Mac OS/X and Linux

[Lynn Newton]

> I need to set up a Linux (hopefully) file server for
> an office of Mac's.  OS/X is Unix, so I should be able
> to set up an NFS/Samba file server, right?  Everything
> will just work?

Yes, but it's a bit tricky the first time through it.
I can't comment specifically about Samba because I've
never done it myself, but I'm sure it works.

Mac OS X doesn't make use of /etc/fstab.

There's a shareware app called NFS Manager that leads you
through the stuff you need to do to export NFS file systems
or to mount them from other systems. Like most sysadmin
oriented graphical apps, this is just a front end for
doing whatever an appropriately informed sysadmin would
do by hand. But that's also its advantage. It's quick
and easy.

I used to deal with NFS constantly on a daily basis in
other jobs, but struggled way too long trying to make it
work right from my Macs before giving up for a while.
Then someone pointed me to NFS Manager, which I downloaded,
and the problem was solved ten minutes later.

It's a bit annoying to use if you don't pay for it ... a
popup comes up about every third screen suggesing you
pay. Seemed a bit pricey to me.

-- 
Lynn Newton
Phoenix, Arizona