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Re: Linux Server, Please Help



On Sunday 04 April 2004 14:07, Bill Kalebaugh wrote:
> I want to change my Windows server to a Linux server but can not find
> out what programs
> to use or if it is possible.
Not only possible - but fairly easy

>
> I have goggled and looked at a lot of how-tos but I can not find out if
> I can set up a server to replace
> the proxy server I have now running windows-98, proxy+, and Sygate
> Personal Firewall.

iptables provides this funcitonality - I use it directly, but others have used 
front ends which configure it for you.

>
> The proxy server is a Pentium 200Mhz with 32MB of ram with a 2GB hard
> drive hooked to a dial-up
> 56K modem. 

probably not a problem ppp is used to dial up

> It feeds a LAN through a hub. On the LAN is a network 
> printer, and other computers
> running, Windows 2000, Windows98, Linux-Debian and Linux-Suse8.2. All on
> the LAN have fixed
> IP addresses

Fine - you can also set your server to provide these values dynamically. dhcpd 
is the program for this

> and the ISP is obtained automatically. 
>
> My ISP lets you have 6 different mail accounts, so I have two accounts
> and my wife has her one
> email address.

You could use your server to store the retrieved mail.  You need 

a) Fetchmail gets the mail from you isp, and then passes it to...
b) an Mail Tranport Agent (MTA) to receive the mail and store it in files for 
later retrieval.  Exim is the standard debian choice, but Postfix is probably 
also a good one
c) and IMAP or Pop3 server.  Debian has serveral - I use Courier - IMAP (you 
have to match the file formats that Exim stores the mail in)


>
> The proxy server will auto dial and get mail at a predetermined time

Cron job

> frames form the ISP with out the
> other computers turned on. When I come up on a Linux computer I get my
> email and surf the web

You can use diald to sense the potential traffic and automatically do a dial.  
It shuts down again after a period with no traffic.

> with Mozilla or my wife can come up on Windows2000 with Mozilla and will
> the do the same. We
> also surf at the at the same time.
>
> Is there any free software out there for Linux-Debian that will let me

Everything you need is in the standard debian distribution

> do this. Or do I have to stay
> with W-98 for a server.

No definately not.  You can probably find lots more useful software

Squid - caches your web accesses so if you and your wife hit the same site, 
there is no need to fetch the web pages twice

Samba - to provide fileshares to your windows (and Linux boxes)

Cupsys - provides printer sharing

Apache - web server for the home

etc etc
>
> If any one can give me a list of software I need and briefly how to do
> it.

Normally man pages installed with the packages, or a specific package with the 
documentation in (like exim-doc) or /usr/share/doc/<package name> for the 
others.  Then ask on this list for each one if you find you are having 
problems

> Please let me know so I 
> Can get rid of Windows.

You can - I have done all of the above in the past (now have broadband so my 
dial up stuff is a little hazy).  My server also does backups (I use rsync 
for my linux boxes and windows 2000 (rsyncd is installed using cygwin),  Win 
98 doesn't run the rsync server so well, so I connect to a file share using 
smbclient and then rsync the data to backup.

-- 
Alan Chandler
alan@chandlerfamily.org.uk
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you,
 then they fight you, then you win. --Gandhi



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