Using Linux as a server for a home network.
 

Hey,

I would like to setup a server using Linux which will allow users to logon to any desktop using their own username and password and access their files and such and also I will be able to control who can access what programmes. The desktops would be running Linux. How would I do this? I know you can do it with Windows Server making a domain controller or something but how do I do it with Linux? BTW their will be no windows computers on the network.

If they're all linux machines, I believe the proper way is to use NIS. I've never used this and it might no longer be the recommendation.

If you ever want to also have Windows computers use the domain, you're better off with setting up Samba as a domain controller.

Here's a howto for setting up OpenLDAP and Samba on Ubuntu.

Can anyone point me to some tutorials on setting it up?

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7334 -- generic NIS tutorial

You might be able to find a more specific one for your distribution if you google NIS and your distro name.

The other link in my earlier post is for OpenLDAP.

Thanks, I am going to buy a book.

What other things would I need to set up? DHCP etc, so I can easily add computers to the network. How would I setup internet access? Would it be as simple as plugging the router into the server?