Looking for a mentor/adviser

[Craig White]

On Fri, 2010-01-29 at 12:14 -0600, sean at theparsonsfamily.com wrote:
> Well, I am trying to build as close an equivalent to my existing all
> Microsoft network as possible using Linux based solutions in order to
> determine if I can migrate away from Microsoft. At the same time attempt
> to learn more about Linux. I am using Small Business Server 2003 Standard
> and 3 Server 2003 machines to host my corporate network, I have about 30
> workstations and these assets are distributed across to offices in
> Albuquerque and Phoenix. We use Exchange for mail, I have 3 domain
> controllers for AD. We use office 2007 for typical files and I use
> networked printers. I am not using much from SQL except for sharepoint but
> there are other options for that.
> 
> As far as giving you specifics, how do you define an unknown? I can't
> explain what Linux can do vs Windows, as it's not apples-apples and
> oranges-oranges. Listing everything out and trying to keep things focused
> in a forum like this is going to be a monumental effort on top of the
> actual project. I can't debate 4 different opinions about which mail
> transport agent/client is best, I'm more interested in choosing one and
> trying to see if I can make it work, at this point.
> 
> That is why I set out to build a sandbox with the aide of someone with
> more experience than I, to attempt to build as much equivalent
> functionality as possible to see where it gets me/us. I have no plan to
> use it in a production environment and if I decide to actually convert, I
> would plan a project for that separately, with more specifics, and
> hopefully my experience will have improved as well.
> 
> I have unsuccessfully attempted to reproduce various pieces (Samba, Cups,
> DNS, etc) and join them to the existing domain and had 0% success in
> making it work with my existing network. So keeping them separate is my
> only option at this point.
> 
> I have allocated four machines for use and a portion of my network, I can
> even allocate static IPs. I have planned for 2 servers and 1-2 workstation
> machines, I can bring them to installfest, but I'd need a lot of support
> equipment to hook them up into something usable.
> 
> I still have concerns about this forum as I am new and getting 20
> different conflicting suggestions will not be a constructive learning
> environment, not to mention monopolizing this forum.
----
If someone volunteers to 'mentor' you privately so be it. This list is
precisely for the type of thing you are contemplating.

I will relate what I typically set up for a client...

- CentOS (distribution of choice though I would expect that you 
  could pretty much pull this off with any distribution).
- Samba (Windows server / NT type domain controller)
- OpenLDAP (authentication & address books though I am contemplating
  eventually switching to FreeIPA)
- Netatalk (Macintosh AFP server)
- Postfix (SMTP)
- Cyrus-IMAPd (POP3/IMAP server) Most robust server in it's class
- Horde (with IMP/Kronolith/Turba/Ingo/Nag/Mnemo/Wicked) Shared
  e-mail, contacts, calendars, tasks, memos, wiki
- MailScanner, SpamAssassin, Clamd (mail / virus scanning)
- SQLGrey (greylisting)

This gets me close but not all the way to what I can get from SBS.

You could probably use Zimbra instead (Zimbra uses Postfix & Cyrus-IMAPd
but uses amavisd instead of MailScanner and is a resource pig)

Obviously apache/mysql and other necessary services would have to be
present.

Craig


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