[CentOS] configuration request

[Lanny Marcus]

On Sun, Jul 20, 2008 at 8:43 AM, Sam Drinkard <sam at wa4phy.net> wrote:
> Hi Lanny,
>   Well, for the most part, I have all the security issues taken care of
> w/r/t logins, ssh, no root logins, etc.

Excellent!

>  My main problem is as I stated is
> the fact that the co-lo site is somewhat difficult to get access to, however
> if I call the office, someone will meet me at the place and let me in, and
> give me all the time I need to do whatever is needed.  For $25/mo, I doubt
> seriously I could find another ISP that would let me have access to a DS-3
> line for said amount.  It started out years ago, and I think the co-lo fee
> now for a DS-3 service runs in excess of $250./mo,

Colos are expensive. $25 is dirt cheap for a colo. If you ever get
tired of the setup you have now,
you can get a Refurbished box from olm.net (and probably a lot of
other reputable
companies) for $30+ a month, but it won't have Remote Reboot at that
price. That's $5 a month
extra.

>so I put up with a bit of
> inconvenience to retain a low fee for the location.  As for the reboot
> problem, I think it's related to the ACPI on the box, and at times, it will
> remote reboot, but I don't usually risk it, and yes, while the kernel is
> updated I don't immediately reboot after an update because of the chances
> the box won't come back up.  It's odd that it will work sometimes, but most
> times I does not, and that dictates a trip downtown, or having one of the
> ISP's staff yank power and repower the box.  I'd considered replacing the
> machine, but it's less than a year old, or perhaps maybe a tad older.. don't
> have the install notes handy, but since the machine is my only mail server
> and the only way I have to send/receive mail, that makes it a very critical
> operation.  I do have some weather related web pages that are served by it,
> but for the most part, it's a low volume server.  Believe me, if I had the
> $$ to install a more reliable box there, I'd do it it a heartbeat.  I'd also
> considered moving the server here at home downtown, but then that move would
> create a whole set of new problems I just don't want to deal with.  If I can
> keep things running regardless of what version of kernel is currently
> running, and there are no problems w/r/t the actual serving of web pages or
> mail, that is the ultimate goal.  Current uptime is something over 150 days,
> and I have no clue what /when the last reboot took place.  It just works...
> which I'm very happy to state.

Sounds like the box is extremely reliable. Are you sure it is not
their Remote Reboot
that is not working properly on your box?

>   Given all the various aspects of the server, the physical site situations,
> and the factors of money, I detest change as long as stuff works as
> advertised!  My favorite motto is "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix
> it"... lol.  I know I need to get myself up to speed w/r/t yum and the
> various repos.  I do have the priorities plugins installed, but I"m not 100%
> sure that it is configured right, just as the protect base stuff.

You are not using both Priorities and Protect Base are you? Use one or
the other,
preferably Priorities.

<http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2008-June/101142.html>

<snip>
>   I'll definitely check out the links you provided and see what I can glean
> from them.  I'm not the young buck I used to be, and it takes me some time
> for new ideas and such to finally take hold.  The inner workings of an OS is
> not for the faint of mind like me, and yeah, there are some 60 year olds
> that still are making inroads to technology, I am, unfortunately not one of
> them, but I just try to stay semi-current with whatever the issue happens to
> be.  It's just not fun getting old... and it creates a big problem at
> times..

Also 60+ here. I got my Novice license in 1955.

73,

Lanny, HK5MDT