I'm planning to turn one of my dormant Desktop PCs into a server, and I'm planning to use Linux, not only because I don't want to be spending anything if I can help it, but also because I've always planned to get around to really learning Linux.

This is going to be a multi-role server, but here are the main points I'd like it to be able to do, bold ones are the most important:

• Backup strategy: Windows XP Home clients need a backup strategy. I'd like to set up tasks on those clients to backup to an area on the server from which I can burn backup CDs.
• Power Options: Ideally, this would be left on in a cupboard somewhere, so I want the OS to be able to sleep/hibernate after a period of inactivity, and wake up when a client requests something of it.
• File serving: To Windows clients as network shares for ease of use.
• Print serving: Again, to Windows clients. USB printer support a must.
• Web serving: Only to the local network - nothing high powered.

This machine is going to be a pure server, not a workstation, so what are my options for distros? All the ones I've tried in the past have been great for installing loads of stuff that you might want on a desktop, including X, but I've found great difficulty trying to install a base system that I can add features to as I need them. I'm totally distro neutral at this point.

I'd want something that was easy enough to use from the command line (I grew up with DOS, I'm not scared of them :p), has good software support (I'd rather be getting from their software repository than manually compiling source at this stage), and has a community that was supportive to new users, as well as anything that comes out of the above list.

Any thoughts on where I'd find a good start into this project?

Well, I can tell you right now that printer sharing can be a pain in the arse, and going into suspend mode in linux is VERY unstable. It's usually a hit or miss thing.

Get the netinstall cd of debian. Then install the base system. Then add the packages you want manually with apt-get. It will meet all your needs with the possible exception of printer sharing. I bought a real networked printer, but I don't see any reason why you can't set up a linux box as a print server and have it print to a connected USB printer.

I don't know anything about the sleep mode, though.

[QUOTE=Cool Matty]Well, I can tell you right now that printer sharing can be a pain in the arse[/QUOTE]


Oh yes, definitely.

I never got the hang of linux-to-windows printer sharing on my lan with samba.

I would be open to printing linux-to-linux, but I'm not sure how to set up a linux shared printer.

Easiest thing is to just buy a printer with an ethernet port. Solved all my printing problems. People print on it from linux, mac and windows. They also sell print servers that do just this with way less hassle (and you can connect multiple ones).

http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/SubCategory.asp?SubCategory=387&CMP=KNC-GoogleAdwords&ATT=Printer+Server

Tip: Outside of Windows, Windows File and Printer Sharing is called Samba, and is sometimes represented using the smb://<computer>/<sharename>[/<path>] protocol syntax.

At least, that's what I figured out using trial and error.

i've been reading up on print servers and apparently they can be quite troublesome... does anyone have good recommendations on a particular brand/model?

(I need Windows and Linux support)

I find it easier to just set the printer up with CUPS and print to the CUPS server remotely. No need for Samba to setup printing.

Is there CUPS for windows, though?

I believe Giraffe is hooking up his printer to the Linux server, so it is irrelevant.

I've set up exactly (minus the suspend thingy, don't care about that) what you have with Debian, right down to the print server.
Setting it up as a print server was a bit difficult, but now it's writing pdfs for everyone and serving a color printer, along with the correct drivers.

The printer would be connected to the Linux server, but it would be Windows clients sending the print jobs.

As to the print server, I've looked into those as well, however, I'm trying to do this with my existing components. Funds are tight right now due to new mortgage, decorating, furniture... Any funds I can spare to go on computers will likely be spent replacing our laptops with newer models rather than replacing network infrastructure.

That works perfectly fine. Just make sure you set up CUPS to allow for remote print jobs. When configuring the Windows printer, add a new printer, but make sure you set it to a local printer instead of a network printer. Then, choose TCP/IP as the port the printer is on and add the appropriate IP address. This has always worked for me.

Ah, excellent. I'll definitely be trying that one out (always assuming I can get the printer working with CUPS, of course )

So I've downloaded the Debian stable net install cd and burnt it to a cd at work... Anyway I can verify the contents on my work (windows) pc? Explorer is showing it as blank, but I don't know if that's because I don't know how to use the burning software we've got here, or because it's written a linux file system that explorer won't read, or what. Should it appear blank in Windows?

Oh, turns out I don't know how to work computers in general. I just looked under my desk and saw the drive tray sitting out - I forgot that burners tend to eject CDs after they write them.
:$

Nice. Any-who, way to go with Debian. It is freakin' stable. After that it's just adding software.

Also, if sleep and hibernate don't work, there is a kernel patch that I read about that might help called suspend2. I guess it redoes the way the computer hibernates and has more options. I tried to compile it within the latest kernel once, but I got errors and decided that I didn't need it that badly. :saddowns:

I spent nearly a week trying to kludge suspend2 into working with Debian Stable/Sarge on Ratatoskr [my CF-27 Toughbook] before agreeing with Veggie that I didn't really need it /that/ much. [Always froze on the retrieving kernel image step on Resume, no known solution from my research aside from 'keep trying random permutations of drivers and voodoo until it works halfway'].

The laptop has built-in suspend/hibernate from BIOS, which work great until Linux starts loading after which they always leave me with blank screen and dead keyboard on Resume. From the hours that I've spent trying to track this down, this is apparently a very common problem with no known solution other than: "Use suspend2 instead."

I too would like a bit more recent branch; however the last several months any time I've tried Etch, even from a clean install I routinely get random kernel crashes. And Edgy Eft is such a rampant pita to get installed on a system with no CD drive and non-bootable USB [yes I've tried about half a dozen of the Alternative Installation methods on their wiki, and they pretty much all made me hate my life.] I really wish Ubuntu would wise up and provide canonical installer floppies like Debian does.

Usually if I want really recent software version, eg nmap or nano or zydas wireless drivers, I'll just get it from CVS or such instead.

Like I said, suspend mode is very buggy. :p

On kubuntu both of my suspend and hibernate functions work well after I installed the "hibernate" package.

The only issues that I get are occasional minor glitches after bringing a hibernated system up to functional mode, but that is to be expected.