Web Server Handbook, The - Softcover

Pete Palmer; Adam Schneider; Anne Chenette

Softcover

ISBN 10: 013239930X ISBN 13: 9780132399302

Publisher: Pearson P T R, 1996

Synopsis

A guide to building a Web site on a home computer. Includes basic information on the Internet and World Wide Web, and more extensive detail on service providers, accounts, Web server fundamentals, data communications services, domain name and IP address, and setting up Web servers for UNIX, Windows, or Macintosh. It also addresses layout and design, sound, compatibility, doing business on the Web, advertising, CGI programs, and security and maintenance. The appendices are quick reference guides for HTML, UNIX, and Perl; information on networks and TCP/IP; and an overview of the CD, which includes the four most popular web servers. Well-indexed. No bibliography. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

About this title

About the Author

PETE PALMER is a graduate of Ohio State University. He has been a technical writer and programmer in the mainframe computer industry for the past nine years. When not working with computers, he enjoys watching trains with his daughters.
ADAM SCHNEIDER graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz and does research in cognitive psychology. He also does independent consulting of various kinds, specializing in Macintosh applications. In his spare time, Adam fiddles with his guitar and looks for any excuse to play softball.
ANNE CHENETTE has a degree in Russian language and a minor in computer science. She has been a technical writer and UNIX system administrator for 13 years, and has been an active member of the Internet community since 1984. Anne's claims to fame include tap-dancing on the radio and conducting the Minnesota Orchestra.

From the Back Cover

All the information and software you need to set up your own Web server: No experience necessary!
Nowadays, anyone can “surf” the World Wide Web. But many people assume that if you want to put your own information on the Web, you'll have to spend thousands of dollars on specialized computers and consultants.
The truth is, you can set up your own Web server, even if you have little or no Web experience. This book shows you how: step-by-step, with no hype. And it covers all the software you'll need, too—whether you use Windows 95, Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Macintosh, or UNIX. Starting with the absolute basics, you'll learn how to:


*Set goals for your Web server

*Choose your hardware and software

*Choose the right Internet service provider

*Get a domain name and IP address

*Build your site, step-by-step

*Add pictures, forms, and interactivity

*Test, maintain, and update your site

*Publicize your site

*Make your site secure

Better yet, with The Web Server Handbook, you can build an attractive site customized to your own needs—not just a cookie-cutter site that looks like everyone else's. You'll even find quick-reference guides to many important tools for Web site operators, including HTML, Perl programming, TCP/IP networking, and basic UNIX.
The Web Server Handbook's CD-ROM is compatible with Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX systems; it contains the Internet's most popular Web Servers, including those from Apache, CERN, and NCSA, and a 60-day trial version of the WebSite Windows NT Web Server.
The CD-ROM also contains dozens of helper applications and Web pages with built-in links to extensive on-line resources—even a Web site just for readers of this book.
Why pay a fortune for a Web site? Do it yourself, with The Web Server Handbook/CD-ROM! It contains everything you need to create your own Web Server.

From the Inside Flap

Preface

As you can see by browsing through any magazine these days, just about anyone can surf the World Wide Web. But many people assume that if you want to put your own information on the Web, you need to spend lots of money on a specialized computer and hired networking consultants.

The truth is that with the right knowledge, anyone can put information on the Web for others to see. This book gives you that knowledge, and you may very well be able to do it with equipment that you already own. We will show you how to create a World Wide Web server that can provide information, text, graphics, sound, and more on demand, to anyone on the Internet, anywhere in the world. (A Web server is simply the computer that is home to one or more Web sites, which are collections of Web pages and supporting software.)

We will teach you the basics of the Internet and World Wide Web, so that you have a greater understanding of the workings of the Web. Then we will walk you through the process of setting up a World Wide Web site on your computer, and we will recommend a number of useful programs, many of which are available for free, and tell you exactly how to get them. Finally, we will give you some advice about proper Web site design and maintenance, and we will show you how to add more complicated elements such as interactive forms to your pages to increase their usefulness and appeal.

This book is not biased toward or against any type of computer or operating system. One of the most exciting features of the Web is its amazing compatibility with different platforms, and we have fully embraced this ideal. Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, and UNIX users each have their own specialized chapter, but the rest of the book applies to everyone.

We'll provide step-by-step instructions, along with practical tips based on our extensive Web experience, but we won't overload you with unnecessary details. We will also give you an overview of helpful background material, plus numerous pointers to more information. And, unlike the template-based books and software currently being sold for Web server creation, this book gives you the information you'll need to customize your server for your needs.

Why should you create a Web site? Aside from the obvious academic benefits that everyone can reap from this global network, the Web opens up whole new markets, and gives rise to business opportunities that are only possible in cyberspace. If you have an organization that needs a way to spread information around the country or around the world, or if you own a business of any kind, you can use this electronic frontier to bolster your membership or gain an edge over your competition. Or you can just have fun. No matter what your motives, this book can help.

This is not a book on surfing the Web. There are already many books and magazine articles on this topic, as well as tons of free information on the Web itself. We provide the basic steps for getting you on the Web, then point you toward the latest Web information to learn more. This is not a book on the latest hot spots of the Internet. Such information goes out of date much faster than it can be printed. It is far more effective to use the Web-based tools to find these sites; we'll tell you how.

This is also not a book on writing HTML (the language used to write Web pages). There are several good books about HTML, but these books do not explain how to build your own Web server from scratch, like we do. This book does provide enough information about HTML to get you going, the basics of HTML and a quick reference guide. We also give recommendations for our favorite Web sources of HTML information.

Finally, this is not a book on how to market your services on the World Wide Web. We'll leave the marketing advice to the pros. However, we will give you some essential information on Internet conventions and netiquette, as well as some valuable tips on how to advertise your Web server most effectively.

This book is for beginners and experienced Internet users alike. The material covered here has no prerequisites, other than a general understanding of your computer and a desire to learn more. Setting up your Web site will take some effort, but probably not as much as you might think and keeping it going will require a commitment on your part, but we think you will find the end result rewarding and worthwhile.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson P T R
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 013239930X
• ISBN 13: 9780132399302
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 496