“Learn about using a UNIX system as a primary domain controller and file repository, including an anonymous, read-only shared area accessible by anyone with a Web browser. To be a good citizen on your local network, you need to integrate your favorite UNIX system with the networking features of client systems, generally running Windows XP or Mac OS X. This makes it easier for the users of those workstations to take advantage of the centralized authentication and storage facilities you can provide.”
Make UNIX Work with Mac OS X.
Isn’t that kind of redundant?
Not really, the article is about using a UNIX server and OS X/XP clients for great justice.
– chrish
OK, I just skimmed the article but it seemed pretty complex. Although the focus on doing everything manually is probably extremely useful for those who don’t have gui tools. However, my experience was much easier.
I just used Xandros. I went into the control center, clicked on networking and set up my “Windows Network” (chose a workgroup and enabled the service). Then I just right-clicked on the folder I wanted to share and assigned a password to it. It’s that easy. Now I have a share that I can see from Xandros, Fedora Core 4, and Windows XP. Even the printer sharing works without any problems. Much better than my experience with Windows XP Home but that’s another story…
This article was about setting samba up as a PDC for windows-machines and creating shares etc.
And it’s not hard at all
Actually, it was a pretty simple article, especially for an IBM howto. However, you are confusing your Windows networking. Workgroups and domains (espeically with AD, now) are totally different beasts.
As already descried, it’s about making a domain controller. This gives much more centralized, easier to manage, control over permissions of users (think of the PDC as a god of the network), and can eliminate the need for password-protecting that shared folder–and any new ones created, or changing permissions on sub-folders.
It is also often as easy, or even easier to handle mixes of Windows (Pro) and *n*x machines by using Samba in the manner described. Some distros have nice front-ends for setting this up (ClarkConnect comes to mind)…but don’t feel too safe. There are just not enough options to keep from needing to, at some point, ssh in and edit the configuration manually.
Oops, my bad. I guess I really should have read the whole article before commenting.
I have a Linux server. On my network I also have a Sun Ultra 5 running Solaris 10, 2 Windows XP Pro Machines, and a PPC Mac-Mini running OS X 10.4. As far as I am concerned they all play quite nicely together.
But ‘getting them all to work together’ is a matter of determining what you want to do with your computers and how you can accomplish it.
Want to share files? Do your clients support CIFS, NFS, or something else? Set up a server, then a client. Choose CIFS? Set up a Samba server and configure each client to connect as appropriate.
Want to share your scanner? sane on the server and sanetwain or xsane on the clients.
Want to share a printer? CUPS and sharing via IPP or LPD.
Remote Control? SSH? VNC?
Choose a task, find a server component and client components for each OS. It’s not all that hard.