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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Roy Stark wrote: > Coa someone please advice on ways to achieve the following; > > What I would like to achieve is to set up a computer; > > · to receive and send email for users, I would like to stay on > Microsoft server and Workstation as this is what I am familiar with, but > if possible use the UNIX computer as a mail server so email is stored > on it and users can log into any MS workstation to see their email. > Something like MS Exchange server but for UNIX would be great. For this you need a Mail Transport Agent, sendmail is best known, but Postfix is easier to set up and more secure (Exim and Qmail are also good). This controls sending and receiving mail. For serving the mail up to Windows clients I would use an IMAP server, Cyrus is well recommended but I use the University of Washington's. SuSE also do a special "mail server" distribution, last I saw it was available in PC World, which might suit if building a dedicated mail server. Probably suitable for the larger company, you didn't say how many users, I assume rather less. > · act as a proxy gateway so internal staff can browse the > internet, but allow me to control individual user bandwidth, some > people can get carried away with surfing . Squid provide a proxy service. Whilst Linux is great for managing network bandwidth, for basic control and preventing abuse I would suggest just producing reports from the logs, rather than restrictions in the software. Good management is more about monitoring, than about control, people and computers. 100MB of work related download is probably far better than 1MB of chat or radio. > · act as a host for my website so I can easily place our ads > (Mysql) on the site, and update the site as necessary. Apache will do this, but I would be concerned about putting publically exposed stuff on the same box as internal stuff. Incoming mail via Postfix or Qmail doesn't pose much risk (although even that could be routed via an ISP for better security). Sure Linux has a good security record compared to NT, but I prefer to stick this kind of stuff at an ISP, someone like UKFSN.ORG will give you hosting with MySQL backend for a minimal fee, and I'm sure Theo and are other ISP people here would like to quote too. > · make public directory/s with or without subdirectories to allow > public access to certain areas depending on password so the can download > files I place there. Again Apache is a reasonable choice, but I would look at a seperate box or firewall if doing it locally. Again one to ask the ISPs if they have facilities in place, or configurable. > · If possible act as a firewall. Again it is fairly easy to protect a box which has minimal exposed services, but I think you need to think about security in the design, rather than build one box to do everything and have it hacked. Dedicated boxes to be firewalls are easier to manage, a second hand PC will do this fine, and can probably act as proxy for web browsing. IPCop is available as a package for such boxes. If you prefer to spend money on a firewall device, I can do you dedicated hardware devices from a few hundred quid upwards, from various suppliers. > Because I am more familiar with Microsoft I would like to stick to this > for my network. With the MS server controlling the workstations and > allowing printer, files, etc, resources. Understandable, taking little steps makes good business sense. > I have no experience with any form of UNIX so would like to have > someone either visit with me or me visit with them to get a run down on > how this could be achieved and even possibly do this for me. Technically Linux is not UNIX as it doesn't use the original AT&T (or BSD) code bases. Postfix, UWIMAP, Squid, Apache, firewalling are all bundled with most Linux distributions (Redhat, SuSE, Debian), or available free of charge for download. > I live and work in Cardiff and can be reached all hours on my mobile on > 077 3420 6952 or telephone 02920 195299 I'm a great fan of "Appliances". Having done the "what you need to roll your own", one product I know of may do most, or all, of what you want in a reasonably secure way, without you needing to master Linux to get going. http://www.netpilot.com/products/netpilot/default.asp I am nominally a reseller for the product via one of my suppliers, although no one has quite sounded such a good fit, so I haven't tried selling it before. List price is around £1500. Anyway if you want to know more drop me an e-mail, I don't do the hard sell, much to my bank managers disgust and definitely not here as this is the wrong forum for such. I'm also happy to assist in building a box in Cardiff for you if you want help to build your own, but a device could be cheaper, and would probably be cheaper down the line in terms of support costs. Good Luck with the project, Simon -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQE+JtofGFXfHI9FVgYRAnwQAKCmsg3CfltDOn/GDI0mGGDfnKWkxQCfTLBo 1QULfUUrfz2Yh7pVNWrfVI8= =frAk -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the message body to unsubscribe.