As a mere dabbler in the World Wide Web, I was pleased to discover that simple concepts and usable software enabled me to launch my first Web server in about an hour. I started this server primarily to demystify the technology for myself, as well as to distribute information to my colleagues and to make available my personal information base that I use in my daily travels around the Virginia Tech campus. I established the Always Learning page to support some of the internal training efforts in the Virginia Tech Libraries.
I installed my first Web server on a Mac, an environment that was foreign to me as a long-term Windows user, because the Mac was available. I used MacHTTP 1.3 as the server software running with MacTCP under System 7.1.2 on a PowerMac 7100/66 with 8MB of RAM. Individuals from several countries accessed this server during its first three weeks of operation.
Later the server software was upgraded to MacHTTP 2.0. That platform met my needs through an an enormous increase in activity through April 1996.
I launched my second server in about thirty minutes using NCSA HTTPd for Windows version 1.3 Pre-release 1 on a 50 MHz 486DX with 16MB of RAM running Windows 3.1 and Trumpet Winsock. I have also run NCSA HTTPd for Windows on a similar Windows PC running FTP Software's PC/TCP version 2.3.
In May 1996, I moved my Web documents to a recently acquired Pentium PC running Windows NT Server version 3.51. This machine runs WebSite, HTTP server software available from O'Reilly Associates.
I hope that the ease of operating a server that can reach readers around the world will motivate others to experiment with the Web as a tool for teaching and information sharing. I wrote this paper to help the beginner to leap the first hurdle of simply getting started. Once started, the budding Webmaster will quickly become aware that an entire world of capabilities is growing up around the World Wide Web. As an amateur I will never explore the heights of those capabilities, but operating my own server helps me to understand and appreciate the power of a professionally operated Web server. While dabbling in this fascinating technology, I will use my server to do useful work in my own domain of responsibility.
As always, I welcome suggestions and comments on my work. I can be reached by e-mail or through my personal Web page.