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Linux Server

dpsimmons
Grafter
Posts: 45
Registered: ‎08-05-2008

Linux Server

Can anyone recommend an edition of linux server that has the same features of SBS with easy use to manage the server, we would be using windows clients we dont need to be able 2 logon to the server linux like u would on a windows server.
10 REPLIES 10
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Linux Server

It really depends on what you mean by SBS benefits as SBS has a lot of integrated features.
For instance, do you still want to use outlook for email with calendar / busy/free etc?
Do you want POP3 or IMAP mailboxes
Will it be responsible for web, email other services?
Do you still need a domain login capability?
Do you need the system to integrate with existing SBS/Windows servers or other windows environment?
Do you use the ISA server on the SBS box for routing/controlling internet access.
Will you need SMTP mail capability
In other words, have you really thought through what SBS actually does and what features of it you actually use.
There is no free off-the-shelf solution that is simple to manage as a lot of the features will have to be configured, often from command line/file editing or simple GUI interfaces.
There are systems that can support outlook with similar features to exchange but they are not free. One I spent several months investigating was the insight server from Bynari which uses a connector plugin app for outlook to support some of the features that exchange has and uses a web-based config. Yopu can use SAMBA for file/print sharing which is fairly easy to set-up.
dpsimmons
Grafter
Posts: 45
Registered: ‎08-05-2008

Re: Linux Server

Hi thanks for your quick reply
Do you want POP3 or IMAP mailboxes - IMAP
Will it be responsible for web, email other services? It would be responsible for just web, email and vpn
Do you still need a domain login capability? No
Do you need the system to integrate with existing SBS/Windows servers or other windows environment? We just be using windows clients and no server
Do you use the ISA server on the SBS box for routing/controlling internet access. no we wont
Will you need SMTP mail capability, we would require this service
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Linux Server

The Insight server would do all your email, including SMTP but if you just want simple IMAP then you don't need to outlook connector product (which makes things cheaper).
Apache included with most Linux distro's will do for the web-server but you will need to know how to configure it using a text editor.
VPN: What will this be used for exactly? Do you need to be able to access any PC from outside your organisation? If so then something like tightVNC would probably work but it depends on how many PCs you want access to as each one would need a specific port forwarded in the router, and you would need to set-up static IPs.
As for what version of Linux... Ubuntu seems to be flavour of the month. Although I have not used it, it is reported to be simpler to set-up and maintain that many of the other distro's.
dpsimmons
Grafter
Posts: 45
Registered: ‎08-05-2008

Re: Linux Server

Hi we would be looking around 5 VPN users.
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: Linux Server

this links to an interesting community remaster of the linux in my sig that might suit you:
http://www.mypclinuxos.com/doku.php/business-edition
Peter_Vaughan
Grafter
Posts: 14,469
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Linux Server

Been through the docs for that and can find no references / docs on EMail & SMTP capabilities of the system so not sure if it is suitable. If that was one of the key feaures I would have expected it to have been mentioned somewhere.
Also for a business environment I would want some sort of commercial support to be available (which Bynari have) rather than an online  'community' based system.
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Linux Server

I recommend that you take a look at;
http://www.smeserver.org/
http://wiki.contribs.org/Main_Page
It provides most of what you are looking for, and has a range of "contribs" to fill in any gaps.
Chilly
dpsimmons
Grafter
Posts: 45
Registered: ‎08-05-2008

Re: Linux Server

thank you i will give them a look at and still be open for idea's if anyone else can think of anything else.
alanb
Grafter
Posts: 459
Registered: ‎24-05-2007

Re: Linux Server

Daniel,
there is a variant of the Ubuntu Linux distribution that is intended to operate as a server. It contains a comprehensive selection of server applications and can be administered via a web browser I beleive. It's called Ubuntu Server Edition. I've not used it myself, but it looks like it might be good. It would be worth you taking a look at it, given the impressive reputation that the desktop distribution has.
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/WhatIsUbuntu/serveredition
https://help.ubuntu.com/7.10/server/C/
Alan.
Prod_Man
Grafter
Posts: 287
Registered: ‎04-08-2007

Re: Linux Server

Well,
Server wise, I would suggest the likes of RedHat / Debian based things.
# CentOS / Natural RedHat Linux.
# Debian
# SuSE (Maybe Enterprise) is probably ok as well.
I'm not a know it all when it comes to this but I've worked with all these Distro's at some point for my Desktop machines and found them useable and configurable for Webserver, Database, FTP Server and so forth.
Other than the fact I have mingled with BSD a few times - which is also used on many Servers - I can't suggest much more Server wise.
Jim,