Linux Server - Choosing the right one - Help please :)

[aliveghost]

Hi guys,

Hope you are all well,

i'm pretty new to linux and I am in need of setting up a server.

I downloaded Ubuntu server and tried to go through the ubuntu guide to set it up, getting bogged down with all the code!

Therefore I was wondering if anyone knows of any linux server distributions where I can set up a domain controller, simple file network, usernames and passwords, so that lets say 5 windows computers can join the domain, people log in using there username and passwords and access shared files located on the server. Preferably it would be good if it is a distribution with a GUI, or coded which has a very very good guide attached.

Thanks in advance!!

Sav

[bisti]

Hello. You can install debian as server OS, because it is very stable distribution. For setting up domain controller you must use samba package, it is very simple to configure it. If you need a GUI, samba has web interface, called "SWAT". BTW, you can also install webmin, to manage with web interface you debian configuration.

[oz]

Preferably it would be good if it is a distribution with a GUI, or coded which has a very very good guide attached.

Hello and welcome to the forums!

I believe you'll find that most server distros don't come with a GUI, but you can add one to any of them. In addition, you can use any distro for a server with some modifications and tweaking. I'm not familiar with any server distros that come with a guide attached. In most cases, you can find various guides online with some serious googling.

You can check the following link for favorite server distro as voted by our membership:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/cof...ge-2011-a.html

[sholdowa]

Hi Sav,

I'd stay where you are, and build from there - mainly because loads of people use Ubuntu, so you'll get more support ( and tbh all the major alternatives are just as good, just do things slightly differently ).

To install a gui, type

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

This will get you 'gnome' - a basic gui - that i use by preference. In addition, as mentioned before, I also recommend that you install webmin, a free alternative to dashboards like plesk, cpanel...

First off, make sure you've got everything you need to support it:

sudo apt-get install perl libnet-ssleay-perl openssl libauthen-pam-perl libpam-runtime libio-pty-perl libmd5-perl wget

should get them all. Then download the current version of webmin:

sudo wget prefix://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/webadmin/webmin_1.540_all.deb

And install it.

sudo dpkg -i webmin_1.540_all.deb

You can now point your browser to ssl prefix://localhost:10000 ( replace localhost with the server's IP address if you're connecting remotely ) and you're off. You'll find docs at prefix://doxfer.webmin.com/Webmin

( sorry, replace prefix and ssl prefix with the obvious - I'm not allowed to link them in! )

hth,

Steve

[jschutten]

Why not sme-server?
its a complete server managed via a web-browser.
and its free.

Jan

[aliveghost]

Hi there, thanks for all the help.

Just going through Steve's script,
sudo apt-get install perl libnet-ssleay-perl openssl libauthen-pam-perl libpam-runtime libio-pty-perl libmd5-perl wget

doesn't seem to work, comes up with an error.

Also I have install the desktop version through the server script. When it boots, the login screen works fine through gui, then I have to go back to ctrl+alt+F1 as nothing loads but the background.

Sav

[aliveghost]

Also Jan,

To download the SME Server, I have found this link:
prefix://smemirror.fullnet.co.uk/releases/testing/8/iso/i386/

is the first 639MB file the correct one?

[aliveghost]

SUCCESS!!

I have installed SME Server and configured the domain controller using the guide.

Username etc work on the workstations when they are connected to the domain

However, there is one thing I cannot find, where the folders are located so I can change the users that can access each folder on the server manager.

[jschutten]

SUCCESS!!

I have installed SME Server and configured the domain controller using the guide.

Username etc work on the workstations when they are connected to the domain

However, there is one thing I cannot find, where the folders are located so I can change the users that can access each folder on the server manager.

The folders you want to share with some or more or less, you can do that by make a folder on that server and than share it with a group off people that need access to that folder. make the people that need access to that folder member off that goup.

Hope this helps

[aliveghost]

Thanks Jan. I've set up the I-Bays now.

Do you know how to backup specific i-bays. For example only backup i-bays 1 & 3 & username files for savan, leaving the rest of the files on the server?

Sav