A Raspberry Pi is small kit computer that uses an ARM processor. (like those found on smartphones) It has everything one needs to run a web server, as well as countless other computer projects that are well documented by passionate techies across the globe. It is a very bare bones machine, so it forces users to really learn the basics of computers, operating systems, and electronics.
Here is a rundown of the specs on the Raspberry Pi 3 B+
There isn't much to it, and one has to supply all the peripherals in order to turn this into a working system. These include a keyboard, mouse, power supply, audio and video cables, TV/Monitor, speakers, SD card(4 Gig), and a ethernet cable.
For this project, the keyboard, mouse and TV/Monitor were only necessary for the initial installation and setup of the system. After that the webserver runs "headless", that is to say without any input or output peripherals. Getting a website up and running is no small task, especially when you are starting from scratch and know little about computer networking. Luckily there is a plether of information, tutorials, and walkthroughs available on the web that I resourced in order to get my feet wet.
Here are some of the best walkthroughs and tutorials I have used, and in many cases still use, to help me better understand computers, Linux operating systems, web design, and networking:
theurbanpenguin.com--Clear, precise youtube
tutorials, and blog that takes you step by step through learning Linux administration.
Terminus--A fun
text adventure that helps you use and remember Linux commands. A great way to get comfortable
with the command line.
penguintutor.com
--I used this site's walkthrough for setting up this webserver.
jeremymorgan.com--This site was also great for setting up the server.
mattwilcox.net--One more Raspi webserver walkthrough.