File server OS

If you mean hardware requerements, there are no more than the requerements for linux.

You will want to look at some software wich will supply the possibility to use a linux-machine as a fileserver for windows.

There are several possibility's
1. A NFS client for windows
(mostly commercial)
2. Samba (free)
- take a look at the samba homepage.
- www.samba.org
3. FTP server (also free)
- for example WU-ftpd
accessible via the dos ftp command.

I you want to do it easy use Samba preferably with an gui administration interface for example swat.

Regards,

Harold de Bruijn

No, Not really.

One thing I will note though. Linux is often sold as an OS that will run on a dusty 386 picked out of your local museum. This is true, sort of. Linux can run on old hardware, and it can do pretty well at it. But remember, evenif the processor doesn't get hit, old hardware will have bandwidth limitations in the hardware such as the IDE channel as well.

Samba is the easiest, and generally the best solution. It will benefit from RAM, in particular, but give it a good (p2-450 or better) processor as well. Too often, Linux is put in as a server when the hardware just isn't adequate. You don't need 4 processors, nor do you need 8 Gigs of RAM, but a decient processor, 4-8 Megs of RAM per user, and a very fast (I recommend SCSI) storage subsystem will make a HUGE difference.

Setting up Samba is very easy, either with the GUI, or at the command line. But read the instructions, particularly about using encrypted passwords. And make sure that you DO use passwords...

Kev.

You'll want to set up Linux as a Samba server. It's a pretty straightforward setup but pay close attention to the part of the configuration file (smb.conf) where it talks about passwords (encrypted vs plain text) in regards to Win95/98.

paul