Doing some basic guides

Hi!, I try to collaborate whenever I can, either correcting some translation typos in the official documentation or doing some (very) basic guides:

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You made my day man. These stuff are awesome! You’re awesome. Woah! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

I love these howtos! How can we highlight them?
Do you need help? Any to do list? So someone else can give a hand with

Don’t have a to do list but some random notes, now turned into an incomplete index:

NethServer User Guide
0. TOC

1. Introduction
What is NethServer?
Who is it for?
Where to find documentations and support
Document Conventions

2. Planning Installation
…and document everything
2.1. Collect Information on Current Infrastructure
current infrastructure diagram; type of connections (wires/wifi specs); number of current users, offices, and expected growth; hardware (workstations, laptops, servers, printers, and other networking devices…); software (O.S., programs, used/available licenses, software constrains and possible migrations); credentials for the networking devices, domains, and other credentials required to complete the installation (and deployment); ISP settings; used IP ranges, assigned IPs, device names, shares, user permissions (access policy)…
2.2. Network Planning
2.3. Choosing a Server (and Related Hardware)
Server functions
Physical server or virtualized?
One server or multiple servers/appliances?
2.3.1. Server Location
Access restrictions (Server Room, tower-door/rack-door key…); Ventilation; Noise level…
2.3.2. Server Format
Microserver, Tower, Rack Mounted
2.3.3. Server Components
Internal components, redundant storage/power, ports…
Replacement parts availability (also price, and whether proprietary connectors are used)
Other devices (NAS, single UPS or one for each power supply…)
2.3.4. Other Considerations
Warranty; Budget…
2.4. Backup Strategy
NAS, Tape Backup, Off-site Backup, Cloud Storage, workstation’s imaging…
Backup Schedule

3. Prerequisites
3.1. Hardware
3.1.1. Minimum Hardware Requirements
3.1.2. Hardware Support
3.1.3. Hardware RAID
3.1.4. UEFI Support
3.2. Software
3.2.1. Obtaining NethServer
3.2.2. Checking the Integrity of Downloaded Media
3.2.3. Preparing Bootable Media
3.2.3.1. Making an Installation CD/DVD Media
3.2.3.2. Making an Installation USB Media

4. Installation
4.1. Booting from the Installation Media
disconnect external drives; power-on the server; insert media; set boot device priority…
4.2. The Boot Menu
4.3. Additional Boot Options
4.4. Installation Methods
4.4.1. Installing from ISO
4.4.1.1. Interactive Install
4.4.1.2. Unattended Install
4.4.1.3. Standard CentOS install
4.4.2. Installing from YUM

5. After Installation
5.1. Accessing the Server Manager Web Interface
5.2. Initial Setup
root password, server name, domain name, timezone, SSH port, phone home
5.3. Network Setup
set green/red… interfaces
5.4. DNS Service Setup
5.5. Updating the System
From Server Manager GUI, from command line (yum update, pkgaction --update \*, how to exclude…)
5.6. Configure Organization Contacts
5.7. Configure root User Profile
5.8. Configure Server Certificate
5.9. Configure SSH
5.10. Learning the Basics of the Command-Line
Change Keyboard Layout, /etc/sysconfig/keyboard, loadkeys
Install Alternative Editor (yum -y install nano)
Change Default Editor
Useful Commands; yum-cron, yum-plugins, Installing a Desktop Environment (NOT RECOMMENDED) (and additional GUI programs)…
Adding repositories
Adding support for NTFS

6. Modules (unordered list; SHOULD BE ordered correctly)
6.1. Official Modules
Languages
DNS and DHCP server

  • Configure DHCP Server
    Backup
    Basic firewall
    Intrusion Prevention System
    UPS support
    Print server
    Fax server
    Web-based fax client
    File server
    POP3 connector
    POP3 proxy
    SMTP proxy
    Email
    SOGo groupware
    WebTop groupware
    Instant messaging
    SNMP server
    Monitoring and inventorying
    Bandwidth monitor
    Statistics
    Web server
    MySQL server
    ownCloud
    Web Proxy
    Web Filter
    VPN
  • Client-to-site VPN
    Virtual machines manager
    6.2. Community Modules

7. Securing the System
8. Upgrading NethServer
9. Troubleshooting
10. FAQ
11. Glossary
12. Additional References

I’m a casual user limited by knowledge, so any help is welcome!

I like detailed guides explaining the how and why, but also appreciate straight to the point directions like:

  • Administration → Software Center → Firewall → Web Filter → Add → Apply Changes
  • Gateway → Web Content filter:
    → Antivirus → Enabled → Submit
    → Blacklists → Shalla (default) → Save and download
    → Filters → Default → Edit:
  	- Uncheck "Block access to web sites using ip address"
		- Check "Block porn sites by regular expressions on URL"
		- Check the Categories:
			- Advertisments
			- Gambling/Casino
			- Games-online
			- Porn
			- Sex
			- Spyware
			- Tracker
		-> Submit
	-> General -> Enable filter -> Submit

…to have both, maybe the latter within an Examples section on each detailed guide. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

For sake of clearness (and to avoid kilometric pages), break guides into units, and units into sections.

If different guides are related I like to start with a line telling where we came from and end with a line forwarding to the next step. Some index/order in the wiki could help as well.

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I really love this idea, how can I help? Index looks too long to tackle, what about focusing on just a few paragraph?
You can re-use a bunch of guides/images here: NethServer 6.6 reviews

Although would be useful to describe the whole process to choose, install and deploy a server, I know it’s too much work, so we should concentrate on those things directly tied to NethServer. That is from #5 onwards.

Totally agree
BTW you deserve a seat in our @docs_team

@dnutan
Great work and pleas continue.

I agree with you we should first concentrate on NethServer and if we have time left on the nice to have topics.

This point needs to be the next step, agree?

Things are going at a slow pace :sweat_smile: …but almost there. Work doesn’t left much time.

I’m working on Initial setup (aka First Config Wizard) which seems trivial while installing, but not when documenting it (specifically the naming questions raised by @GG_jr, here and there ).

Anyway, will publish it as draft and request community revision when it is ready.

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Hi @dnutan

This task is great and necessary.
I want to support. In the meantime, I will continue translating some basic items then we could improve together.

Greetings

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I didn’t follow all the thread, so be patient if I’m asking something already answered.
What are you exactly trying to add to the first configuration wizard? The whole network configuration?

(In the past few days, we already added a couple of paged to the wizard for NS 7: upstream proxy and mail smarthost).

Not trying to add anything. Just documenting for the stable version (with some minor notes on NS7).

The intention is to have a wiki answering most frequent raised questions, to clear them out (to gather and order community knowledge).

The main issue were naming conventions and requirements for hostname, domain name and FQDN, and its relation to DC and AD, and old protocols. The information spread on the Internet is open to interpretation and sometimes misleading, like the allowed characters and length (characters/octets). After reading a bunch of RFCs, samba and Microsoft documentation, things where not clear enough.

Maybe it is clear for most sysadmins… just trying to make it easier for the rest. Bear in mind I’m mostly a hardware guy :hammer:

Anyway, I think it’s kind of sorted out. If time allows it I might publish it over the weekend and report some related usability errors/feature-request for the 6.8 beta.

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Many thanks for this! :clap: :thumbsup: :grinning:

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Looking forward to such docs! Keep it up friend!

I had totally miised this thread.

I had finally meet “Marc” who greatly help fill up the wiki.
Thank you, Marc :smile:

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@docs_team hangout? What about? @jim @WillZen and @dnutan who else?

This is appropriate.

@alefattorini
I am busy with my business at the moment but I will look to find the time.

Here is the draft of the First Configuration guide.

I’d have liked to unclutter it a bit by moving the FQDN examples (and maybe the naming rules) to a separate Naming Conventions userguide (which over time could have covered hostname, domain, FQDN, AD, NethServer users and email naming conventions…), but it was too dense for me so I just left that aside.

I know I tend to do long guides… but if someone with a bit of patience is willing to review it over the following weeks… Specifically:

  • use of single-label domains
  • the use of a registered domain / sub-domain
  • should we add a note on punycode domains?
  • SSH: Usable port range. Should we avoid the well-know ports and the (linux) ephemeral ports, and use ‘1024-32767’ range, or it does not really matter at all?

reporting any inaccuracy, misconception, things that should be more clear, things to add or to leave out… Images an video might be added after community revision.

Also would like to know if these type of guides are useful for both, sysadmins and non-sysadmins, to decide if we continue down this road or we have to reformulate how we approach it.

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