Best OS for setting up a File Server

[morigeau]

Hello,
I am writing a case study on setting up a file server for a fake company. By the way I am very new to networking. Anyways, I was doing some research for the best OS for this type of job. I have started out between Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora. I'm not sure at this point what I would need in terms of hardware or what OS would offer better software for running a file server that is supposed to support about 7 offices spread out across the U.S. Although this is the beginning so I thought I would start with software choice first. I'm also not sure if one is better than the other in terms of server support or security. or if it doesn't matter because they are all Linux based. Is the user experience really what separates these choices? Or is there a clear choice for what I am trying to accomplish? I hope I'm making myself clear. Any insight would be great, even it it's just a sentence or two. Thanks ahead of time.

Note: Yes, it is a homework question. Sorry for not having stated that from the beginning. However, I'd like to be clear that although this information is helpful, I am only looking for general information and not a free report. Though, it will help me decide which direction I want to approach this setup from in case anyone wanted to know.

[smr54]

Sounds like a homework question. Which, IMHO, doesn't mean it shouldn't be answered, but if that is what it is, it's probably best to state it.

At any rate, Fedora and most versions of Ubuntu are aimed more at the desktop user. Ubuntu does have a server version, but, if using that, one should probably stick to the LTS (Long term support) versions. The whole thing with this nice new software is that it will frequently break, or a developer might change something so that a configuration file no longer works--so, you upgrade Apache, for example and suddenly your users can no longer reach their websites.

Debian is far more conservative in its stable version. The disadvantage is that you will be using older versions of packages.

RedHat and its clones, CentOS, Oracle Linux, and ScientificLinux, dominate the Linux server market in the US. Fedora is a less stable, more desktop oriented by default, newer package version of RedHat Enterprise Linux. Still, Fedora goes EOL (end of life) in a relatively short time, and it begins to take a great deal of effort to maintain it as a server.

So, of the three you mentioned, Debian is probably the best choice for a server, because of its stability. However, RedHat, or its free versions, CentOS and Scientific are also excellent choices. Vendors of various hardware and software are (usually) more concerned with making sure RH works on it than any other distro.

There's a page that has some statistics on web servers. Out of the various Linux distros, CentOS and Debian dominated, probably having 90 percent or more of the statistics. (On the other hand, keep in mind that statistics can mislead--there's a Fedora page on the Fedora project that states anyone who claims they have real data on usage is lying, mistaken, or trying to sell you something.

Generally, especially if you're in an academic environment, you should really try all of them (including either CentOS or ScientificLinux) and see what you think.

[morigeau]

Thank you smr54,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I likely will try all of them at some point. Not sure what my choice will be for the file server just yet, but this definitely helps.

[Dan]

Let me quote from the posting rules ... in case you missed it when you failed to read them.

10. Don't Post Homework Questions
We will close any threads asking for help on assignments. We've done our homework, you do yours!

In short ... You may consider this an official screw-up.


Now, in answer to your question:

Given your level of expertise, and your predilection for taking the easy way out and getting others to do your work for you ... I recommend contacting a local IT company and have them come over to your fictitious company ... and install a MAC server running whatever version is current. Then I'd say replace all your workstations with MAC minis.

Then, as an afterthought, go out and purchase a text book on system administration for all three competing sytems, Windows, MAC and Linux.

And then, from that point forward, whenever there is a problem, you can call those friendly MAC guys to come to your company and solve your problems for you.

Then you get to pay the bill.

And ... in the fullness of time ... when the inevitable budgetary crunch has you up late at night worrying instead of sleeping, you can spend a few evenings/nights reading the afore-mentioned textbook. And sooner or later ...


it'll come to you.


<....>




EDIT: By the way ... all ribbing and kidding aside, for a start-up company who/which does not have the benefit of a highly competent and motivated techno-dweeb on staff or a willing service/slave person they can trust and call on in times of crisis ... the commercial software/service contract really isn't such an outlandish idea. The business of a business ... is its business. Not forever mucking about in the file server room/closet trying to solve technical issues, most of which will very likely be self induced out of ignorance and false economy.

That's why those silly little IT/tech companies exist. So you -- as a business person -- don't have to be an expert.