A team of LCS CTE students is about to embark on our computer science classroom's newest—and perhaps most ambitious—project to date. Two CST II students and two Cybersecurity Advanced students will team up to build our first Linux network server from the ground up. This website, our "Linux 4 Server Build" website, will facilitate communication, allowing interested parties to monitor progress. Our server will serve as a hands-on learning tool for LCS computer classes for years to come.
A network server is a powerful computer that provides resources, services, or data to other computers, known as clients, over a network. It is designed to manage network traffic, store files, host applications, and enable communication between devices. Servers are essential in environments such as businesses and data centers, ensuring centralized management, security, and reliability for connected devices. In many ways, servers represent what is commonly known as "The Cloud."
Check out the Progress page to see what we're up to!
Success Level 1: (Done!)
Our first goal looks like this: We successfully deploy a running server on our classroom LAN (Local Area Network) where we can store and retrieve files, maintain real-time file backups, and implement a few basic firewall rules. At this point, we say, “This is good,” and shift our academic focus elsewhere. Any further development becomes an end-of-year project for fun or even a goal for next year's team.
Success Level 2: (Done!)
We achieve Level 1, and in addition, the server provides one or two more network services for our LAN and client computers. Example services include:
Vanilla – A self-hosted Vanilla Forums installation, providing a feature-rich, lightweight discussion forum platform.
GameServer – A pre-configured Linux Game Server stack supporting multiple multiplayer game servers (e.g., Minecraft, Counter-Strike, etc.), simplifying game hosting.
Faveo Helpdesk – A ticket-based support system built on Laravel, designed for customer support and IT service management, providing features like automation, ticket tracking, and reporting.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocaol) for issing IP addresses automatically and off-loading the routers.
PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) - Enables computers to boot from the network instead of a USB drive.
Success Level 3: (DONE!)
We achieve Level 2 and take it further by running a secure web server.
(Bonus: If we reach this level, Mr. Carter treats the team and staff supporters to dinner! 🍽️)
Tools include, not limited to, these Linux Containers:
Web2Py – A pre-configured development environment for Web2Py, a Python-based web framework, making it easy to develop and deploy web applications.
eZPlatform – A pre-installed eZ Platform (Ibexa CMS), a robust and scalable content management system for building complex websites and digital experiences.
Drupal 7 – A pre-installed Drupal 7 content management system (CMS) for building websites and applications.
What Would a Level 4 Look Like?
All of the above—plus a virtual machine providing our own classroom AI services.
Note: All of these features are designed for our classroom LAN or subnet. Network traffic to and from our server remains within our gateway router. Providing services like DHCP beyond our LAN could cause issues for LCS. Our goal is hands-on learning and real-world experience, not creating "Skynet."