Re: Best overall machine - Linux ready?

[Bruce Smith <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > > And would Linux do a good job being the 
> > > server for a LAN of computers that run Win98?
> > 
> > Most likely.  I can't say absolutely without knowing exactly what
> > you want to serve.
> 
> It'd just be a small computer room, maybe 20 computers.  We 
> wouldn't need it to do a lot.  We'd want to coordinate printers, of 
> course... being able to install software to all the machines from the 
> server would be nice, but linux probably wouldn't be able to do 
> that?  We could probably keep all the software on the machines 
> themselves, rather than on the server, and just have the server 
> store files.
> 
> I really don't know alot about this as you can probably see :)  Any 
> ideas/suggestions are appreciated.

There is a free package called "Samba" that lets Linux look like
an NT server, which would allow the Linux server to be a software
depot and more.

If the location is going to have an internet connection, Linux 
can also perform all of the internet server functions necessary.
Things like DNS server, web server, ftp server, mail server,
and can also save costs by being a IP-Masquerading box what
would let all the Windoze boxes share the same internet connection
while only paying for one phone line (even a dialup would work).

--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
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