Linux rookie question...

[KeyserSoze1877]

In a cost cutting move we are switching away from NT and moving to Linux...

How do I go about getting a SuSe fileserver on a NT network? Any docs for configuration someone can point me to? Completely new in the Linux world so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mr. K

 

[mithrilhall]

I'm not familiar with SuSe but I would suspect is has Samba installed by default but I could be wrong. Either way check out

http://www.samba..org

for information.

 

[ifincham]

Hi,

If you are talking about file server / print server functionality then samba is what you need. Apart from the samba.org stuff there is an online version of the O'reilly samba book (somewhat out of date but nontheless still useful) here -->

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/samba/chapter/book/index.html

.

The easiest way to configure samba is probably via the web based tool 'swat' (samba web admin tool). If you had it installed you'd just goto to

http://localhost:901

.

Basically, samba uses netbios over tcp and can be configured as anything from a windows client to a W2K PDC equivalent. It also has its own 'wins' server - nmbd.

Regards

 

[marsd]

SuSE is a distribution which I have used since 6.2 so
I am pretty familiar with it.
SAMBA and swat is a good way to go. Use yast and the system administration-> change configuration fileapplets to start smbd or if you have an earlier base install you may want to
write your own rc script and edit /etc/rc.config or start
smbd/nmbd from inittab. This is not difficult and there is plenty of help here for this.

Basically the smb.conf file, whether generated by swat
or by hand is a flat file with header "[share]" separated
rule sections describing each defined share.
If you are coming from the windows world it looks a
lot like an *.ini file.

VERY basically for the impatient.

[global]
netbios name = fileserver
workgroup = wrkgrpname
security = share
encrypt passwords = yes
log level = 3

[sampleshare]
path = /home/user/sampleshare
browseable = yes
read only = no
wide links = no
create mode = 0660

copy the above into your /etc/smb.conf ; chmod 644 /etc/smb.conf and run testparm (as root all); if no
errors then:start samba: smbd -D && nmbd -D

You will need to replace some of these entries with
things that make sense for your situation of course.
server name, workgroup, share name and location.

This should get a sample share up for you and give you
an idea on how to proceed.

But swat is a much easier solution. Verifying it is installed and enabling it in inetd.conf or xinetd.conf
and using it maybe better.

 

[estesflyer]

check out linuxnewbie.org and go to their NHF's link, (newbieized help files) then to network, and I believe they have a samba howto... That should make mards's post a little more clear. Also check out linuxdoc.org and linux.com for more howto's...

Good luck with linux man! I myself am a windows veteran moving over to the beatiful world of linux (no really, as dull as the text mode can be, it has more of an inner-beauty, and for outer-beauty, check out KDE or GNOME or Ximian (<---- personal favorite) or other windows/desktop managers. =)

I have never used suse, I mainly use Red Hat because of it's RPM... Very nice, very easy to use when installing files. I don't suggest using mandrake, as it has a tendancy to bloat the system with many unnecessary system files and other programs.

Well, have a nice day, and g'luck w/ that linux file server! Shouldn't be too hard

- Rusty - Rusty