Linux is an excellent server for professionals but is still relatively little used by individuals, except for fans, considered too difficult to take in hand. This belief was valid a few years ago but not today. In particular, there are two schools. Those who have always been the operating system from Microsoft, Windows, and accustomed to their environment do not want to change, sometimes even for a newer version. And then there are those who have never used a computer. This is probably the latter who are most likely to use Linux because they do not anyway the difference between an operating system and another.
Besides these two categories there are of course the fans I will not speak here as they are able to explain why Windows or Linux is more suited to their needs. Thus propose a machine driven by a Linux distribution to a customer who has never touched the computer should be easy. With some distributions, I am thinking of (K) Ubuntu, their approach to IT, without necessarily be easy, should take place as smoothly as if you offer Windows: just train them. In contrast, train someone who already has his habits may be more complicated.
Linux is often associated with reason, however, at the command line. Again, systems like Ubuntu or Fedora can significantly reduce the use of the command line, dreaded by beginners. Finally, there are actually very few cases involving command line is needed. However, Linux is still problematic in some respects repulsive for advanced users accustomed to Windows. The second problem is the hardware compatibility. Again, this is not really the operating system that is in question but the manufacturers who are still sometimes reluctant to provide drivers for Linux. I do not criticize the open source community so far: their work on the material is exemplary. Still, certain materials pose many problems to the point of not being able to use his machine.
I think particularly if the Asus P5Q motherboard. The equipment that the team does not yet have, to my knowledge, pilots. Upon installation, the network chipset is not recognized, nor is the SATA controller. For some, like me, you use a minimal installation CD that requires a connection to the Internet, it becomes impossible to install his system. Yes, there is a solution: put a more widespread network card during installation.
Basic Services
Ubuntu is probably the best choice for a beginner. Indeed, Ubuntu is Debian based (see one of the most popular distributions for the development server) has been revised to be more accessible to beginners and also more friendly for its desktop version. Have look on some of the basic services.
Network File System - (NFS for network file system), which allows you to export a number of directories to the network. The / home directory server is installed and the start of each station, which allows each user to retrieve his files, his work environment customized to their preferences, mail, short of all its data in a safe and confidential .
NIS - Network information service, allows everyone to log on with his name and password from any station, so that only the server knows about that user.
Print - The printing is done from a server by running cons on each station and not centrally, thus allowing everyone to remove his own spots print side without moving or opening a remote session on the server ( this choice has horrendous problems encountered with the original configuration of the server network with Windows NT). It was particularly difficult to set up printing because of the network card present in our printer.
E-mail server - This software uses the free sendmail, like 80% of email servers worldwide. Configuration files that I provided allowed to have an internal mail to high school, and a functionality that automatically remove any message for a user outside our local network by rewriting the address of the sender to make it compatible with the area ac-amiens.fr. This configuration allows full compatibility with the addresses and does not provide valid email address on the Internet to students, which is strongly recommended by the Ministry of Education.
Email - The email from the Internet for users on our LAN is returned periodically, automatically by the software fetchmail. Only teachers are affected by this feature.
Account - Creating accounts conventionally used the directory / etc / skel server, which contains a set of files completely redefined according to our needs. The user interface is presented in the next page.
Security - No machines have routable addresses on the Internet (all addresses are in class 10 .*), it seemed unnecessary to install a firewall.
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