[HLUG] Replacement for SBS2003

[Julian Robbins]

Steve Bushell wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
>  
> 
> As a 'lurker' on this group for the past few years, I finally need some
> Linux help!
Hi Steve
>  
> 
> I have been using an 'evaluation' copy of SBS2003 for some time, but
> have finally had enough of it!  I am looking to replace this to ideally
> get the following core features (but ideally as much functionality as
> possible of course):
> 
>  
> 
> Windows fileshares

samba - not really anything else to suggest.
> 
> Webserver(s) - will be hosting several domains

apache . There are lighter applications, but if you have a decently 
powered server, it shouldnt be any problem
> 
> Email - to integrate with Outlook, and push to windows mobile via OMA,
> oh, and I also want webmail access

more possibilities here. IMAP is what i always suggest as a protocol, as 
its easy to interface a webmail service and you get so many more 
benefits compared to POP3.

Dovecot is a popular choice as an IMAP server, but you can also use 
Courier, etc.

Postfix is a good choice for a SMTP server, but sendmail, qmail and 
others are also popular.


> 
> Central administration of usernames / passwords, ideally hosting a
> Windows domain (not workgroup)

hmmm ... well it depends what you want here. You can always use SSH and 
change the samba users list if you want to do it on the cmd line. 
otherwise SWAT is a decent webbased samba admin too.

Also, you could use webmin as a general web admin tool. This can be used 
to admin almost all these services you mention, and is especially useful 
for the learner linux sysadmin. It always better to learn the cmd line 
stuff, but webmin is a good tool to get up and running initially.

> 
> Printing services

CUPS, although you can also use samba for shared printers on a network.
> 
> DNS, DHCP servers

bind for DNS, dhcp - DHCP3?

Ubuntu server will do all of this ..... many of these services have easy 
ish to use setups too.

ie http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/serveredition/features

In the soon to be released 9.04 there are more services that you can set 
up easily.
> 
> Support for raid ideally via RocketRaid (I have a rather large file
> collection on one, and most Linux's recognise it as several drives, not
> one)

I havent come across this.

Linux does do good hardware and software RAID. Watch out for RAID 
controllers purporting to be hardware RAID that arent really though ...


> 
> That's the core of it, but loads more wishlist items.....

well, you can just about do anything with linux these days ... ;-)
> 
>  
> 
> I am looking at Clarkconnect (Redhat based) does anyone have any
> experience of this, or can anyone recommend any other alternatives?

I remember looking into this, but found that when I looked (a few years 
ago), that sometimes CC and SME server (another one like CC), were 
lacking a few things taht you had to pay for.

You havent mentioned AV. Clam is especially good.

Setting all these up for a relative newbie isnt easy, esp mail servers 
so I think you may be on the right lines to look for a halfway house 
solution.

Webmin can help admin many many services, but you have to install and 
set them up in the first place.

Hope this helps

Julian

> 
>  
> 
> Cheers,
> 
>  
> 
> Steve Bushell
> 
>  
> 
> There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary,
> and those who don't...
> 
>  
>