Re: Help me to build a fileserver!!!
Eliezer Figueroa Puello wrote:
>
> I want to build a small network using Linux as the fileserver and
> windows 95 computers as the clients. What I have in mind is something
> similar to what novell network do, but using Linux in the place of the
> novell server. I want to be able to map a linux partition in the server
> to work as a directory in the windows 95 computers. I tried to do that
> using the tcp/ip protocol but then I got realized that windows 95 do not
> have a client for UNIX networks using the tcp/ip protocol so, I have
> been unable to map.
>
It is true, Windows 95 does not have a built-in NFS client. NFS is
the unix standard for network file sharing. However, Linux *can*
act as a "Windows Networking" (aka "Lan Manager") file/print server.
For this you would install SAMBA, which is available as a debian
package. SAMBA will allow you to create Win95 "shares" and networked
printers which your Win95 clients can use.
We use this technology heavily here at my office. As a print server,
SAMBA is rock-solid. We've never had a problem with it. As a file
server, we have had a few problems. I believe, though, that they
are isolated to locking issues. Which is to say: you won't run into
these problems unless you are put database (Microsoft Access) files
in the shares. These problems may have been fixed in a recent release.
There may also be work-arounds. I don't know because I didn't have the
time to work through the problems.
The ideal, of course, would be to put an NFS client on the Win95 box.
However, there are no share/free-ware clients available as far as I
know and the recent review I read in the June '97 Unix Review article
by Steven Baker about commercial implementations indicate that the
software out there is not-yet-ready for primetime.
To summarize: Try SAMBA. It will most likely provide a reliable and
convenient means of running a file/print server for your Win95 clients.
As an added benefit, your Linux box can be an Internet firewall/
gateway, a DHCP server, email gateway/server, etc., etc. etc.
--
Jens B. Jorgensen
jjorgens@bdsinc.com
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