Tips for creating a server with LMDE

[jr121705]

I am thinking about starting a server at my home to run email and possibly a private media sharing site for my family. I am currently using LMDE Cinnamon on my home computer and was thinking about starting a server using LMDE (or maybe just Debian). I have been doing a little reading but I still have a lot to learn. I have been on Linux now for about a year and have a basic working knowledge of the command line. I was just wondering if I could get some tips about how to setup a server. Any advice or direction that you may be able to give me would be greatly appreciated.

[mutysam]

If you want to run a mail/media server you'd be better using debian really. LMDE is all very nice for a desktop environment but you don't need any of the additional features LMDE provides whilst you do need the stability/security of debian wheezy for your server. Use postfix for your email. Not entirely sure what you mean by 'private media sharing site' if it's for sharing files maybe use glftpd (advantage of making this available to local network only - make sure you use it).

[jr121705]

If you want to run a mail/media server you'd be better using debian really. LMDE is all very nice for a desktop environment but you don't need any of the additional features LMDE provides whilst you do need the stability/security of debian wheezy for your server.

That makes sense. Going from LMDE to Debian shouldn't to difficult will it? LMDE is really user friendly for a Linux newbie like me, so I am still a little bit afraid of Debian.

Use postfix for your email. Not entirely sure what you mean by 'private media sharing site' if it's for sharing files maybe use glftpd (advantage of making this available to local network only - make sure you use it).

I would like to make a website to share videos and pictures with my family that is not public (such as Facebook, but where we have control of our data). I thought I saw a program that I could use to create my own media sharing website on my own server so that I could allow my family to see and share pictures and videos, but that were not available to the general public. They would have to know the password to log in (like Flicker of Photobucket).