Development server recommendations
 

Okay, I wasn't really sure where to put this, so I put it here.

I've recently started a course on wireless internet programming, for devices such as cellphones and PDAs. Some of the course will, I believe, touch on Java development (J2ME), but much of it will be using WML, and likely ASP.NET. In order to work on my stuff at home, I'm going to need access to a server. I know IIS that comes with Windows will be compatible, but it's so full of security holes it's not funny, so I'd like another option. I have done some reading and found Apache HTTPD has a mod to support ASP.NET, but it doesn't yet support v2.0 of the .NET Framework.

What I'm looking for:

• ASP.NET support
• WAP gateway (is this part of the server, or an add-on?)
• No IIS (boo! hiss!)

My experience with this sort of thing is virtually non-existent, so if anyone who's been through it would like to share their recommendations, opinions, and insights, I'd like to read them.

You could always use IIS, and turn it on and off if it's just to test stuff. Of course, if you don't like that (which it seem you don't :p ), I always recommend abyss X1 server. It's free too, and has asp.net support (don't know version support though, doesn't say). You can find it at http://www.aprelium.com . It does have asp.net support, whether it's 2.0, like I said, I don't know.

apache now has ASP.NET support through mod_mono.

http://www.mono-project.com/ASP.NET

not sure how good it is yet, but it might be worth the try.

But mod_mono doesn't work on Windows, you'll need mod_aspdotnet, which he referred to above.

Yeah, I'm on Windows (XP Pro SP2). I didn't actually say I was using Windows, but I guess I assumed it was implicit with my mentioning IIS as an option.

I wouldn't be worrying too much about security holes in IIS if I was using XP SP2... :)

Seriously though you could use IIS for now and wait for the serious alternatives to catch up in terms of .NET framework version 2.0 support. (The organisation I work for uses several pieces of software that we are well aware are vulnerable to attack if exposed to a public network, but we just use them anyway for the functionality they provide and try not to expose them to attackers; it's a bit like neglecting to wear a bullet proof vest when you're sitting inside a bullet proof vehicle).

Alternatively, you could consider steering away from .NET; IMNSHO the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages anyway and if you're going to have to edge into Java for some of the phones why not stay there?

if you going to move away from .Net for web development, i'd go with php.