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I have an old p3 500mhz with 512mb of ram that I want to make a print server for linux and windows computers alike. does anyone know of a good ...
  1. 02-22-2010 #1
    RiceKills
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    good distro for old computer working as samba print server?

    I have an old p3 500mhz with 512mb of ram that I want to make a print server for linux and windows computers alike. does anyone know of a good distro that would suit this purpose? i have never done this before, and I want the computer to be able to start up quickly, and an option to disable startx at startup to speed up the boot process. in fact, I don't need/want x at all, its just that I don't know how to configure samba, or anything else for that matter, without x. if someone wouldn't mind helping me though, then a distro without x would be perfect.

    remember I am a linux newb, also English is not my first language, so sorry about any grammar mistakes.
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  2. 02-22-2010 #2
    reed9
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    You can do this with pretty much any distro, so in large part it comes down to personal preference, or looking at things like how long a particular distro's releases are supported, or how easy is it to find online help and documentation.

    In that last vein, I would say Ubuntu Server Edition or Debian would be a good choice.

    A guide for Debian installation
    This is not for Samba specifically, but the initial installation walkthrough is good. You'll note there is a point where you can select 'print server' when choosing which software to install.

    Using Samba on Debian Linux
    Samba Server Configuration in Debian
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  3. 02-22-2010 #3
    RiceKills
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    does ubuntu server startup quickly? is hard for a newb to configure samba without x?
    thanks for your replies.
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  4. 02-22-2010 #4
    reed9
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    Quickly is a relative term. I don't know what that means to you. I also don't use Ubuntu, but I believe it should generally start up without X in around 20 seconds or so.

    The actually configuration of Samba will be the same on any distro. I don't know you can call it easy, but I don't think it's all that difficult. Just be patient and be prepared to do your research. There are many guides on the web.

    Come to think of it, it's possible OpenSuse has some easier setup tools for samba through Yast - which has a curses interface for command line use. That might be a good one to try as well. But my knowledge of opensuse is limited, so don't quote me on that.
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  5. 02-22-2010 #5
    RiceKills
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    quickly as in a regular pc, not a server.
    I already have an opensuse disc, so I might give that a whirl.
    thanks.
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