OT: How can I run a server on my own computer

[tberk@mindspring.com (T Berk)]

Andrew Wong wrote:
> 
> I have DSL on my computer and I really want to run a
> server inorder so I can host my own pictures of my
> stuff instead of releying on other people to host them
> for me.  My question is how do I set one up from my
> computer and I've seen programs that automatically
> make a gallery so that my pictures show up as
> thumbnails.  Is there any free apps for that?  Another
> question is do I need to be connected to the internet
> so that my server would work?  I turn my computer off
> during the day when I am at school and am wondering if
> I need to keep the computer on so the server works
> 
> =====
> -Andrew Wong



Andrew, 

I want to pose another possibility:  AOL (or most any ISP) should
provide you with some home page space. Up side is they host the server
(Open All Nite!), possible downside is space limitations (usually
around ten megabytes, hopefully more), this can be dealt with by
compresing pix, resizing to remove redundant bits, etc.. 

All you then need to worry about are learning a little HTML, FTP (file
transfer protocol) to post them onto the server, and the thumbnail
utils that make a "click here to show full size image" page. 

OTOH, the utils and programs made nowadays tend to sheild the enduser
from the real dirty nuts n' bolts so you don't need to actually type
much code at the keyboard, just a few clicks allowed me to make _this_
monstrosity via my ISP's provided web page creator. (it's free, you
get what you pay for.):


<http://tberk.home.mindspring.com> [Disclaimer] Note that even thugh I
have been in computers prob. longer than you have been here on the
planet, none of my faboulus skills of any kind are demonstrated on
this page. 


I use it to link urls to pix, for use on vortex or here etc.

hth,
TBerk