Linux workstation - Windows Network : Can it be done?

[Nimon]

I've got a pile of oldish PC's lying around : PIV's, 512Meg RAM and 80gig HDD's that are a bit long in the tooth for most purposes and definitely won't take Windows 7 when we finally roll it out.

 

What I would like to know is whether or not it's possible to set them up as Linux workstations and allow users to have access to their home drives on the Windows 2003 server, internet access etc?

 

Has anyone ever managed to make this work?

[dhicks]

What I would like to know is whether or not it's possible to set them up as Linux workstations and allow users to have access to their home drives on the Windows 2003 server, internet access etc?

 

Yes, easily: you can either use Samba or Likewise-Open. We currently have Likewise-Open running on half-a-dozen Ubuntu machines. The next release of Ubuntu, due out in a few days, has a newer version of Likewise-Open built in, so configuring your Ubuntu machine as a network workstation becomes just typing "apt-get install likewise-open" into a command promapt. Remember to get device CALs for your workstations if you don't already have some.

 

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David Hicks

[Chris_Jones]

The other option, If your a Volume Licence customer is Windows Fundamentals - Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Which is a cut down version of XP optimised for older Hardware, we use it here on some ancient RM Laptops just for Office and Internet Browsing and it runs fine.

[cookie_monster]

The other option, If your a Volume Licence customer is Windows Fundamentals - Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Which is a cut down version of XP optimised for older Hardware, we use it here on some ancient RM Laptops just for Office and Internet Browsing and it runs fine.

 

 

I've not had anything to do with Windows Fundamentals can it use wireless networks WPA/2 etc? I wonder how well it would run on atom netbooks.

[Chris_Jones]

Just checked the specs of ours - they are Celeron 1.5Ghz, 256MB RAM, 20GB HDD - connecting to a WPA Wireless network. Should run great on Atoms, but bear in mind that some programs do not work correctly - I wouldnt recommend it for anything other than basic office/internet use.