Want to setup a linux box for file sharing!

X

Xan

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 15, 2001
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I have a Shuttle XPC SB75G2 w/ a Pentium 3.0C, 1 GB DDR400. I'm going to buy a huge ass HD, prob 2 x 250 GB HDs simply for file storage (Audio & Video files). I have space for 2 HDs nothing more!

I have a copy of Windows XP Pro that I could use and just setup up a couple user names for people in my home to log into, but I'd prefer to use a *real* OS for serving.

I dont want to spend the ca$h for Windows 2000 Server, because I'm running a full Apple network (iMacs and Power Macs, and one PowerBook G4).

I know I could use a Windows OS, but I'd like to run Linux :)

I've downloaded a couple distros (Mandrake 9.x, Fedora Core 1, and Suse - the boot.iso).

I have used FC1 during beta and liked it so its prob what I'm going to go with (unless someone sways me otherwise!)

So my question is how do I setup Linux to be a file server? I know during the install I have the option... so I'm assuming that all I need to do is create my "users" and boom - I'm done?

I'm using OS X 10.3 on all my Macs and I want the user accounts on the Linux box to reflect the user names on their Macs (easier naming convention).

How do I share out a folder? etc...

I've never done this so all the more info the better!

Thanks for any help.
 
Samba is what you'll want to use vfor a mixed network.

www.samba.org

you create samba users, you configure your shares in /etc/samba/smb.conf, and you set samba to run at startup. pretty straightforward, but it can be tricky, so maybe google around for a guide. There's a nice write-up about it on overclockers.conm's forum in the alt OS section that's stickied.
 
ClarkConnect doesnt look like what I'm looking for. Great distro from what I've heard though! (Thanks :))

I'll prob do a FTP install of SuSe. I just really like it a lot, even more so than Fedora Core 1, which I've had a few install issues with before on other machines, not the machine I'll be installing onto for my home server.

How difficult is samba to setup?

etc...
 
All of those distros like smoothwall and clarkconnect can be set up to be any kind of server really easily. They're all web-based too.
 
Smoothwall looks awesome - hell I might download that and mess around w/ it to replace my firewall at work! We're using a Sonicwall PRO at work, its nice, but not very flexable and NO utilization software.

I don't know I might even order a eval CD for Windows 2003 Server and see what it looks like.

I just want something I dont have to reboot, its secure (as possible) and serves my files.
 
As has been pointed out, SAMBA is what you want. It makes your *NIX box look like a windows file server. A nice benefit, in addition to being free, is that Samba is a faster file server than Windows.

The documentation on the SAMBA site is very good. But, as a basic overview:
  1. download samba source code
  2. uncompress/untar it
  3. ./configure
  4. make
  5. make install
  6. /usr/local/samba/sbin/nmbd
  7. /usr/local/samba/sbin/smbd
    [/list=1]

    There's a configuration file /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf (or is it smbd.conf?). It's heavily commented, and the documentation on samba.org covers pretty much everything. By default, users will have access to their home directory via \\ip.of.server\username

    Look at the bottom of the smb.conf file for examples of how to set up other shares.

    Also, netatalk could be a good file server for you to look at. It makes your *NIX box look like a Macintosh file server. OS X can connect to SAMBA (using the Samba client Apple includes), so netatalk might not be that useful.

    When you get it all up and running, come back here and ask how to tie it all together with OpenLDAP and Kerberos... :D
 
Originally posted by Xan
Smoothwall looks awesome - hell I might download that and mess around w/ it to replace my firewall at work! We're using a Sonicwall PRO at work, its nice, but not very flexable and NO utilization software.
Click to expand...
Yep, its really easy to install too. I had it running on one of my boxes for awhile, too.


I don't know I might even order a eval CD for Windows 2003 Server and see what it looks like.
Click to expand...

It doesn"t look pretty, if youre expecting it to. Typical windows claasic interface with all the windows 2000 services + some things added to the interface.


I just want something I dont have to reboot, its secure (as possible) and serves my files.
Click to expand...
Linux.
 
WTF is everyone talking about Samba when he's got an all-mac network?

OSX is _UNIX_ people, use Unix tools. You should be able to use NFS to share files and use NIS to share user information. It'll be a lot easier & more seamless than trying to throw Samba into the mix.
 
^^ Samba is more flexible, imho, except with windows XP auth... I think. Anyways, make sure you build smb modules into any other linux boxes you put on.
 
ameoba, thats exactly what i though.
Why the fsck would he want samba when all he has is a *nix network? I would use NFS too, that is aftr all exactly what is was designed for, unlike ftp. You will jus need to read up on how to set up NFS shares, on both the client and server side. And another tip, if you want to start using linux, you better get used to reading docs. man <command>, /usr/share/doc/<package> and <package>.org I am not critisizing what you asked about here, but dont expect for anyone anywhere, here or in the linux community to give you a step by step walkthrough for this of thing.
It will probably be easiest to use one of the distros that have been set up for this type of function, as opposed to one that is a general puropse desktop dstro. You can certainly do just as good with one of those, but many security and other decisions will be better defaults in the server distros.
 
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