Setting up a novell-like server on my home network

E

exutable

New Member
Hello I have approximately 7 computer in my house and at this point I am interested in creating a file server that would host all the users files so they would be accessible at all times. I want it so that you can log in as a user at any of the computers and get to your files. I am sort of setting up a permanent LAN cafe in my house if you will. We are going to have all the games and what not on the workstations. I want what I have at my school which is novell. You log in and you get all your choices for programs to run plain and simple. What I am looking for is:

  1. What operating system would I need on the server?
  2. What would I need to install on the workstations to have a log-in screen everytime the computer boots?
  3. What would I need to set up so that every time you do log in you have access to your files no matter what computer your on?


I am OK in Linux I am currently running a Web Server, Mysql Server and Counter-Strike server.

Thank you in advance
 
There are heaps of ways. The cheap way is to get a linux distro that's specially designed to do this stuff. You can then look up all the documentation on the programs it uses to do so. Or you can use Server 2003 and active directory to set up user names and such. I work a lot with Server 03 but don't know how to actually set it up (they don't trust me.) On the client side, you'll need an OS (and I believe with a linux server it can be any OS, active directory is a bit harder) and any softaware that you want to run. The rest can all be held on the server.
 
You need to have directory services running of some sort (OD, AD, ED) and what you want is mobile home directories so if a user logs in their home directory will sync with the server. Or you can host the home directory on the server, assign in a drive letter (which only windows assigns drive letters) and have it map at log in.

You would have to purchase a license to a server product like Netware, Enterprise level Linux, or Microsoft server. That costs a lot of money. You can alternatively use an open source server like Debian Linux, create a LDAP directory, run open directory and drive map. Pushing out policy and permissions to local windows machines may be not possible from that angle.

At work I admin a ODM (open directory master) 5 ODRs (open directory replicas) and 12 xserves hosting home directories, our casper suite, etc. There are over 6,000 users in our open directory. It is a lot of work, but needed when managing this many computers and users.

You will also have to learn some of this stuff too, which would be great if you want to be an admin/directory services career later on.
 
Thank you, I have worked with Fedora a lot in the past and have hosted almost every type of server on it. I just don't see how I would be able to have a log in screen on a windows computer to a linux server. What kind of client side thing would I install?

I think you guys know exactly what I am talking about because I want to run games that only run on Windows but at the same time when you log in you get directed to your own file on the network.

tlarkin, not to invade on your privacy but I am pretty curious at to what you make doing that job because I am looking into that field as a junior in high school right now. I am looking into becoming a server manager/admin.
 
I work IT. I manage, support, and repair 6,000 macbooks, 17 xserves, and an open directory server for a school system.

I would start googling how to bind windows clients to Open Directory Linux servers, and look at making a LDAP server for your user database.
 
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