Optimise Sun server for Joomla use

I am trying to create our intranet using Joomla on a Sun server. The Server is running Solaris 10. Apache, PHP5 and MySQL have been installed. The problem begins when I install Joomla! File permissions were not set straight away so I have to ftp and set file permission manually. This has never happened to me on a normal hosting. I get the message that the save session directory doesn’t exist. This has never happened to me on a normal hosting. I can still install Joomla but then I have other problems. I tried to create a [login to view URL] file in my Joomla directory to address the problem but I am not an expert. I use Joomla Xplorer to edit templates and whatever; I had to manually give file permission to the template so that I could edit it in Xplorer. Even then, when I make changes to the template nothing happens on the front end. I’ve upgraded from 1.12 to 1.13 but Register Globals Emulation still a problem as the new feature to turn it off or on in Global Configuration/Server does not appear despite the upgrade. This has never happened to me on a normal hosting. To summarise there is clearly a problem with permissions and ownership. The server is not set up correctly. PHP needs sorting out so that I don’t have save sessions problems or get thrown out of the site. I came in this morning and couldn’t access the sight, it said server not found. When I called the helpdesk they restarted the server and the sight came back up. I need someone who is experienced with PHP, Apache, MySQL running on Solaris 10 to give a detailed account of how this server should be set up for optimum Joomla use. Our technical contractors who host and maintain our server are not experienced in anything other than Solaris and it was a long haul just to get them to see the benefit of ALLOWING us: their clients, to use Joomla. Despite what it says in our SLA they haven’t been very helpful and I am at my wits end. I need something I can give to them so that they can get on and do it. My budget for the information is $35/40. This isn’t my job I’m just supposed to maintain the intranet!