File server replacement
 

Hi,

I'm replacing an old Ubuntu samba file server but undecided which is the best choice. If it's strictly used as a file server would it be better to use FreeNAS over a full blown distro? Integration with Active Directory would be bonus.

Can I copy samba configuration, usernames and passwords over from Ubuntu to CentOS to avoid having to re-setup everything?

Thanks

I'd probably try to avoid the appliance path as they dumb things down to point and click which doesn't really contribute to learning, also I wouldn't copy the configuration wholesale just use it as a guide to configure the new system - you may end up with an under-performing system using older configuration directives on a newer version of the application/protocol if it works at all.

Thanks.

What about user accounts and passwords? Can I "move" these across if I'm using CentOS?

You can recreate them and specify the same uid/gid information .. then restore home dir contents.