Re: tlug: newbie...well, potential newbie

[Ken Schwarz <kls@example.com>]

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tlug note from Ken Schwarz <kls@example.com>
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> My name is Tim Mansfield.  I am a C programmer but know very little of
> networking and of Unix.  I am eager to learn, though.  
> 
> I have nine computers (3 pentiums and 6 macs) that I want to connect
> into a LAN, w/ each machine having Internet access via a 128k line.  I
> will buy one more computer to use as a web/mail/dns server (I hope these
> can all fit into one machine!) and I s'pose the file server has to be a
> separate machine?

Not necessarily.  It really depends on how much work it has to do.

> I have heard that linux is a powerful networking-oriented OS, so I was
> thinking of having the server(s) run that.  Is it recommended to set up
> a file server, web server, etc. for a small business  all on linux?  I
> mean, is this an OS primarily intended for use in labs or universities
> and by hobbyists, or is it also an effective proposition for use in a
> small business with lots of big file transfers and a requirement to
> absolutely minimize data loss and lost mail? What are the things linux
> is particularly good at and what is it quite poor at?   Is the learning
> curve incredibly steep? 

If you don't have any Unix understanding at all, it is probably a big
jump from Mac/Windows to Linux.  Much of what is inside Linux is also
inside other operating systems, but the details are hidden.

What that means in practice is that if something goes wrong on a Mac,
for example, it's probably due to a gross error on your part or a bug
in Apple's software.  If something's wrong on Linux, it could be many
different things and isolating the trouble requires some
understanding.

> I have heard that linux can be a real bear to set up, configure,
> maintain.  What's the call here, how tough is it, really, in the current
> state of things?  Are the rewards worth whatever hassles are
> involved? 

It's really not that difficult if you read a couple of books and play
with it for a while.  It's vastly easier now that many pre-packaged
CDs assemble all the pieces you need and give you some assurance that
they will integrate.  Most popular hardware is already supported.

> I've been pretty much stymied trying to get my macs and peecees to talk
> to each other w/o spending a small fortune on licensing special
> software, so I'm hoping that if both sides could just deal with this
> linux server all might be well...?  As for Windows NT,  well, I've heard
> it's okay but not wonderful, and I don't really want to spend that much
> if I can get the same services for free.  I also like the community
> spirit in which linux seems to have born, and since it will probably be
> a struggle to get this network to work reliably anyway, I'd rather spend
> my time on struggling with linux than spending both time and money
> struggling with a microsoft product.

One of the best things about Linux is that when you solve a problem
you usually end up learning something genuinely interesting about how
systems software works.  That's really not so true for Windows NT.
The best thing about Windows NT is that you can hire people to help
you and you don't have to worry about NT or expertise in it going
away.

Oh, yeah...Linux is free!

> Judging from the e-mails I've seen on this list, I am out of my league
> when it comes to net-savvy.  I hope my definitely-non-guru-type
> questions don't annoy you folks.  If they do, please just point me
> toward some other resources, and I'll amble off...

And just like Linux, the advice that comes with it is free! :0)  Hope
it helps.

Good luck,

- Ken

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