A list of the web resources I used to get my opensim install up and running with hyper-grid functionality and inter-grid messaging functionality.

http://opensimulator.org/ is the obvious place to start and to return to when/if things get stuck

HOSTING:

advice on choosing a server: http://chapter-and-metaverse2.blogspot.com/2008/11/hosting-sim.html

the vps (Virtual Private Server) solution I chose:  http://tektonic.net/vps.php

(there is a lot of stuff out there about why/why not use a vps solution over a full server to run opensim, it seems to boil down to resources and RAM, which the tektonic US$15/month package is certainly at the lower end of BUT this is very much about finding an economical and accessible way to run a sim. Which in the end might mean some things don’t quite run at their full potential or the server falls over every now and then, but hey… this lets think about it romantically and call it issues with the new frontier.)

from paying my inital $15 through paypal to getting the email saying all was good and ready to go took all of 10 minutes. I chose a debian system with mysql, php and phpMyAdmin pre installed. (though in hindsight I have a feeling Ubuntu would have been an easier install path)

INSTALL:

All of the folowing resources were helpful in one way or other to getting opensim installed

http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Debian_4_Build_Instructions
(I used ‘apt-get’ in place of ‘aptitute’ in these instruction and all went well)

http://www.virtualwhite.com/?m=200808
(this link provides some of the configuration info missing in the previous link)

LOGGING IN:

http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Connecting

USING YOUR SIM IN HYPERGRID MODE:

http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Hypergrid (despite the security issues this is one of the most exciting reasons to get a stanalonde sim up and running. Teleporting and exploring the (hopefully expanding in size) hypergrid.)

and finally

INTER-GRID IM COMMUNICATION:

The Parralel Selves Message Bridge: http://justincc.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/the-parallel-selves-message-bridge/ (makes it possible to be working in your opensim and communicate via IM with people logged in the Linden Grid.)