Small server setup - part 1 of problems
 

Hi guys, I'm a total newb with running Linux and I could really use some help. I've got to set up a small 3 computer network using Fedora 8 and I am having more problems than I know what to do with.

The setup:
I've got 3 nice computers (2.4 ghz processors with a gig of ram) hooked up to a KVM switch and an ethernet router. I've got Red Hat Fedora version 8 (I think it said Psyche) and their full set of CDs, the DVD installer, and etc.

First problem:
On the computer that I installed the server version, I totally forgot to make a separate account so all I've got is root. I reach the prompt for login password and so I typed root and my pw. Great, now I've got the [root@localhost root]# thing up. ...What now? I want to create a separate account. Additionally, I'd like to be able to boot into a "normal setup" that looks like the typical desktop stuff I see on all other Linux machines. I'm confused and I've checked out several guides and I'm not really sure what to do.

Second problem:
Once I get these machines (2 are set up as Workstations and the other is the server) all up and running, how do I get them to connect to one another? Is there a good, clear play-by-play walk-through that I can use?


I'd really appreciate any and all help. I'm sorry if I missed anything obvious but English isn't my first language and I've got problems communicating.

Server Desktop
 

Since I've done this before, I can offer you some advice for setting up your server.

Since it sounds like you JUST set-up your machine, maybe you want to try a re-install and make sure you pick the graphic option. Then make sure you select options for a Gnome (or whatever your preference is) environment. You don't have any data to lose and your machine is relatively fast, so it is probably the easiest way. You can then create your new accounts using the GUI.

Good luck!

Ah, shit. Okay, so I am reinstalling the machines as I speak right now. I understand that most of the community here probably thinks, "Some shitty CS student who wants us to do all of the work." Well that really isn't true, so I apologize if I came off that way. My next thread I create will have more specifics.

Anyhoo, I did exactly as you said and I'm starting to tinker a bit. However, I'm confused a bit about some hardware requirements. I've got the three machines all plugged in to the router with some ethernet cables, but I'm not so sure that this will "connect them all to each other." By any chance have any of you seen a guide for hardware connection requirements for a Fedora server?

(Other than that, y'all can just close this thread. Thanks guys!)

First thing to do is to check that version. Psyche is Rehdat 8, not Fedora 8, so it is way out of date and will cause all manner of problems for you.

Can you confirm that first?

As billmayday said in the previous post you have an old copy of Linux. I would take the time to download a fedora 9 or if your gutsy fedora 10, or you could try Ubuntu as well. The biggest advantage of this is that the new versions of Linux have a much better HCL and you will have much less headaches, not that you will not have any headaches.

Fedora - http://fedoraproject.org/en/get-fedora
Ubuntu - http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu

Hope this helps.

I'd suggest CentOS 5 for a server. The Fedora release cycle is too rapid for a server

I'll second billymayday's suggestion for using CentOS for your server.

It's 99.99% the same thing as Redhat's product, so you could then easily use the official (and freely-available) Redhat deployment guides. This should make life a great deal easier for you in getting started.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/e...-US/index.html

The CentOS home page is at http://www.centos.org ; current release is 5.2 .

To add a user, you run the useradd command. Run "man useradd" to see the syntax.

I'm not terribly uptodate on the redhat desktop stuff, but you should be able to run "yum install gnome" or something. Look at the yum man page.

link removed

search google for a masquerade tutorial for you second problem

Debian

Thanks a lot guys! Red Hat ended up not working out so I am indeed using Fedora core 5 now (what I had available). This thread can be closed and I'll be making a new thread with more specific things that I did and what problems I'm encountering.

Fedora Core 5 is old too - it is no longer getting any updates and you will probably find that if they haven';t already been, that the repositories get closed off soon.