Looking for a Linux file server for a windows network
something similar to Novel Netware but without the expense of have to buy a lot of high end Hardware.


My church is looking to install a file server and I am afraid the local computer guy wants to sell them more then they need. I found some unused PC in the church that could be re-purposed as a file server but I want to use Linux instead of windows. The only thing is after working with SAMBA in the Past I find configuring it difficult but manageable, however others in the future may run into problems (and I don't plan to live forever). SO any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks
Robert
kc5jmr@grandecom.net

SAMBA is probably the best choice for serving files on a Windows network. However, you could use NFS and install an NFS client on each Windows PC. That, or use anonymous FTP and limit access to the local net with the hosts.allow file.

FTP is clunky if you use browsers or "true" FTP clients, but it can provide both general and user-level access. Windows XP and later can even even map an FTP site as a network drive. (2000 may be able to do this, too) So, in that way, you can use FTP and attain most of the functionality available with SAMBA.

You could even have one of the Windows machines map the FTP offering of the file server as a network drive and then offer it up as a true Windows file share to the rest of the network: sort of a file server proxy.