I'm looking to setup a Linux server that will act as both a DHCP and Print server. This is for my employer's secondary location, which has about 20 users. The primary location that I actually work at is using Windows 2000 Server edition and around 50 users.

I have only dabbled with Linux (which amounts to very little), but this looks like a great place to start as it will do very specific things all-the-while saving money.

Here are my questions:

1. The network is made up of Windows 2000 & XP computers. Is this a problem?

2. Are there GUI-based apps/tools that make DHCP and print server setup and management EASY? (I ask this because I'd like to slowly get into the command line, not be plunged into it.)

3. Any distro recommendations for my little project?

Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Absolutely not.
You need dhcpd+samba+cups (dhcpd - clear, cups as printer server, samba to share the printer). Cups has web interface on its own. For dhcpd and Samba you can use Webmin (also web interface).
The one you like most, in fact. It's a very standard configuration. If you have experience with a distro or two, choose from them. If not, use something popular like RedHat, Fedora, SuSE etc.

Thanks Mara, much appreciated! This sounds simpler than I thought it would be. I'm curious if the apps you mentioned are standard install on any distros, or are they more "exotic"?

I would install dhcp using command line if you wish to learn it. This would be the easiest to learn/configure.

for a server I would recommend a distro that doesn't change frequently, focuses on stability, and has a LONG update / support policy such as Debain Stable (v 3.1 Sarge is current).

Some of the other distros have frequent updates and changes which I would shy away from for a stable server role. also you will find that these rapidly changing distros may no longer be supported by the software vendor when your server isn't that old..

Case in point, my RedHat 9 box that I'm running as a server, Redhat up and dropped all support several years ago.. ouch !! Not too good for a OS that was released in March of 2003 and support was discontinued in April of 2004 a whole 1 year lifespan from release to them discontinuing updates.

Be sure to review the support policy from a vendor when choosing a distro for a server role..


RH Enterprise Linux
Five years

Fedora Project
2-3 months (after next release)

Red Hat Linux (Last version was 9)
Last updates end April 2004


Debian - security updates will be avail for One year _past_ the release of the next stable version. (the last stable version had a run of about 5 years.. )

Mandrake - One year on desktop components 18 months on Kernel and underlying systems..

Suse OSS

Suse Enterprise Linux

Ubuntu


etc..

I'll consider that. So far, my own experience to linux has been w/ VectorLinux, which I thought was a pretty decent distro. I might check into that again, or maybe slackware. I suppose I need to start learning the command line some time anyway.

They're very, very standard.