Setting Up Extra Computer as File & Print Server

[brianblair]

I have a home network of 5 computers set up and one of them doesn't have a use, so I thought about running it as a File / Print Server for the network.

I would love to be able to runl Windows Server 2003, and set up users with roaming profiles and such...but that is cost prohibitive for a home network. I had thought about just getting a NAS device to use as the file server (and Linksys makes one that has a print server as well), but then I would still have one extra computer without a use (at least until the kids are a bit older).

Currently the computer in question has Windows XP Pro on it...has an AMD Athlon 1900+ with 512MB of RAM. I have shared the drive where I will be storing all the files, but didn't know if there was a better or more elegant way to do this or if there was some cheaper software out there that would do the job.

 

[AFB]

Linux

 

[brianblair]

I have never used linux. Point me to a site that has the resources that I can use to educate myself.

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: brianblair
I have never used linux. Point me to a site that has the resources that I can use to educate myself.

http://forums.anandtech.com/categories.cfm?catid=34&entercat=y
That and a SuSE or Redhat linux (with the book)


Personally, I would just keep XP.

You got a PM

 

[JackMDS]

You can get at microsoft.com a trial version of Windows2003.

You can use it for 6 month as a learning tool as long as you do not use in a Production envioroment. Aftre 6 mooths you will have to make a tough decision.

You might find someone who is willing to part from Windows200 Server for little money.

You can use WinXP and add to it the popular components of Linus servers.

Link to: PHP Triad for Windows. An installer of Apache, MySQL, and PHP for Windows.

As for pure Linux Server?

Unfortuntly while the Linux ?mavens? tend to post the word ?Linux? as a solution to every Computer ?misery?. The most miserable thing is to try to find a decent Linux site that starts you in an easy methodical way.

In general the Mandrake version is considered one of the easy learned versions of Linux.

This site starts it in a very nice pace.

This is a previous version of Mandrake but worth while reading as an introduction.

Link to: http://www.littlewhitedog.com/reviews_other_00020.asp

Link to: http://www.tweakhound.com/mdk9/mdk9.htm

By now Mandrake is up to V10 but v9 is good and the above sites are good sources to start.

As well as

http://linuxsurvival.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=1&meid=-1


:sun:

 

[AFB]

Hey I'm not a Linux "maven"