pi" and the security password you set earlier.
Part 5 of 7: Install the Web Server
Step 1. Install the Apache server and PHP platform
To complete this step, run these commands:
sudo apt-get install apache2 php5 libapache2-mod-php5
Step 2. Restart the web server service using one of the following commands:
sudo service apache2 restart
or
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
Step 3. Enter the IP address of the Raspberry Pi into the address bar of the internet browser
A simple web page should appear that reads "It Works!".
Part 6 of 7: Install MySQL
Step 1. Install MySQL
To complete this step, you need to install some packages by running these commands:
sudo apt-get install mysql-server mysql-client php5-mysql
Part 7 of 7: Install the FTP Server
Step 1. Install the FTP server to be able to transfer any type of file to the Raspberry Pi, or download from the server
Step 2. Set your account as the owner of the web server home folder by running this command:
sudo chown -R pi / var / www
Step 3. Install the FTP service (vsftpd) using this command:
sudo apt-get install vsftpd
Step 4. Access the "vsftpd.conf" file using this command:
sudo nano /etc/vsftpd.conf
Step 5. Make the following changes:
- Change the value of the "anonymous_enable" parameter from YES to NO
- Activate the parameter line local_enable = YES And write_enable = YES deleting the symbol # that you find at the beginning of each line of text.
- Now move to the end of the file and add the line force_dot_files = YES.
Step 6. Save the file and close it by pressing the "CTRL-O" and "CTRL-X" key combination in succession
Step 7. Restart the vsftpd service using this command:
sudo service vsftpd restart
Step 8. Create a shortcut to the "/ var / www" folder inside the "home" folder of the Raspberry Pi user account using this command:
ln -s / var / www / ~ / www
Step 9. At this point, you can transfer the data to the "/ var / www" folder via FTP using the Raspberry Pi's Pi account and the link that appears on the login screen
Advice
- There is no need to install an FTP server if you have already installed an SSH server. In this case, you can use an application like WinSCP to connect to the Raspberry Pi server via SCP protocol, which is more secure and doesn't force you to open an extra communication port in the system.
- If an error message similar to "wget: command not found" appears, run the command "sudo apt-get install wget".
