Convert me to Linux / recommend a distro + apps

[malfunction]

As the title says. My current setup at home is:

1 x server
1 x main PC (which will stay as a windows PC for gaming reasons)
1 x laptop

I want to start with the server PC with a view to moving the laptop over further down the line. I currently use Windows 2000 on all the PCs (Server on the server, Pro on the other two) and the server PC has to fulfil the following roles:

File sharing - including MS networking / file and print sharing for the main PC and the laptop until I convert it over. Presume samba is the only way to go for file sharing but what about printers? I have a laser printer (Samsung ML-1210) and an inkjet (HP Deskjet 3320) connected via USB if that matters.

MySQL server (easy peasy - obviously MySQL here...)

Firewall / router for the main PC (wired connection) and the laptop (wireless connection). I've currently got Windows 2000 doing DHCP (for any guest PCs that might come around from time to time) and DNS forwarding and want to have proper control over the firewall (i.e. which ports, protocols and packet types I let in and out)

Web server - including ASP support (for work reasons) and PHP support (because I really ought to learn PHP). Presume Apache + PHP but what do I do for ASP support?

If there's a decent distro that can do all of the above 'off the shelf' I'd be well chuffed. Hardware wise the server PC is a Shuttle SN41G2 (nForce2 chipset) using the onboard GFX. ADSL modem is CURRENTLY a Speed Touch USB though I also have an PCI ADSL modem (Conexant chipset) which I've abandoned in Windows after lots of connection problems - maybe Linux drivers will be a little more stable...? Oh and I'd want the server to run VNC as it's not usually plugged into a monitor (nor does it usually have a keyboard or mouse attached).

Anyone up for the challenge of converting me over? I have a little unix experience and have dabbled in linux a couple of times over the years - but have always gone back to windows... This time I want it to stick.

[LWA]

Have you read the Hexus Free and Open Source Software articles:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

These articles contain a great deal of information about trying Linux, whether you want to install it or simply boot from a CD. Have a read and see what you think..

[malfunction]

Have you read the Hexus Free and Open Source Software articles:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

These articles contain a great deal of information about trying Linux, whether you want to install it or simply boot from a CD. Have a read and see what you think..

Cheers - I must have missed these on the main site (I'm reading them now).

[LWA]

No problems mate, let me know how you get on

[malfunction]

Been reading around and thinking of going with Fedora. Any reason why I shouldn't use Fedora or why I should choose something else over it?

[LWA]

I have never used Fedora so I couldn't comment. I have used redhat 8 and debian (with help from the article above).

(Directed to all at Hexus) Anyone used Fedora and can help out malfunction?

[directhex]

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Debian-and...h_windows.html

looks easier than i had realised, actually, and it's using samba. the options are to have a unix-style household (windows can print to unix printers if you install Services for Unix) or a windows-style setup (courtesy Samba).

additionally, http://wwws.sun.com/software/chilisoft/ for SunONE web server, which will do the job, though not via apache.

i've never tried setting up a headless system with VNC, the more unixy option is to connect with SSH to a terminal, and do work via said console or send the graphics for a program to an X server on your local pc rather than on the remote pc (under windows, that would mean hummingbird exceed or cygwin). again, this isn't something i know much about on the whole, i tend to do things in a terminal or x-forward from one unix machine to another (which is trivial)

[directhex]

all i know is 95% of problems in the assorted linuxy irc channels i sit in are with fedora. fedora is alpha-quality code, so red hat can watch to see which bits break and which don't, with an eye to picking & choosing the few working bits for payware redhat enterprise server.

[malfunction]

As soon as I wrote the bit about VNC I realised I really ought to telnet into the box instead. Too used to windows - and I also want to check out a few of the desktop environments for when I convert the laptop over... Plus it just looks a lot nicer / is a lot friendlier (in theory at least). Talking of which - Gnome or KDE? Or something else?

[malfunction]

all i know is 95% of problems in the assorted linuxy irc channels i sit in are with fedora. fedora is alpha-quality code, so red hat can watch to see which bits break and which don't, with an eye to picking & choosing the few working bits for payware redhat enterprise server.

Now that's a good reason not to choose it... Debian it is then...

[malfunction]

(Re: Debian) Should I still go for the "test" version or has the stable version been updated to something useful since the hexus articles were written?

[malfunction]

Also - for download - is "jigdo" the way to go?

[directhex]

it's a couple of days late for stabilising. the best bet is to install testing, then when editing sources.list (which is in the guide somewhere) change all instances of "testing" to "sarge" - that way, when sarge stabilises in a few days, you'll stay on sarge (rather than moving to sarge's testing successor, "etch")

since sarge isn't stable, http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ remains the place to get it from.

[Moby-Dick]

for admin , have a look at webmin. it provides a web based front end for a linux box.

I think I'm goignt o have to pimp clarkconnect again

I think it will do just about everythign you want , and I'm sure you can get ASP/MYSQL plugins for it as it will take a lot of RPM's

you might need an ethernet dsl modem though
should only cost you about 20 notes.

www.clarkconnect.org

[ikonia]

Convert you ??

if you had read anything about it you wouldn't need converting, you'd already have made your mind up to try/not try

I'm happy to recommend apps and configurations, but you've not really done much home work here.

[malfunction]

ikonia - if someone asked me a question about something I had knowledge of I'd feel free to give them advice. Yes I could have done more research but I wanted to get started and have seen people on these forums do a little 'hand holding' for other users when they're dabbling in something new.

Aaaanyway...

Here's a specific question for you - or anyone that's feeling helpful:

Where the heck is the TCP/IP config? Where / how do I enable DHCP?

I've downloaded Debian (Sarge) and have installed it on my laptop first as a test (as that way I can test it out before altering my server PC)

My (wireless) network card was detected at install (which impressed me) but at install it would only attempt to connect in access point mode not adhoc mode (which is what I'm using at home). I've since been able to configure the card so that it can detect and connect to the WLAN (and my firewall PC can see the laptop too - on a site survey that is) but I still can't connect to the outside world - so I'm presuming it's simply not set up for DHCP (which I use at home)... Or I'm missing something else major