Best Distro For Linux Server?
 

I am setting up a Linux server at my house and I wanted to know if anybody had any suggestions or tips as to which distro is the best to use for a server. All of the other computers on my network will be running Windows XP Home. I also wanted to know if it was possible to set up roaming profiles on a linux server to work with windows xp computers.

I would EASILY reccomend Gentoo.. incredible features... I'm currently dual booting that on my PowerEdge 420. next onees i'd reccomend (in order)

debian (apt-get is nice)
vector (slackware based)

but yeah all in all I'd reccomend Gentoo over anything else.

I'll toss my vote in the ring for Debian, but with a number of disclaimers.

I went through the same "which dist to use" debate quite a while ago. I think an important question for you to answer first is how much experience you have with linux. A lot of the distributions that might be most highly recommended for servers aren't the best recommendations for a newcomer to linux. I started with Debian, and installed it for about 14 hours one night (over, and over, and over again, etc.), and was incredibly frustrated. I put in a Mandrake CD and it was running shortly thereafter.

While Mandrake probably isn't the best choice for a server, it's a pretty good choice for a first time system. Ubuntu has the advantage of having the system "just work" as a desktop, but it has the debian base system, with which you can familiarize yourself right off the bat (apt-get is really, really nice ... which I heard a dozen times before ever using it, and had no appreication for what they really meant). I learned a great deal about xFree86 configuration, apache setup, proftpd configuration, etc, and then later had a much simpler time switching to Debian (which I now use on all my servers).


In summary: How much Linux experience do you have?

i'll throw in for debian as well. its really the first distro i've used. i installed red hat a while back, then never touched it again. i've learned alot about apache and other crap as per omega said. but i havent tackled the x server stuff yet. one day though, one day.

check this site out: http://www.aboutdebian.com/

later

I don't have that much experience doing stuff such as editing and recompiling the kernel. As far as setting it up, I guess I am ok at it. The distros I have used so far are Rad Hat 9, SuSE 9.1, Knoppix, and PCLinuxOS. The last 2 are just boot cds. I don't know much of how the others such as gentoo and debian work cause I haven't tried them. I was looking to setup a server that would host files and possibly a website sometimes. I would also like to try doing roaming profiles, but as far as I know, Linux doesn'thave support for hosting Windows XP roaming profiles and Windows Xp Home (which is what I am running) doesn't have support for them either (unless there is a workaround).

You can host the Documents and Settings folder (profiles) on any file server. Every computer in which this will apply to, on the network, will require you to modify the Registry. Change the value of the ProfilesDirectory string in the [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList] key to the path of the network drive and directory that the Profiles are being hosted on.

EDIT: My vote would go to either Debian or Mandrake, depending on how familiar you are with Linux (less familiar means go with Mandrake).

ok... after working fairly hard sitting on my butt and sleeping some of the time to download and burn debian, i am disappointed to find that it is a command prompt linux distro (ewwwww). command prompt operating systems only keeps my ADD under control for like 5-10 minutes unless i know what i am doing.... and i didn't. so, i guess i will try suse again and possibly see if i can find another linux distro that is graphical that has the stuff i need to run good server. does anybody know if somebody has released a linux distro for a server with the tools and it is graphical?

ok... after working fairly hard sitting on my butt and sleeping some of the time to download and burn debian, i am disappointed to find that it is a command prompt linux distro (ewwwww). command prompt operating systems only keeps my ADD under control for like 5-10 minutes unless i know what i am doing.... and i didn't. so, i guess i will try suse again and possibly see if i can find another linux distro that is graphical that has the stuff i need to run good server. does anybody know if somebody has released a linux distro for a server with the tools and it is graphical?

mandrake linux.

ummm... yeah. only because the forums were pmsing when i tried to post and it decided to post two of what i posted. that and the fact that we can't delete our own posts anymore. :confused:

um dude, you can install Xwindows and Gnome or KDE on debian too. don't ask me how, i just run mine command line, but i omega, vee_ess, and merclord (who i havent seen in a while) know a good bit more than i do about linux.

later

i know i could, but i am way too lazy to do that

lazy + linux don't mix well.. ;)

Roaming profiles, and other things...
 

Nothing is really 'supported' on linux ;). Though some distro's (Like Mandrake -now Mandriva) do have nice installers and configuration tools. Be aware that if you choose for Mandriva, you should have the Mandriva Corporate Server edition, wich you can only download if you're a corporate member (read: $). But wether or not you go with a payed distro, when you want tot finetune your linux system, you will meet mister command line... evantually.

A very good distro for expirimenting with linux is Freesco. You can run it from a floppy on a 486, but you can also install it on a FAT16/32 or -preferably- an EXT2 filesystem. There are also various packages you can install with Freesco, like samba.
Samba comes with almost all distro's by the way.

A nice howto for configuring samba as an Primary Domain Controller (including profiles, network shares, user accounts and machine accounts):
Samba PDC mini-HOWTO.

Personally, for a good, secure and flexible server system, I would go for debian. For a server install guide, take a look at The perfect Debian setup.
First I was scared of the commandline to, but I have to admit: when you learn to know it, you will never want to live without it anymore. :)

I run a debian (sarge) system now, configured with shorewall firewall, apache2, php, mysql, courier IMAP server, samba as a PDC with network shares for my XP clients, and a NSF server for my Linux clients.

Well, looking at the date of the post, I guess I'm a little late with this reply, but anyhow, I hope this was any useful to you (or anybody else reading this). If you have any questions, don't hestitate to mail me (see my MSN details for my e-mail address).

Greetings,
Lazy_R

P.S.
About the workaround: there is also a hack that will let you install MICRO$~1 Windows XP Professional with an XP Home install CD, but... wel... yeah... :/ : HOWTO Change Windows XP Home to Windows XP Pro