setting up server

[Llama2you]

Hi

I'm thinking of setting up a linux server(Mandrake 10.1), it needs to route Internet from a USB cable modem(scientific atlanta) to 2 different computers (2 ethernet cards installed) and also be a server for filesharing, if even possible a web server. Windows 2003 server trial will expire soon, and I have no intention to buy anymore microsoft software. It will have to disribute to 2 or 3 computers, 1 connected directly, and one or 2 through the 2nd ethernet card and a router, which doesn't work without thwe server(I don't know why). 1 xp, 1 linux and 1 mac soon to be added.

I am very new to linux, so I need some non-specialized term expalaining.

[Flatline]

Mandrake can definitely do all the things you mentioned...try perusing the Mandrake Control Center. I believe you can set up pretty much everything you want in a tidy little graphical interface

[jeremy1701]

You should be able to do all that using MCC like flatline said. What you can't do there (mostly the web-server and file sharing stuff), you can do with webmin.

A few things to note... MDK's default ICS setup proxies everything through port 8080 on squid. That's a bit robust for three computers. You might try firestarter instead.

Don't expect that you're going to make an easy transition from Win to Lin. Keep in mind that they're totally different. Tackle one issue at a time, then move on the next once you get it working. Post your specific questions here.

Jeremy