Linux server features - newbie question

Hi,

Right now, my company uses a windows machine as an internet gateway
server and main domain controller. Most of the clients are XP and
win98, couple NTs and Win2000. I am thinking of replacing the server
with a Linux server and Samba server. I need the following to work:

1) The server will act as a gateway so all local machines' internet
requests will be routed to the internet modem (such as DSL) using this
machine.
The question is that is this easy to configure (I installed linux
machine, and know Unix commands to go about, vi, pine, do some
programming on it) and is it possible for with M$'s environment to
work with this. Is this what Samba is for?

2) The server will be the central place to add/remove domain users.
It will also be a place to authenticate users when they login. Would I
use Samba for this?

3) The server runs a firewall. This probably uses an open source
firewall.

4) I would like to run the LAN using wireless. This means that the
Linux server will have 1 ethernet card to the outside, and the
internal IP device points to the wireless hub. Is there widely
wireless support for linux? Do I have to install the wireless driver
into Linux, or it's just another ethernet card, and a Cat5 cable
connect from this card to the Wireless hub? What about the software
that manages all the wireless clients (is there such a thing?)? (I
haven't touch the wireless stuff before in my life, please have some
mercy on my newbieness).

5) Is there anything that I forget for a general small LAN
configuration?

Thank you very much in advance,

VD

> 1) The server will act as a gateway so all local machines' internet
> requests will be routed to the internet modem (such as DSL) using this
> machine.


Don't have a file server on the same box as the router/firewall - it makes
things very unsafe and complicated. Either get a separate machine for file
serving and use a firewall/router like IPCop on another box, or just use a
DSL router as a gateway. That's what's normally done, and it would be easier
to set up (most DSL routers have a nice easy web interface for this which
usually just need your ISP's login info), whereupon you could probably just
forget about it. It could also double as a DHCP server.

> The question is that is this easy to configure

Probably not as easy as using a dedicated DSL router, although IPCop is
pretty easy and it's free (but you'll have to pay for a box to run it on of
course, and may need a couple of IP addresses from your ISP, depending on
how exactly your connecting to the DSL line).

> Is this what Samba is for?

No. Samba is for serving files to Windows boxes. Run that on a separate
machine.

> 2) The server will be the central place to add/remove domain users.
> It will also be a place to authenticate users when they login. Would I
> use Samba for this?

It might get a little complicated at this point. I assume you're not using
Active Directory since you have Win98 on the network though. Samba can act
as a primary domain controller no problem, but getting it to authenticate
clients on the network may be a little tricky for those new to Linux. A
quick google on "Samba primary domain controller authenticate" shows this
which might be useful to you:

http://www.freeos.com/articles/3842/

One thing you should also note is that Linux permissions are not as
sophisticated as Windows ones, so if you're doing stuff like setting file
modify rights separately from write permissions, or want permissions
inheritance or have resources accessible to more than one group at a time,
then you may have considerable difficulty trying to replicate that with
Samba.

> 3) The server runs a firewall. This probably uses an open source
> firewall.

A DSL router with a firewall, or IPCop which is nice and flexible.

> 4) I would like to run the LAN using wireless.

Buy a DSL router/firewall that does wireless as well in that case. You can
do wireless with IPCop but it limits your choice of hardware pretty badly.
You can do wireless with Linux, but in your case I would not recommend it.

> 5) Is there anything that I forget for a general small LAN
> configuration?

You'll need a DHCP server somewhere unless you're going to assign IP
addresses manually, but DHCP should be easy with a DSL router.

Jonathan

VD wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Right now, my company uses a windows machine as an internet gateway
> server and main domain controller. Most of the clients are XP and
> win98, couple NTs and Win2000. I am thinking of replacing the server
> with a Linux server and Samba server. I need the following to work:
>
> 1) The server will act as a gateway so all local machines' internet
> requests will be routed to the internet modem (such as DSL) using this
> machine.
> The question is that is this easy to configure (I installed linux
> machine, and know Unix commands to go about, vi, pine, do some
> programming on it) and is it possible for with M$'s environment to
> work with this. Is this what Samba is for?

It usually goes off without a hitch. When it doesn't, there is a learning
curve, since you'll find that you need to run *this* to get some
information, then run *that* to get the configuration, then run...

Don't get frustrated, and don't do it when there is time pressure.

>
> 2) The server will be the central place to add/remove domain users.
> It will also be a place to authenticate users when they login. Would I
> use Samba for this?
>

You can use Samba to act as a domain controller (their desktop will exist on
the Linux Box).

> 3) The server runs a firewall. This probably uses an open source
> firewall.
>

No problem with that. Ignore the other guy - it's good practice, but
overkill for a home network to separate firewall and other functionality.

One thing you should do is get the firewall blocking contact from either
side of the firewall - if your windows box gets hacked, it can create merry
hell otherwise - close everything and only allow what you must allow (check
out firewall builder or other firewall creation scripts to help out).


> 4) I would like to run the LAN using wireless. This means that the
> Linux server will have 1 ethernet card to the outside, and the
> internal IP device points to the wireless hub. Is there widely
> wireless support for linux? Do I have to install the wireless driver

It varies. Ask the supplier (although many wireless cards are supported, the
manufacturers won't bloody tell you. Check on the website of the distro you
use , also ask others which ones they have running under Linux (note:
always make sure you let the shop owner know that you need the card for
Linux).

> into Linux, or it's just another ethernet card, and a Cat5 cable

Easiest thing to do is buy a Wireless Access Point that has an ethernet port
- all of them will work with Linux, though configuration *could* be
Windows-only - you can use your Windows PC for that, though.

> connect from this card to the Wireless hub? What about the software
> that manages all the wireless clients (is there such a thing?)? (I
> haven't touch the wireless stuff before in my life, please have some
> mercy on my newbieness).
>
> 5) Is there anything that I forget for a general small LAN
> configuration?
>

You can use Samba to allow shared printers to your Windows boxes. Also, add
virus scanner software to your Linux box to reduce the problems with
accepting nasty emails.

> Thank you very much in advance,
>
> VD

Mark Hackett <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<wesBb.3104$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> VD wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > Right now, my company uses a windows machine as an internet gateway
> > server and main domain controller. Most of the clients are XP and
> > win98, couple NTs and Win2000. I am thinking of replacing the server
> > with a Linux server and Samba server. I need the following to work:
> >
> > 1) The server will act as a gateway so all local machines' internet
> > requests will be routed to the internet modem (such as DSL) using this
> > machine.
> > The question is that is this easy to configure (I installed linux
> > machine, and know Unix commands to go about, vi, pine, do some
> > programming on it) and is it possible for with M$'s environment to
> > work with this. Is this what Samba is for?
>
> It usually goes off without a hitch. When it doesn't, there is a learning
> curve, since you'll find that you need to run *this* to get some
> information, then run *that* to get the configuration, then run...
>
> Don't get frustrated, and don't do it when there is time pressure.
>
> >
> > 2) The server will be the central place to add/remove domain users.
> > It will also be a place to authenticate users when they login. Would I
> > use Samba for this?
> >
>
> You can use Samba to act as a domain controller (their desktop will exist on
> the Linux Box).
>
> > 3) The server runs a firewall. This probably uses an open source
> > firewall.
> >
>
> No problem with that. Ignore the other guy - it's good practice, but
> overkill for a home network to separate firewall and other functionality.
>
> One thing you should do is get the firewall blocking contact from either
> side of the firewall - if your windows box gets hacked, it can create merry
> hell otherwise - close everything and only allow what you must allow (check
> out firewall builder or other firewall creation scripts to help out).
>
>
> > 4) I would like to run the LAN using wireless. This means that the
> > Linux server will have 1 ethernet card to the outside, and the
> > internal IP device points to the wireless hub. Is there widely
> > wireless support for linux? Do I have to install the wireless driver
>
> It varies. Ask the supplier (although many wireless cards are supported, the
> manufacturers won't bloody tell you. Check on the website of the distro you
> use , also ask others which ones they have running under Linux (note:
> always make sure you let the shop owner know that you need the card for
> Linux).
>
> > into Linux, or it's just another ethernet card, and a Cat5 cable
>
> Easiest thing to do is buy a Wireless Access Point that has an ethernet port
> - all of them will work with Linux, though configuration *could* be
> Windows-only - you can use your Windows PC for that, though.
>
> > connect from this card to the Wireless hub? What about the software
> > that manages all the wireless clients (is there such a thing?)? (I
> > haven't touch the wireless stuff before in my life, please have some
> > mercy on my newbieness).
> >
> > 5) Is there anything that I forget for a general small LAN
> > configuration?
> >
>
> You can use Samba to allow shared printers to your Windows boxes. Also, add
> virus scanner software to your Linux box to reduce the problems with
> accepting nasty emails.
>
> > Thank you very much in advance,
> >
> > VD


Hi

I am having the same thing on the way here.
I have got to the point where I can get on the net with the RedHat9
linux machine.
The Samba makes the machine visible to the windows98-machines and vice
versa.
I would like to use the linux machine as a "router".
I have an ADSL modem and a switch. The Linux has two NICs and one goes
to the ADSL-line and the other to the switch to which two windows98
machines are connected.
How do I get the other machines to connect to the net through the
Linux one?