FreeBSD vs CGI vs MySQL vs Apache, etc.

[geobop]

I maintain a large a website that I would eventually like to host on a dedicated server. I first need to install and learn how to operate Linux, then I need to learn about server software. Actually, I'd like to acquire a basic understanding of server software before I dive into Linux.

Specifically, I'd like to understand what programs like Apache, MySQL, CGI, FreeBSD and Perl do, which of them are recommended, and how one goes about learning to use them.

My understanding is that Apache and FreeBSD are both operating systems, just as Windows and Linux are different operating systems. I understand that CGI is used to create "special effects," like hit counters. I understand that MySQL is a "database," though I can't quite visualize exactly what it does. Is it like a spreadsheet that you can put on webpages? Am I correct in saying that Perl and Java are both "languages" that people use when working with CGI, just as html and cascading style sheets are both used in making web pages?

Giving an overview that covers all of this is probably too much, but do you know of a website that spells it all out? I'm just having a hard time visualizing this stuff. If no such webpage exists, I'll make one - once I figure it all out.

If I leased a server, would I install Linux on the server, then download and install Apache software (or FreeBSD) on top of it, then install software programs called MySQL and CGI? Then I'd use Perl to work with CGI, just as I use html to work with webpages?

Thanks!

[pbratkowski]

Apache is a web server... when someone connects to www.your-registered-dns-name.com, their browser sends a request to the web server (Apache) and apache sends the page they requested... there are other web servers available, but apache is the most popular and, from what i hear, the best. Apache is the bare minimum if you want a webpage on a dedicated server.

MySQL is a database server... it stores a bunch of tables and databases and your webpage can access the data inside it. it's not exactly a spreadsheet, because you don't put al the data on the site... you can just retrieve specific information

say u're selling books, cd's and movies on the net

database: entire store
table:books

title | format | price | quantity available
a paperback x.xx$ 100
b hardcover y.yy$ 0
.
.
.


you can then use a programming language (like perl, or php, i beleieve... i've never used mysql on net apps so i can't tell you for sure) to list either all the paperbacks, all the hardcovers, all the books matching a specifc title, or whatever according to a set of rules that you define, or any other data that you want

java is another programming language which doesn't rely on cgi, and i don't think cgi relies on java either, although you can implement javascript (a simplified version of java that's widely used on te net) and cgi together

apache is very simple to learn and i'm sure you could learn everything you need about it from the official website, and this forum

mysql is a bit more complicated, and i strongly recomend getting a book about it.... surely you could learn it on ur own, but that would probably give you a headache before you would really know what you are doing....

as for cgi, perl, php or whatever else, those are the hardest thing, i ould say, as they are programming languages

[geobop]

Thanks; that helps me understand it from a "holistic" point of view.