Are These Specs OK for A Server?

[nujinini]

Hello Roxoff

Actually, I'd use the network install CD for CentOS - it's a much smaller download, and it installs packages straight from the repositories, so they're already the latest version - there's no big update cycle afterwards.

A friend gave me a DVD of the latest version of CentOS and I was able to install it a few months back. Aside from problems with the wireless, I think the open office version was 2.4 and is quite old. But maybe since it will be dedicated as a server, I don't really have a need for open office. That can be on our laptops. I might have a little (or not so little) problem with this though...

The only drawback is that it asks for the path to a mirror for the CentOS files. If you go down this route, make a note of a mirror local to you and where it keeps its CentOS files before you begin the install.

Maybe this part of "path to a mirror", I can learn along the way

install only the barest minimum of packages that you can get away with, you may want to start with absolutely nothing plus a simple Gnome desktop (this will allow you to use a graphical desktop while you set the thing up) and then add the packages you need with yum afterwards.

Yeah! I really wanted to ask if it was OK to just install the Gnome desktop plus only the things I need to run my server.

I remember when I tried to play around with it before, I ended up without the Gnome desktop and I had to reinstall everything since I felt I was literally facing a "blank wall" so to speak

[Rubberman]

On CentOS, I prefer KDE. It is the 3.5.4 version, not the latest 4.x. Works very well and I think is not much more resource intensive than Gnome. You can choose when you install the system. As for OpenOffice, you can remove the 2.4 distribution easily enough and add the go-oo.org repository for the latest and greatest (improved) OpenOffice 3.2. You can get the repository rpm from Your Office Suite

[nujinini]

Good Morning Rubberman,

OK sure. I will try kde. I am now practising installation on VirtualBox in my laptop. Perhaps I will do actual installation in a day or two.

Thanks!

[nujinini]

...As for OpenOffice, you can remove the 2.4 distribution easily enough and add the go-oo.org repository for the latest and greatest (improved) OpenOffice 3.2. You can get the repository rpm from Your Office Suite

Hello!

I removed 2.4 and installed OpenOffice 3.2. However, I can't seem to find the start button?

Menu>Office>(Used to be here)

[Rubberman]

Hello!

I removed 2.4 and installed OpenOffice 3.2. However, I can't seem to find the start button?

Menu>Office>(Used to be here)

Don't know. It put them there for me... My KDE task bar / quick start buttons do the right thing also.