which distro?

**berrance** · 08-09-2004

hi, i am converting from windows to lnux for my server!

i have just spent a week backing up my server onto DVD's and loding it all back on from re formating all the hard drives from ntfs to ext3 i have curently installed fedora, in the server i always install the os on a seporate hard drive a smaller 8GB one i case of reistlation and for speed. i want an a linux os that does everyhing the same as windows 2003 server enterprise edition, as i said i have curenly got fedora 1 on the system and curenly set up as a pdc through samba, i need a pdc (for my 9x,2000 and xp clients on the network) it also must suport DNS, DHCP, web server, ftp, e-mail (somthing similar to micrsoft exchange would me nice if possable), dial in server (for when i conect from a remote location via a dial up modem) i think iv got all i want down, also whether i stick with fedora or go with i difrent distro is it possable so authenticate every one from one DB? so that the people logging on to the domain use the same user name and password for there e-mail and anything els similar to microsofts active directory where everything is authenticated with it? is that possabe?

am i best staying with fedora or going with another distro? and ifso which? it must be free though!

**big_k105** · 08-09-2004

This is a really hard question to answer as there is no one best distro out there. You need to just download a bunch and started testing them and find the one you like. everyone here is just goin to tell you that you should use the distro they use, its a loyalty thing. as i am goin to tell you to try slackware (my favorite distro

). so i recommend you go to distrowatch.com and look around there and go to the sites and download and try them out. if you like fedora stick with it or if you want to try something else distrowatch is great place to find all the distros available to you

good luck

**jasonlambert** · 08-09-2004

Originally Posted by berrance

hi, i am converting from windows to lnux for my server!

i have just spent a week backing up my server onto DVD's and loding it all back on from re formating all the hard drives from ntfs to ext3 i have curently installed fedora, in the server i always install the os on a seporate hard drive a smaller 8GB one i case of reistlation and for speed. i want an a linux os that does everyhing the same as windows 2003 server enterprise edition, as i said i have curenly got fedora 1 on the system and curenly set up as a pdc through samba, i need a pdc (for my 9x,2000 and xp clients on the network) it also must suport DNS, DHCP, web server, ftp, e-mail (somthing similar to micrsoft exchange would me nice if possable), dial in server (for when i conect from a remote location via a dial up modem) i think iv got all i want down, also whether i stick with fedora or go with i difrent distro is it possable so authenticate every one from one DB? so that the people logging on to the domain use the same user name and password for there e-mail and anything els similar to microsofts active directory where everything is authenticated with it? is that possabe?

am i best staying with fedora or going with another distro? and ifso which? it must be free though!

Which distro you use REALLY doesnt matter that much. They can all run the software you want.On the email thing, you are proberly going to have to buy a commercial product such as SUSE's OpenExchange server (which they refuse to give me an evaluation copy of!). As far as im aware there are no "free" exchange alternatives.

Jason

**kkubasik** · 08-09-2004

There are no 'free' exchange options that i have found to date, but you can fake it decently with samba and an imap mailsever. (thats really only if your doing it because you cant afford an option like openexchange.)

**Mystic_Slayer** · 08-10-2004

I thought, correct me if i'm wrong you have to buy for a linux distro if you use it in business?

**big_k105** · 08-10-2004

no you dont have to buy it to use it in a business i dont think. but i could be wrong too.

**stathisx** · 08-11-2004

if you buy a distro like suse pro the only thing you pay for is for the books included that help you administer you linux box..if you are familiar to linux download the iso's..

**U-Turn** · 08-11-2004

When you buy Linux, you're actually buying hard-copy versions of that distros documentation and whatever level of support(on-line and/or phone) the version comes with. If you were so inclined, you could download Slackware(or whatever distro you prefer) and deploy it in a billion-dollar, multi-national corporation without spending a cent.
I would hope, however, that you would choose to support the distro you settle on.

**Mystic_Slayer** · 08-11-2004

Only for the servers of redhat / suse you would pay if i'm correct then?

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