Howdy all,

I'm thinking of setting up an old desktop (Dell Dimension 4300/512mb RAM/20g&80g hdd) as a media/file server and using Slackware 13 for it. I'm completely new to doing anything server-wise, so any insight/help/links/etc would be greatly appreciated.

Bit of background: I'm running current versions of Zenwalk and Vector on two different laptops, with the Zenwalk one multi-booting Vista and Ubuntu. The desktop in question is running XP and Zenwalk. I have DSL hooked up to a Linksys WRT (running dd-wrt firmware) for network. I'm not a noob, just not in my comfort zone.

My goal is, in addition to setting up the server, to get more hands under the hood (so to speak) on improving my linux skills. It was a toss up between Slack and CentOS, and being very familiar with Slack-based systems, I'm going that route.

TIA,
Scott

Use both NFS and Samba. NFS will serve your Zenwalk, Vector, and Ubuntu machines. Samba will serve your XP and Vista machines.

Configuring both requires generating some config files located in /etc. The NFS config file is called /etc/exports. The config files for samba will be located in /etc/samba.

If the shared directories are static and available 24/7, the client machines usually connect through /etc/fstab. If the server is not always available, then the same thing can be done through scripts that are run as needed.

On the server box you'll need to enable rc.rpc, rc.nfsd, and rc.samba. You might want to enable ssh too so you can perform maintenance from the den/office/living room rather than running downstairs to the basement all the time.

If the server is not a gateway to the internet or other networks, then as far as your router goes, the box is just another machine on your LAN. If you are using static IP addresses, then update /etc/hosts.

So here is a link. I think this is more-or-less a version of Harrison's book, "The Linux Quick Fix Notebook", so if you like one, you'd probably like the other.

OTOH, it is RedHat/Centos/Fedora based, but mostly I find it easy-ish to adapt from one distro/philosophy to another, once you have got the principles.

So
seems like a rational way of making a decision, but makes my link less useful than it would have been, had you chosen centos.

Just a few links to aid you;

Slackware® Essentials
Slackware® Basics
Linux Documentation Project
Rute Tutorial & Exposition
Linux Command Guide
Utimate Linux Newbie Guide
LinuxSelfHelp
Getting Started with Linux
Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide
Linux Home Networking
Virtualiation- Top 10

These links and others can be found at 'Slackware-Links'. More than just Slackware® links!

Thanks all for the ideas/links. I have just successfully set up Slackware64-13 on my Toshiba laptop(replacing the Zenwalk partition), and got the ATI catalyst installed and running smoothly.

I'll probably just reformat the Dell desktop with Slackware 13 only, but I do have the current CentOS live cd waiting to burn so I could give that a run first after checking out salasi's link.

@Onebuck: I think I probably have most of those links bookmarked in my "to read" folder.

Thanks again everyone,
Scott