Josh,

On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 09:49:34 -0400, Josh Koffman wrote:

> Hi all. I've been asked to help out a small non-profit in setting up a
> little network in their new offices. The network isn't going to be
> anything intense, just a small server that will act as a repository
> for their files (at the moment they each keep a copy of the file...it
> makes versioning a nightmare) and possibly some printer sharing.
> =

> Cost is of course an issue, otherwise I'd just recommend buying one of
> the all in one server boxes available. There are a number of slightly
> older computers available, so I'm thinking about the possibility of
> making a Linux based box that took care of their needs.
> =

> Here's the part that I'm stumbling at: there will be a mix of Windows
> and Mac users at the office. I can find howtos on how to make a
> Windows file server using Samba, but I have no idea how OSX does file
> sharing. Does anyone know of a Linux distribution that's tailored
> towards doing file and print sharing? Something like the ones that are
> tailored to be routers would be ideal.

Does the server need to be an actual computer?  Have you looked at the netw=
ork storage devices, such as the Linksys NSLU2 (known as =

"Slug")?  It attaches to the Ethernet network, and has one or two external =
hard drives attached by USB.  It is in fact an embedded Linux =

machine, but you don't need to know that unless you want to mess about with=
 it!

It (and others like it) give shared access to everyone on the network to th=
e disks, which is pretty much all a server does these days, =

especially in the situation you describe.  Obviously you need to check Mac =
compatibility first.

You can also get Printer Servers, again a small box which connects to the n=
etwork and has a printer connected - some printers have network =

cards built-in, or can have them added, so it all happens in the one box.

It certainly saves all the hassle of installing an operating system (maybe =
paying for it) and setting up accounts and so on, when all you =

want is to share a disk or two.  And with external 300GB disks being reason=
ably cheap these days (UK=A3100 for a Seagate at my local =

Staples, very likely cheaper over there at Fry's) you can provide a vast am=
ount of space for not much money.

Remember to set up a backup mechanism, though!  :-)

Cheers,


Howard Winter
St.Albans, England



-- =

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