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how can i setup a domain on a regular pc

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23 replies

by adminmichael

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can you create domains on a old pc and connect all your clients to that domain?

23 replies

by spitfire_sysop

Why do you need a domain? What are the functions that you need this server to provide?

by markp24

hi this can be done, even done on a vmware workstation virtual machine.

by markp24

You can use virtual box - free
VMware workstation - purchase
Microsoft Virtual PC - Free

by dayen

do you have server software can the old machine handle it what are the stats of the machine and if your running windows xp home it can't join a domain check your OS before you go through all the work remember Linux is free and has server software

by adminmichael

ok i have a server os that isnt in use but i dont currently want to use it im woundering if i can setup a domain on like a windows xp professional to connect clients to that computer.

by markp24

Hi,

My answers before were based on your request to setup a DC on an old box or what sounded like a system that you didn't have the budget for new hardware. So I advised the Virtual route. But then you replied that your tring to use a windows XP box as a Domain controller, that cannot be done.

please let me know if i am misinterpreting the question you posted.

by dayen

I agree with makp24 XP can only be peer to peer if it home only 5 computer if pro then 10 computers after that major slow down

by spitfire_sysop

People sometimes want to set up a domain for imaginary reasons but they often don't need to. There are multiple ways to get things done. What is your actual goal?

P.S. XP cannot be a domain controller. Linux can use LDAP to provide authentication like AD. Is authentication all you need?

by adminmichael

Well i dont really have a goal, just want to say i have one! And just to play around and see what i can do to manage my home computers. What i really want i guess it to beable to not need to go into every computer i have at my house and create the users i just want to add the computer to the doamin and then have the users be created auto on the clients.

by sanwardak

XP only you can workgroup it, not domain. Use linux server it is free.

by oh smeg

If you don't want to use any form of Server Product be that some form of Windows like 2003/whatever you can use one of the many Unix Like Server Products available in the Linux/BSD offerings.

But without a Server Product you are confined to a Workgroup as M$ call it which is actually a P2P Sharing System and with XP Home you are limited to 5 Concurrent Connections which [b]Can Not[/b] be added to a Domain and with XP Pro 10 Concurrent Connections on any Domain Local Area network.

Col

by charles bundy

Will give you a free "domain controller". However I had trouble with joining Win7 clients to NT4.0 type domains. Looks like the latest major version of SAMBA is still 3. Until they go to 4 you won't be able to join Win7 boxes (Unless MS gave up some details to the SAMBA team.)

Any distro should run fine on a box that supports WinXP...

ADDENDUM -

You can read up/download Samba at http://www.samba.org. All distros have Samba tho...

If you are interested in playing around with Samba4 and testing the AD controller check out http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba4/HOWTO#Samba4_HOWTO.

Samba as a PDC or DC can serve as a central point of authentication, but there are ways to use LDAP for that purpose. Check out http://erikberg.com/notes/auth.html and pay close attention to pGina. I really like http://directory.fedoraproject.org/ for LDAP services as it has a very friendly GUI and supports VLV. This is very useful if you want to have a browseable central address book for e-mail clients.

The combination of LDAP for auth and Samba for file and print services is both useful and low cost (except for skull sweat.) Have fun!

by william

just wanted to let u know, windows 7 cannot connect to a NT4 domain. I was managing NT4 at work till it crashed a couple months ago (after years of trying to get mgmt to allow us to upgrade). They took out the capability. Also my old job uses Samba, and they said they cannot connect Windows 7 to the domain.. domain either.

just curious, how many computers do you have that you want to use a domain for. I am actually looking at killing mine at home. You may want to look at Small Business Server, I cant recall if it has AD or not.

by adminmichael

i have like 11 computer 3 xp pro and 7 windows 6 7 professional and 1 home pre of 7

by adminmichael

So you use SAMBA version 3? Can you give me the download link.

by ournewestmember

You could use your DC setup to try out roaming profiles so you don't have to manually duplicate/share identical user data on many machines...

Perhaps an expert could help: Can roaming profiles be setup for free?

by adminmichael

ok say i just used a computer with multiple drives can i setup a logon script on the computers to map say like my documents and change that defult location to there drive?

by markp24

if you use a non server Microsft OS it limits network connections to it (i believe the maximuum network is 5 connections to an XP workstation is (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314882)) anyway you may want to use a linux OS to host the users data, i do not think there is a maximum # of network conenctions (somone please confirm that)

by oh smeg

With XP Home there are 5 Concurrent Connections Possible and with XP Pro there are 10 Concurrent Connections Possible.

With a Nix Server App you are limited by the number of computers you can physically connect to the system.

Col

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