openSUSE11 as server for windows

[iliapi]

Hey..hi..this is my 1st post as a user..i have NEVER used a linux OS before so i am a bit of a novice.
anywas,
1. we are in the process if setting up a small LAN in our new office to cater for around 8 computers and 3 network printers. Windows server software was WAY beyond our budget reach and we wondered if it was possible to use openSUSE 11 as a server for our client machines.5 of which run on xp and 3 on vista.what would we need to get and do in order to make it the openSUSE 11 a viable server and compatible with windows?
2. we will be connected to the internet and will have a wireless router as well.will the wireless router need special configuration?
3.will the server(openSUSE 11..if its possible) act as a DNS and have something similar to Active Directory to manage users and accs?

Many thanks to ANY possible solutions and by the way,we are currently based in Germany...so dont hesitate to reply in german

[Knurpht]

One simple answer: Yes, you can.
NIS - will give you the possibility of user config
Samba - will take care of the windozes accessing the server
DNS - can be run
I would choose for a wired connection to the wifi-router
The router can have a standard configuration.

In fact, you're asking quite a lot. I know it would cost you a bit of money to have someone set it up for you, but that would be the best thing.

Question: Why not choose for openSUSE on the desktop as well?

You should have no worries about compatibility, the community is imho way ahead of the windozes.

[iliapi]

thanks for the reply..well the thing is the users of the pc dont want 2 switch to opensuse as a desktop os..dont ask me y..lol..anywas..ummm..so how do i actually manage the user accounts?..am a little familiar with windows server 2003 so i was lookin for some similarities in use and operation....like folder access..and how to add or remove users...stuff like that..sorry but i am really really new 2 linux....thanks again for the reply

[iliapi]

sorry..one more things..where do i get all these softwares that u mention again?..SAMBA, NIC...etc..etc....(brand new linux idiot user am i)

[Heremod]

for software go to -> yast -> software -> software management. You can install stuff from there . Also depending if you have your software repositories set up correctly and Internet access. You can add more software repositories from here:

Additional YaST Package Repositories - openSUSE

Basically yast is your administration tool. In yast you manage your suse box, user accounts , some software configurations, etc.

Also if you are familiar with AD on wintendo then you might try openldap, if you wanted something like AD.

[iliapi]

Originally Posted by Heremod

for software go to -> yast -> software -> software management. You can install stuff from there . Also depending if you have your software repositories set up correctly and Internet access. You can add more software repositories from here:

Additional YaST Package Repositories - openSUSE

Basically yast is your administration tool. In yast you manage your suse box, user accounts , some software configurations, etc.

Also if you are familiar with AD on wintendo then you might try openldap, if you wanted something like AD.

ummm wintendo..??...openldap??....can you elaborate a little please..??
Thank you

[syampillai]

Frankly, you will need some serious help if you are not familiar with some of these commonly used stuff in Linux. I am not saying they are not difficult to learn and use. Since you have to setup an environment that is going to be slightly complex, you may have to see if you can get hold of someone in your nearby location.

Otherwise, if you have enough time, you can start on this and proceed step by step, by learning and understanding each step.

On Tue March 17 2009 09:56 am, iliapi wrote:

>
> Heremod;1957622 Wrote:
>> for software go to -> yast -> software -> software management. You can
>> install stuff from there . Also depending if you have your software
>> repositories set up correctly and Internet access. You can add more
>> software repositories from here:
>>
>> 'Additional YaST Package Repositories - openSUSE'
>> (http://en.opensuse.org/Additional_Ya...e_Repositories)
>>
>> Basically yast is your administration tool. In yast you manage your
>> suse box, user accounts , some software configurations, etc.
>>
>> Also if you are familiar with AD on wintendo then you might try
>> openldap, if you wanted something like AD.
>
>
>
> ummm wintendo..??...openldap??....can you elaborate a little
> please..??
> Thank you
>
>
iliapi;
You might want to start by reading the following HowTo's:
http://www.pcc-services.com/sles/samba.html
http://www.swerdna.net.au/linux.html

Start with swerdna's site which gives a general overview of Samba but only for
a workgroup environment. The first describes setting up a Samba Domain, it
is written for SLES but the fundamentals are the same. Depending on the size
of your domain, ldap may be overkill. I would suggest you use the tdb
backend for small domains with no need for a BDC. Two more great references
are:
"Samba3 by Example" and "The Official Samba Howto and Reference Manual".
Both of these are part of the Samba documents that you can find here
(assumming you installed the Samba doc rpm):
/usr/share/doc/packages/samba
or online here:
http://samba.org/samba/
--
P. V.
"We're all in this together, I'm pulling for you." Red Green

[iliapi]

Hey ..i kind of had to downgrade the setup from a domain to a workgroup as a couple of the machines were running on Home editions of vista and xp.So what is going to happen is that the linux machine will function as a file and email server...I dont know if that makes sense but i kinda hope it does. I know i am gooing to have trouble with the mail server but thats another story.
Some more questions though..If i wanted to do automated incremental backups, would that be possible.?we are getting a machine that has RAID 1 installed (2 x 750 GB) but we still want to have the backup stored on a removable hard disk drive as well.If we back it up there and test it on another MS Windows machine, will the data be readable..i.e..in a format windows can read?
Thank You

[syampillai]

Of course, you can use it as a file server and mail server.

If you want the backup disk to be readable by Windo$, make sure that you use vfat file system on the backup disk. (Poor Windo$ can not read other more reliable file systems used by Linux and other OSes).