I'd like to set up Linux file server for Windows computers

I'm sure the answer to this is somewhere in this forum but I can't seem to use the correct search terms to find it. If someone can steer me to a thread or the correct application I'd be grateful.

I have a network of about 15 PCs running Win98-SE and Win-XP. We are currently using NetWare 4.11 and things are going well. But, Novell is very expensive and they don't support 4.11 anymore and for the future I'd like to replace the NetWare file server with a Linux server.

Internet and email services are provided by a Linux router/firewall/MTA on the same physical LAN.

If it is important, I have provided a list below of the typical programs run by users on the system. Mostly, NetWare is providing only file services. I know the backup software would have to be replaced, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for any help -- no real urgency. This is something I'd like to start working on so I can just roll it out one day.

Chas

============== FWIW:
The principal applications in use (by clients on LAN) are:

Internet Explorer -- services provided by a Linux router/firewall on the same physical LAN

Pegasus/Outlook Express/Eudora -- MTA for our domain is hosted on the Linux computer (same one as the router/firewall using Exim-4.4x

WordPerfect 10/11/12 -- documents stored on NetWare VOL_1:

DOS-application -- a Clipper compiled database with all EXE, OVL, DBF, NTX etc. stored on NetWare SYS: Shared access is inherant with no special flags set in NetWare -- the part of the tree containing programs and datafiles and indices is OWNED by Admin and all but Supervisor rights are allowed to EVERYONE

We use a scanner at one WinXP station to put PDF on VOL_2: so that we can email them.

The only NetWare services in use are ArcServe for NW (backup) and the NetWare print server.

I'm certanly no expert on Windows / Linux sharing, but the basic program you want to connect both OS's is SAMBA this will alow you to connect your Linux file server to all your Windows boxes, and share files etc. Samba will also alow printing from the Win boxes through the Linux server.

As for backup software I'd look at some of the following: KDar, dar, Bacula, Storix, rdiff-backup, or Partition Image

I hope this helps a bit;

dylunio

Thank you! I realized after posting that I put this Q in the wrong section, but I was close! :-) I've got a spare box here and I'll put Samba on it and start fooling around with that.

I'm a SuSE-er also -- though I see you are at 9.1 -- I'm at 8.2; maybe I'll use 9.1 for this experiment.

I have mixed feelings about Novell buying SuSE. Novell bought Digital Research and made great strides with DR-DOS and then dumped it. I was using the multi-threading/multi-tasking features of Novell DOS thinking they might actually give WinDoze and OS/2 a run for their money when they dumped it. They bought WordPerfect and taught all the WordPerfect users that no longer was tech support readily available -- lost very many formerly loyal WordPerfect users during that time. NetWare has been an extremely reliable and stable platform for many years and continues to be rock solid. A bit pricey, though -- and clearly overkill for networks our size and simplicity.

So, on the one hand, NetWare is superior to WinNT in terms of stability and freedom from attack. Linux is clearly superior to WinNT in any terms you want to mention. So I should be happy that the people who brought us NetWare are going to bring us future releases of a fine Linux distro.

SuSE was my selection after trying RedHat, Slackware, Caldera, some other one -- I got SuSE 6 and found that it "felt good" to me -- sort of like getting into a new truck and finding the controls right where you expect them to be and the wheel and gear levers right by your hands and so on. Subsequent releases have not disappointed. I just hope Novell can be trusted to not screw it up!

Thanks for the help.
Chas