Unix for a computer lab...

[siliconcitizen]

I have a few questions to ask that will help me get the most out of the Linux and perhaps the help to make it work. :)

Let me give information...

First, I have about eight computers running Windows 98 and a ninth running Windows 98 and - Linux to use as for running servers (email, web, etc). These computers are in a computer lab format where youth can run games and education programs under Windows 98. The ninth computer is running Linux Redhat 7.1 with a native partition. All are on Linksys box on one IP.

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I would like to have an Apache webserver running on this Interal network for all the computers in the lab to access and allow some also some access for people outside the network. (internal and public pages).

-- how do I setup the webserver to start? What do I need to do?

Next...I want to put all the computers to access the linux machine using Squid - as both proxy and as a filter (such as for bad websites, swearing, etc.) I tried to set this up, but I couldnt get this to work.
I used RPM and it said another component was needed, and I thought I had installed it.

Are there applications that would make Linux show directories, like on Windows Network Neighborhood or better yet, be accessable by network neighborhood? Besides a possible program to do that, should I not have the
Linux in Native mode, but in the partitionless mode that is available now?
Right now this ninth computer has a C: (windows) and D: (linux).

I would like the Linux serving computer to allow a way for people to get their webpages, documents, and files. Accessible from Windows would be perfect! Else maybe I could put Linux with the Windows 98 on the other computers and could browse files, documents, etc, through the Linux?

Hopefully this wasnt too long of a post and have the details to help answer. Feel free to email replies.

[stiles]

Originally posted by siliconcitizen:
<STRONG>All are on Linksys box on one IP.

I would like to have an Apache webserver running on this Interal network for all the computers in the lab to access and allow some also some access for people outside the network. (internal and public pages). </STRONG>

well the linksys router will have to redirect port 80 request to the internal box that's running apache for access of your webpages from the internet. You will probably want to set up DNS so you can access the site via a domain name. If you have a DHCP lease for your one IP you can use one of the dynamic DNS providers.


Originally posted by siliconcitizen:
<STRONG>Are there applications that would make Linux show directories, like on Windows Network Neighborhood or better yet, be accessable by network neighborhood? </STRONG>

Samba? Samba mimics windows shares, so yes you can use linux to serve files to the 'network neighborhood'.

[siliconcitizen]

Originally posted by stiles:
<STRONG>Samba? Samba mimics windows shares, so yes you can use linux to serve files to the 'network neighborhood'.</STRONG>

OK, sounds excellent! I would be guessing samba.conf may be all that is needed to start it up.

Question: If I wanted a webserver/file properties available on both Win98 boot and Linux boot...would I want to use partitionless install of Linux (win32) as to only need one cope of the WWW/shared files...accessable in Win98 or Linux?

Seems that what I would want to do, meaning reinstalling Linux.

Related to that...there are all the directories you need to install for Linux, such as "/" "/var" etc... Now, when you are in the Win32 or partitionless install mode, which directories would you need if you have: All system software choosen to install, a medium to large webserver, and sharing huge amounts of files.

Perhap I can ignore some like "/opt" or others?

I am not sure the amount of user accounts yet, but maybe support the outside number of 200 or so users.

With all that information so far, what would be optimal for me to see this up?

I am on the right trail and I am very happy for all your help so far.

[stiles]

you might want to start with samba's (http://us1.samba.org/samba/docs/) docs for detailed information on configuing your smb.conf.


Webserver, check out apache. If you search www.google.com/linux (http://www.google.com/linux) for 'setting up apache' you should find enough docs to get you started. I'd be very supprised if www.linuxdoc.org (http://www.linuxdoc.org) doesn't have an apache howto. http://httpd.apache.org/docs/ has all the apache manuals online.


I'd set up a native linux box to run as your server, installed on linux native partitions.

/opt isn't a big deal in linux, it's rarly used, mostly by apps that were developed for a commercial unix. It will be created my most distro's but you don't have to make it's own partition for it (it can exist as s directory on the / (root) partition).

[ 10 August 2001: Message edited by: stiles ]