Aqua-Soft ForumsFor people (such as DHSMaroon13) who want to know how to set up a free webserver on their computers with unlimited bandwidth and hosting space, I have written this tutorial, this works only for people with broadband conections. Firstly download a webserver, such as apache 2.0, available at apache.org. I use apache, but for those of you who have Windows Xp/2000 professional you can use I (internet) I(information) S(services). Install it at control pannel/add and remove prgrams/windows components. Now build your site and place it in the server's root folder, (for apache users it is C:/program files/Apache Group/Apache (v .x)/htdocs. Remember name your homepage "index.html". Now that your site is finished, go to ";http://locahost" to make sure that your site is functioning. Now find a free DNS web domain, I use DynDns, their domains are always reliable. Create an acount for yourself, and if you have a static IP address select the static DNS service, or the dynamic DNS service if you have a dynamic IP address (like me). Select a domain name, disable your firewall (if you have one like me), and restart your computer. Now have someone go to your domain name to check if your site works, (I had akmost everyone her do that for me). If you followed all these steps, thn your site should be up, free with unlimited bandwidth and hosting space. 
Web Server
By the way, the domain name never ends with just .comif its free (for me its ".ath.cx"). But if you pay $30 bucks, you can get your own domainnames with nothing else attached, and the payment is one time. Jef you should consider this for aqua-soft if you have a computer with goods specs that can stay on 24/7. My computer is great, but I leave it only 15-16 hours a day (as long as I am awake). 
Has this been usefull to anyone???????????????????? 
Yeah, I think I may try it... Is it a bandwith hog though? I don't want to impair my internet speed...
yeah, but some ISP's give a limited bandwidth allowance, so it might be a bad idea for those who have such an ISP. But otherwise, its a great option, especially for those people who are looking for a place to host their sigs, avatars and screenshots 
Yeah, Apache is great!
People can also set up their own email servers with their spare bandwidth too, thats wonderful for anyone. You can have your own email address (you@whateveryouwant.com), complete spam control, send and recieve any size files and have Gigs of space. And if you want to keep your old account, just set it up to check your email messages, and then filter them, so its the same email address, just a spam filtering server.
Ahh, the possibilities....
Furthermore, Jef can use Apache to make an e-mail server with names @Aqua-Soft.org, something that some people wanted.
Hey guys Iam running XP Home and I cant get my server going using ability web server can you run an http sever on home edition ... is that why it wont work my ftp server works fine please somebody help
YEAH!!! then we wouldn't even have to pay for it!! So how about it Jef/other people w/ these capabilities?
In what way can't you get your server working Ghostwalker?
I'm sure if you can get ftp working then there should be a way of getting http to work.
Perhaps try using apache? Its the most used one so there is probably much more documentation for your situation.
fissy
I dont think you can run a server under XP Home..
Apache does tell you not to run a server under home. It does work if you don't care about getting hacked. 
im pretty sure if i could get a http server (apache) to work in windows95... xp home can do it..
yea but try using Apache.. or some other small webserver like "simple server" or try going to tucows and searching in windows/internet/servers/http-web
find some other servers to use.
-bolero
I have an old pentium 200 mhz 128 mb ram compaq deskpro with a 40 gig drive that I use as a redhat server. It has no gui period. It runs samba, ftp, and apache. I'm supposed to put another one up in a school in about a month that has samba, ftp, and apache, plus squid. Squid is supposed to have a 6000 line conf file, so that should be interesting to put together.
Thanks for the help , but I did find out you cant run a http server on home edition so I will be buying the upgrade to pro for now ....and I would love to try linux 
Try Linux first!
I found it easier to set up a webserve in Mandrake 9 than in XP pro
All you have to do is choose to install the web server when you install the OS, then add an index.html file to the appropriate directory (which can be changed).
I just got lots of errors with XP pro, and so gave up with it and serving after half an hour.
fissy
EDIT: oh and it doesn't cost you anything to try linux, costs you a lot to try windows
what version of linux is better? Mandrake or Redhat? or are they the same?
what version of linux is better? Mandrake or Redhat? or are they the same?
hehe, thats asking for trouble 
Its all a matter of personal preference really. Mandrake is based off of an old version of red hat so they are very similar. Try them both to see which suits your tastes and your hardware best. Mandrake has one thing which i think no other distro has and that is resizing of NTFS partitions. Thats useful for installing onto a drive with 2k/XP.
I think Juniperlater recommends Lindows for learning linux, but you have to pay for it (and all the other linux people laugh at it )
anyway, have fun with it..
fissy
I've tried redhat, mandrake, and freebsd. I've never had a gui for redhat or freebsd So far, I like redhat best. It has never given me any problems at all.
For all who are having problems with Windows XP Home, I have to tell you that I use XP home, and my server works fine. USE Apache, its the best server, even better than IIS. But if you wnat to go buy XP Pro DO NOT, there are countless numbers of XP Pros floating around the internet, and I myself have one. Its a hassle to install a new OS and stuff like that so don't waste your time for IIS. Just use Apache, it is simply the Best. Linux, for all you non linux users is extremely difficult to configure for a web server, and generally people use Apache on LInux too, since it IS the most reliable web server available.
are you sp1 or pre sp1 because I tried several servers not sure about apache I think it is vulnerable to hackers on xp
Apache is the most secure server out there. Sure, its hackable. But its the best you can get.
Many of you are using Apache servers and the likes, so I have one question for you: did this tutorial help??? I want answers, because I like any housewife mother (not!) want to be appreciated!!!
I've already got a webserver running on an ancient linux box, but the dyndns link was really helpful
Do you know how i might set up the linux box to be a webserver, to the web?
Its on a lan using a winxp laptop as a gateway. The gateway runs zone alarm pro.
Thanks