If this is your idea of a newbie question, then I would hate to see a
more experienced one.
I have normall found that when I compare NT to Linux the biggest
advantage that Linux has is the wealth of software that you get for
free. I would start out with a bid a little bit lower than your NT
competitor, and then just keep adding features until NT simply can't
compete.
NT is not very expensive if you just want file and print services, but
when you start adding proxy servers, firewalls, email (Exchange is
EXPENSIVE), fax servers, newsgroups, etc. Then you really start to
see the power of Linux.
The beautty of this is that many of these services are just the type
of thing to turn teachers heads. For example set up an private news
server (or better yet IRC server) that will allow students to post
questions with their homework. Show them how easy it would be to let
every student have their own web page and email address (a real pain
with NT). Stress how it would give computer students access to
quality compilers and programming languages without requiring the
outlay of capital (of course I don't know if you want to give the
students shell access to the Linux machine or not).
Heck, show them how it will allow them to revitalize some of the older
386's and 486's that have been donated and they have just lying around.
The key is not to stress the many negatives of NT but rather the many
positives of choosing Linux.
Good Luck,
Jason Earl
---Jason Belich <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> I know this is bit of a newbie question, but...
>
> Ok, I have a school district customer looking at a wide area network/
> intranet.
>
> They haven't a clue, generally, nor a dime. (poor, rural)
>
> I'm obviously considering an RH 5 based server backbone for their
Win95
> and Macs
>
> I would like to set things up so anyone with a username and ID will be
> able to sit down at any computer and have access to all their
services,
> like home directory, etc.
>
> Netatalk and Samba with tweaking can do this, but there will be
> different servers at different buildings. So...
>
> Can RH5 give the appearance of a unified machine with a combo of
> NIS/NFS?
>
> If so, can samba and netatalk work within this framework?
>
> Does anyone have experience with this?
>
> Also, a competitor is conning them into an NT based solution with the
> promise of these capabilities, also MS proxy server to filter ala
> cybernanny to keep the kids away from _bad_ stuff, central
> administration (with them of course), unified file and print, www
> server(s), mail, and the kitchen sink with extra rust.
>
> Also he is promising the user and group capabilities of NT and Win95,
> i.e. restricted access for users to screw up the network, but not
Macs.
>
> I've tried to tell them that the setup isn't going to work, being NT,
> but I can't convince them the glory of Linux without offering them
> everything they've been spoon fed and more, for less.
>
> So what i'm concerned about is central administration, user
> transparency WRT the network, restricting access to improper
material,
> and network security (to keep out student BOFHs and stupid teachers,
we
> all know how it goes).
>
> Can anyone suggest a few good network setups?
>
>
> Jason
>
>
> --
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