Need help with concepts behind networking programs like SQL and Postfix.

[urquanmaster]

I'm usually pretty OK when I'm using networking programs like apache and samba. They just require just a few steps and you're done. But, what about more complex things like databases and postfix?

What is happening is that every guide I look at just shows the step-by-step process. But, I'm really not learning anything that way. There are a lot of basics that I still don't know. For example:

-Should PHP have it's own usergroup?
-Do I need to give these programs privleges?
-What do all the options on the config files mean?
-What exactly is localhost/localdomain and why aren't they allowed to connect to SQL?

I'm not really looking for simple and straight answers. I'd rather find something more comprehensive, such as a book or six-page guide.

If you know of any good books or websites that cover the subject of network program integration, please post it. Thanks for any feedback.

[LeeU]

You could try the forums over at Database Journal