Linux Servers

[Daewoo]

HAte to admit it, but I have never actually seen a network with microsoft workstations and linux servers (please don't say "the internet" that's different and we all know it). I have worked with Linux networks (all linu, the only way to go) and have worked with windows networks (hey, they mostly work some of the time probably) and have heard the Linux makes a great server even for a network with microsoft workstations.  
HAve any of yoiu had experience at this?  How do you set it up?  Does the linux machine work strictly as a file server?  Do you just set FAT32 file partitions up for the windoze machines to write too?
As much as I hate to see a network with windows machines on it at all, facts is facts, people already know windows and it is expensive both in terms of money and lost productivity to try to re-train an office full of people to a new system.
I am trying to convince some folks that Linux servers are a better way to go than the Microjuk small buisness server (now there's a secure machine).  NO , I am not going to try to set it up myself, but if any of you are in the KAnsas Ciy area and would be interedsted in the job, E-mail me at  [email protected]

[voidmain]

I have used Linux on several jobs with Windows machines as clients.  As a file server (Samba), as a PDC/WINS server (Samba), as a print server (Samba), as a proxy server (Squid), as a SQL database server (PostgreSQL, Sybase, MySQL), and much more. The nice thing is in addition to doing the above things, it can act as a Network Monitor (Big Brother), an intrusion detection system (Snort/ACID), etc etc, all for free.

Regarding the setup and your question about FAT32.  It doesn't matter what file system you use on the server. Samba does SMB/CIFS just as if it was an NT server.  In fact if you have your kernel configured to include file system ACLs then you can even set NT file permissions by right clicking files on a share from an NT client just as if the server was really NT using NTFS. winbind allows you to set user/domain level permissions based on your NT domain.

Samba can be configured to act as 1 of 4 types of Windows server. It can be an NT Domain Controller, an NT Domain Member, a Workgroup Server, or Share Level (like Win95). 90% of the time I set them up as Domain Member servers to take part in an existing domain with existing MS NT Domain controllers.

Depending on the size of the job I may be interested. I might just send you an email. It's not a bad drive for me to get to K.C.

[ May 07, 2002: Message edited by: VoidMain ]