Welcome to the Slicehost wiki

We love wikis. You’ll love this one too. It’s full of software tips and tricks, scripts and little nuggets that make your inner geek smile. We’re frequently uploading Slice specific scripts to automatically build and configure applications for you.

Slicehost has added a new complimentary resource: Slicehost Articles

The new site will compliment the contributions here on the wiki and, hopefully, between the two resources you can find the answer to your questions and you can buy a paper…

• List of websites currently hosted on SliceHost
• What i love about slicehost
• Hall of Fame - Humor
• Slicehost Logos
• Slicehost Community
• Slicers
• Spanish Speaking Wiki
• API Scripts & Tools
• SliceHost Twitter Group

• External Slice monitoring services
• Download Speed test
• Using SliceHost Nameservers for DNS lookups
• Enable Console Pasting in Firefox
• Installing an arbitrary Linux distro on your Slice

Note: Further How-To’s are at the bottom of this page, after the distro-specific guides.

Jump to:

• Ubuntu
• RedHat
• Centos
• Gentoo
• Debian
• Fedora
• Slackware
• Arch

• Get started with your new Ubuntu slice (verbose setup instructions)
• Ubuntu slice notes for a quickstart

(See next section for Rails)

• Install Movable Type on Ubuntu (with lighttpd + cgi)
• Install and setup Apache with SSL and Subversion on Ubuntu
• Install Trac on Ubuntu (Using trac webserver, no Apache/Lighttpd at this moment)
• Install LiteSpeed on Ubuntu
• Install mod_wsgi on Ubuntu Gutsy
• Using X Applications on your Slice on Ubuntu
• Install PostgreSQL and ruby bindings on Ubuntu.
• Setting up Ubuntu Slice with Django, PostgreSQL, LedgerSMB, and OpenVPN
• Run applications as 32bit
• Install Django on Ubuntu 7.10 (with lighttpd + fcgi + mysql)
• Install Catalyst On Ubuntu 7.10 (with FastCGI deployment)
• Install Erlang with Capistrano On Ubuntu 7.10
• Install ImageMagick and rMagick gem On Ubuntu 8.04
• Configuring The Clock Setting up the System Clock and Time Zone
• Enable Clean URL's on Drupal 6 Enable Drupals’ clean URL‘s, which are disabled in the stock apt-get install apache2 configuration

• Automated rails install and deployment with deprec/capistrano
• Apache with PHP and Rails custom deprec install task
• Server setup with Rails, Mongrels, and Nginx using custom Capistrano/deprec recipes
• Slice Setup from Onrails.org
• Install Ruby on Rails on Ubuntu
• 5-minute Rails Install on Ubuntu

• Upgrade Ubuntu-server LTS to LTS (6.06 to 8.04/Dapper to Hardy)
• Upgrade Ubuntu Dapper ->Edgy -> Feisty
• Upgrade Ubuntu Dapper to Edgy
• Apache Problems with Ubuntu Feisty Fawn

• Create a Perfect Local Test Clone of your Ubuntu-based Slice with VMware
• HOWTO Install Cherokee, MySQL, PHP and WordPress on Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope - Perfect for a 256 slice, especially if Apache is consuming too much RAM and requiring hard reboots on a slice.
• Full guide about setting up a secured and optimized Ubuntu server with Lighttpd (Apache alternative, used by Youtube), PHP5, MySQL and e-mail through the free Google apps for domain.
• Complete step by step guide to deploying a django app on a fresh Ubuntu slice with nginx, fast CGI and MySQL
• Step by step How To: Setup 256MB Slice with Ubuntu Hardy, NGINX, MySQL, PHP 5 and Wordpress with Super Caching - with all instructions on a single page.
• Deprec2 on slicehost
• Deprec2 on slicehost from windows
• Step by step instruction on getting started with apache, mongrel, ror, capistrano and much more
• Blocking Brute Force SSH Attacks
• Apache 2.2, Mongrel and Rails on your Ubuntu Slice from Chris @ Code Intensity
• Automated setup of a new slice for rails (with Mongrel/Apache) using the deprec gem
• SSH Socks Proxy - Useful for tunneling over unsecure networks
• Optimizing Apache/PHP/MySQL for low memory use - Written for Xen VPS
• Ubuntu Guide
• Perfect Ubuntu 6.06 Setup
• Perfect Ubuntu 7.10 - Gutsy Setup
• Adding extra Ubuntu repositories
• Tips for building a Rails stack on Debian, should be similar to Ubuntu
• Phusion Passenger Configuration File Location - passenger.conf, where is that Phusion Passenger config file located

• Setting up Ubuntu w/ DTC control panel for ISP virtualhosting functions
• PostfixCompleteVirtualMailSystemHowto (unfinished)

• Fast LAMP stack setup for Ubuntu
• Peepcode screencast: Installing Rails stack on Ubuntu with Capistrano using deprec gem
• Links by Alex the ones that I’ve found useful & Ubuntu-centric
• NX on Ubuntu AMD64
• Slicehost Rails install from Chris at Code Intensity, Ubuntu, Apache 2.2 and Mongrel
• Automated rails deployment (apache,nginx,myslq,postgres & mongrel) with capistrano server extensions
• Setting up Apache 2, PHP 5, mySQL server and Ruby on Rails on SliceHost
• Recent stable and development nginx packages for Feisty
• wordpress alongside deprec’d rails stack
• Ubuntu Nginx PHP5 fcgi setup
• PHP5 and Nginx on a Ubuntu 7.10 Slice
• Ubuntu xcache setup for nginx + php5
• How to setup an Ubuntu 7.10 server with nginx, php, mysql, ruby, radiant, mongrel (mongrel_cluster), monit and a simple firewall.
• Installing 32-bit Zimbra E-mail on 64-bit Ubuntu via chroot.
• How to deploy an Ubuntu 7.10 server and Rails Application with Capistrano.
• How To: Setup Email Services on Ubuntu Hardy using Postfix and Courier
• How To: Setup Email Services on Ubuntu Intrepid Using Postfix and Dovecot
• Configuring a lightweight Apache / MySQL install
• Setting up a LLMP Stack (Linux, Lighttpd, MySQL, PHP5)
• Merb on Slicehost:
  • Part 1: Users and Permissions
  • Part 2: Install Software
  • Part 3: Version and Deploy
• How do I ...Install eAccelerator on Ubuntu 8.04 (Debian)

Collection of HowTos related to RedHat.

• Upgrade PHP/MySQL/Python/Etc with IUS Community Packages

Collection of HowTos related to CentOS.

• First steps with your new CentOS slice!
• Add frequently needed packages
• Prevent yum from installing non x86_64 applications
• Network Security + Django
• Install Rails on CentOS 4.3 slice
• CentOS 4 to 5
• CentOS 5 support for 32-bit applications (aka multilib support)
• Installing Subversion & Trac
• Upgrade PHP/MySQL/Python/Etc with IUS Community Packages
• Bash script to Install and Configure a CentOs Slice with Trac, SVN and vhost with 2 domains

• Rails on CentOS (RoR Wiki)
• CentOS OpenSSL issues with some Yum packages

• GentooNotes
• How to get an internal ip without a reboot

• Ben's Rails on a Gentoo Slicehost
• Very good Gentoo, Mongrel, Apache, RoR tutorial
• Monitoring memory on a Slice
• New tutorial for setting Ruby on Rails and a Mongrel Cluster with Apache 2.2
• SSL for Apache + Mongrel Cluster on Gentoo
• Shorewall Setup on a Gentoo Slice
• Nginx + Ruby on Rails on a Gentoo Slice

Collection of HowTos related to Debian. (Refer to Ubuntu as many of them also work for debian)

• Debian Etch setup part 1, from Slicehost
• Debian Etch setup part 2
• Install Remote Desktop in Debian Etch Using Xorg and VNC with SSH Tunneling
• Install Debian on your Slice

• The Perfect Rails/Debian/Lighttpd Stack...
• Official Debian Wiki
• http://www.debian-administration.org/
• http://www.debianadmin.com/
• research papers
• http://www.debianhelp.co.uk/ Note: This site doesn’t seem to have as much information related to Etch as the others
• Notes on building Apache 2 + Mongrel on Debian
• Debian Web/Mail/FTP Server Setup for SliceHost
• Configuring a lightweight Apache / MySQL install
• Setting up a LLMP Stack (Linux, Lighttpd, MySQL, PHP5)

• FedoraNotes
• howto_setup_wordpress_using_lighttpd_and_mysql_on_a_fedora_core_6_slice

• Securing a new Fedora 6 Slice
• Installing Rails on Fedora 6
• Installing Typo on FC6
• FC6, Subversion, svn+ssh, RadRails with PKI
• Successful deployment using Capistrano from Windows to FC6 on slicehost
• Install Drupal on Fedora 6
• Website Backup Strategies
• MySQL Replication

• Install Slackware on your Slice (deprecated - may not work for you)
• Installing an arbitrary Linux distro on your Slice

• http://www.gelens.org/archlinux-mailserver/ Howto install and configure IMAP and email server using Postfix and Dovecot on ArchLinux (also valid for other distro’s of course)
• SSH Brute Force Blocking Blocking Brute Force attacks with iptables
• http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DenyHosts Blocking DoS SSH attacks
• http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Main_Page This is the Archlinux wiki. Certain items may not apply directly to Slicehost, but recommend you start here.

• MySQL tips

• …

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• Nginx Wiki (English)
• nginx config file
• Nginx Configuration Tutorial (Err the Blog)
• Lighttpd with Apache
• Litespeed template script to help you build a directory structure before instantiating a template.
• nginx configuration tips
• apache2 configuration tips

• Authenticate Postfix to upstream relay
• Lightweight mail relay to Google Apps or Gmail SMTP server

• Detailed information on DNS record types
• Slicehost DNS Management Articles - Includes base domain setup, Reverse DNS, MX records and Google Apps records.
• DNS setup script for automating DNS setup

• Munin & Litespeed - Graphing Litespeed vitals with munin
• ServerStats - Server stats in nice graph format with “ServerStats”

• RubyWorks production stack Collection of open-source software required to host a RubyOnRails application on Linux servers.
• Instructions for using Litespeed server w/ Mongrel, no balancer needed
• Mongrel Startup Script
• Mongrel, Apache 1.3 & SSL from Jamis Buck
• Subversion for a Rails project
• Installing Edge Rails
• Capistrano2 recipe for Debian Etch

• Start a New Django Project
• Start a Shared Django Application
• Django Dream Server - Setup Process

• Use the NetBSD excellent pkgsrc packages collection on Mac OS X

• Get started with Memcached in PHP

• Setup cPanel on CentOS

• A convenient testing environment using Slicehost backup and cloning options

• PHP5 with bundled GD version on Ubuntu - resolves the missing functions problem

• SSH connection setups tend to be a little slow, disable Reverse DNS to speed them up (or add the host(s) you are connecting from to /etc/hosts). Disable SSH reverse DNS by adding UseDNS no to your /etc/ssh/sshd_config file.
• Locale errors/issues
• Using LVM on your Slice:
• * Via loopback
• * Via devmapper
• Excellent Django, PHP, Apache, Mysql Slice setup tutorial. Even addresses DNS setup.
• Hard disk optimization
• Making NTP work - What to do if NTP doesn’t seem to have any effect on your slice.
• Neighborly Cron - Change your default cron run times to avoid compounded disk/cpu use.

• An excellent article from Martin Streicher, editor of Linux magazine, on wget, curl and ssh. Great for people new to the command line.
• A guide to modern UNIX systems, a guide attempting to cover all UNIX basics. Hosted on a Slicehost slice.

• http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Teaching/Unix/ UNIX tutorial for beginners
• http://linuxboxadmin.com/ This site has several good articles including mini howto’s.
• http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=458716 Various tips and tricks for VPS administration.