We currently have a Novell 3.12 server that works fine. However, it is about 9 years old and of course 3.12 can’t use new hardware.
I intend to replace it with a linux server as I have no use for a windoze server. The old Novell has spoiled me. It just set there and runs and nothing ever has to be done to it.
The linux server needs to be accessed from MS-DOS and windows 98SE. Our needs are simple and it does not even need to access the internet. We have a DOS program that is accessed on the server and we have an accounting program that is accessed. These are the main things that must be on the server and be accessed.
I am fairly expert with DOS and windoze, but am still a beginner in linux. I have played around with Ubuntu, but for some reason have been totally unable to connect to it with our current computers.
I have a nice new box with an AMD 6000+, Asus mb, 4 gb of 800 ram, two 500 gb drives I would like to run in a RAID configuration with both the same.
After looking around, SUSE came highly recommended and I decided to try it on the box and see what happened.
When I started to download, I found there was a choice between KDE4 and Gnome. Knowing nothing about SUSE, I have no idea of the difference.
For my purposes and with my lack of linux knowledge, which will be best for me to use?
Also, of course, any help in setting it up properly to run what I need run would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
I’m a KDE person myself, but I would be inclined to say you should go for Gnome. kde4 is not the best in 11.1 and whilst kde3 is also available (and kde3 is rock solid) it’s being put on the back burner a little.
There are a number of experts in the forum who can answer your question more fully, @Chrysantine comes to mind.
I would even say, why install a DE at all? It seems that it has to become a rather stable system, normaly use only for attached to from outside (but it is not clear to me with what protocols you want to access the system, only saying " , server needs to be accessed from MS-DOS and windows 98SE …" is not enough for me). System management tasks can be done using the CLI, including using the YaST ncurses interface.
(but it is not clear to me with what protocols you want to access the system, only saying " , server needs to be accessed from MS-DOS and windows 98SE …" is not enough for me). System management tasks can be done using the CLI, including using the YaST ncurses interface.
Let me say your last sentence has me at a total loss as I have no knowledge of the meaning of the acronyms you use.
However, currently we have a database program written to basically run the company and keep up with everything, written in Foxpro and runs in MS-DOS. This resides on our Novell server and is accessed by DOS in DOS computers and from DOS prompts in win98 computers.
We also use MAS90 accounting. This is a windoze program and resides on the server, limited to three users at one time, an dis accessed by win98 computers.
We keep some files and data on the server such as XL files, DOC files, etc. that we access with the win98 computers.
With our main custom written program in DOS we have no desire to upgrade to a windows above 98 that does not have good DOS access. I certainly do not want the hassle of a windoze server with all their problems, crashes, reboots, etc.
>
> We currently have a Novell 3.12 server that works fine. However, it is
> about 9 years old and of course 3.12 can’t use new hardware.
>
> I intend to replace it with a linux server as I have no use for a
> windoze server. The old Novell has spoiled me. It just set there and
> runs and nothing ever has to be done to it.
>
> The linux server needs to be accessed from MS-DOS and windows 98SE. Our
> needs are simple and it does not even need to access the internet. We
> have a DOS program that is accessed on the server and we have an
> accounting program that is accessed. These are the main things that must
> be on the server and be accessed.
>
> I am fairly expert with DOS and windoze, but am still a beginner in
> linux. I have played around with Ubuntu, but for some reason have been
> totally unable to connect to it with our current computers.
>
> I have a nice new box with an AMD 6000+, Asus mb, 4 gb of 800 ram, two
> 500 gb drives I would like to run in a RAID configuration with both the
> same.
>
> After looking around, SUSE came highly recommended and I decided to try
> it on the box and see what happened.
>
> When I started to download, I found there was a choice between KDE4 and
> Gnome. Knowing nothing about SUSE, I have no idea of the difference.
>
> For my purposes and with my lack of linux knowledge, which will be best
> for me to use?
>
> Also, of course, any help in setting it up properly to run what I need
> run would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
>
>
They’re kinda like Coke and Pepsi in a way. Either would do the job of
being a desktop environment/window manager. Some people like KDE, others
GNOME. For example, at work our senior sys-admin is a GNOME guy.
Personally, I like KDE although I’m still using version 3.5 and haven’t
been too impressed with the version 4 releases. That being said I haven’t
tried the new 4.3 version of KDE.
Bottom line in my opinion is pick one. Try it for a while. If it’s not to
your liking try the other. If neither are to your liking there are others
out there.
FreeDOS | Software List
This is just a thought that came to me in regards to your DOS needs I have no personal experience with it. (Did use MS DOS back in the day but my memory has gone gui.)
On the back burner? My understanding is that KDE3 will be dropped from openSUSE as of 11.2. There are no new releases planned for it by the KDE Project, only maintenance patches.
Correct. But I was discussing current release. Your question was not posted in pre-release/beta.
I have to assume you are looking at 11.1
And FYI, if you plans are long term, you might want to consider SUSE Linux Lifetime - openSUSE
I wasn’t the OP, but I see your point. Still, I wouldn’t advise somebody to get comforatable with KDE3 myself, as it’s low in priority and being phased out. 3.5.10 appears to be the end. There are still a lot of loyal users though, so who knows?
Sorry - of course you are not the OP. My mistake.
I agree kde3 looks dead but it will be supported in 11.1 until end of life. Which is why I recommended Gnome, if only tentatively.
my personal opinion (which some/many here may not agree with) is that
your are on the wrong path…
this is openSUSE, we here bang away on leading edge software for
fun…finding bugs…right now there are three versions supported and
the current version (openSUSE 11.1) is due to be abandoned in
December 2010, at which time you would get to decide to change to a
newer version (for another ~18 months) or what?
as we bang out the bugs in short duration editions, Novell releases commercial versions (based on the openSUSE code) ideally suited for
jobs like yours…i’d therefore suggest you strongly consider SUSE
Linux Enterprize Server (SLES), which is sold and supported by Novell…
they have a similar forum (for the enterprise software users) over at forums.novell.com
my suggestion would be to ask over there…and, i believe they may have
all the answers to your (for example) how do i replicate the functions of what i have now on modern hard/software…
ymmv (note: i’m not saying it can’t be done with openSUSE…of course
it can, but i wouldn’t wanna go from a NINE year run to an 18 month
system rebuild cycle…)
Sorry, my fault. I thought that you know something about Unix/Linux systems. On the other hand, I do not know anything about the Novell sytem and almost nothing about Redmonds Windows (well, a little bit about MS-DOS, but that is long ago).
The acronyms:
DE is short for Desktop Environment. That is the general term for products like CDE, KDE, Gnome, more and of course the Windows part of Redmonds systems (but they can not be divided from the rest of their OS).
CLI is Command Line Interface. The way to communicate with a system without using a DE. Though you may use it inside a window running on a desktop, in this case I mean a system without a DE. A bit like a good old MS-DOS system. When your system is just a server, you do not need a DE where people run web-browsers, e-mail programs, multi-media, games and all those things that normaly run inside a DE. When you need to do management tasks on the sytem you either use a management tool (for openSUSE this is YaST) or call the basic tools from the CLI and edit configuration files from the CLI (with vi). YaST then is the only thing people will think it can only be run from the DE, but that is not true. You can run it from the CLI. See the start page of Yast: http://www.xs4all.nl/~hcvv/yast.jpg. This picture is from running YaST inside a terminal emulator, but running it directly from the keyboard/monitor works the same (and better, more lines/columns). The way YaST interfaces through the CLI emulating a sort of windows is done using a set of routines called ncurses. But YaST comes automaticaly with it, so don’t worry.
Then me asking about how those Redmond system are going to connect to the intended server. The normal way one connects to a Unix/Linux server is via one or more TCP/IP protocols. I wanted to know which ones. But when ist is done in a complete different way I hope you are sure this will funtion on the intended openSUSE system.
