sending email from LINUX to windows on LAN
 

hello,
i'm working on a project wherin i have a standalone LAN with computers running on LINUX(fedora 9) and with windows (vista and XP).
i want to have the provision of sending mails between the client PCs and server PC(fedora 9).
So, i wanted to enquire how mails can be sent between Linux and windows OS?
are mail services operating system independent?
how can i give user rights i.e i want the respective clients to be able to send mails to the server and vice versa but should not be able to do so between themselves.
Please note that there is no internet connection to the LAN.
if such provisions do exist then i would be obliged if a step by step procedure can be given as i am new to linux.

thank you

You will need to setup a mail server, here is a good how-to on the Postfix MTA:
http://flurdy.com/docs/postfix/, Since you are using Fedora here is a good tutorial on sendmail if you want to use that: http://www.redhat.com/magazine/025nov06/features/email/.

We use postfix because we find it easier to configure and manage.