HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL
| reply to woowah
Re: OS X server easy to use?
I seriously don't think you will need a server to do what you are asking since it's a very basic setup that your current Leopard installation can do just fine.
The difference is mostly what kind of software and management tools are provided to you, but you can use your desktop system just the same way as an OS X server.
Simply setup one of the Macs as a server and provide a calender, that updates itself every startup of iCal or every 1 minute. You can do this from your iCal application easily.
To share Address Book's you will want a LDAP server running, and Address Book including Outlook and other PC applications can access this without any issues because it's a standard protocol across the board. This would provide you with a centralized address book that can be searched within the network.
As for sharing files you will simply want to download Pure-FTPD Manager which is highly customizable and secure to give you FTP access with full control of directories and quota's from one application.
Things you will need:
1. iCal calender and program that can read iCal calenders on the PC (they exist).
2. local LDAP server.
3. Pure-FTPD Manager
I hardest one will probably be step 2, but with some googling and some technical assistance from the guys here you can get it up and running. If you have an old PPC running 500mhz or higher that will be more than enough for your needs.
OS X Server can assist you, but it's more advanced and requires a learning curve that will only confuse most users at first. Since you say that you do basic things on the terminal, I think that it will be the best route for you to take, and study up on OS X Server and learn how to properly use it's management tools and features. If you plan on expanding in the future picking up a O-Reilly book on OS X Server or it's unix core would greatly help you out.
Cheers. |
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rugby
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| michierusan is correct, you could just use an OS X Client to be a fileserver for your group of machines. You can only have 10 connections via AFP or SMB however so that should be observed before making your decision.
He's also right you can get this running with some freeware and research on your part.
It really comes down to your threshold of pain and tolerance in regards to what you want. Another option would be to have a local fileserver (Mac mini + FW drive running OS X Client would work). For your collaborative environment, you COULD go with a hosted solution. Most Kerio MailServer hosted providers like myself start around $5/user/month and can assist you with setup. This way you could have your email/calendar/contacts on a server sitting in a datacenter and not your office or home. You wouldn't have to worry about smtp forwarding or blocking as well as proper DNS propagation to ensure your email gets delivered.
Just some more stuff to think about. |
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woowah
join:2002-03-26
m5v5f6
| reply to HEDP
I like all these ideas being proposed.
If I have to create an LDAP server than I may as well use that same machine as the fileserver too. Or would that be inadvisable?
The catch with the iCal is that people want to add events to other people's calendars. |
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rugby
I think I know it all.
VIP
join:2000-09-26
Camby, IN | You *could* use something like busysync for your Macs, but then you would have issues with your windows clients.
What do you want to use LDAP for? local computer/user authentication? |
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HEDP
join:2008-04-27
Miami, FL
| reply to woowah
LDAP is lightweight and won't hog down the system so yes it's possible running a fileserver on the same machine because your usage is considered lightweight.
You don't necessarily need to use iCal and instead use a web based calender running off php and MySQL which in return can be modified from any web browser and you can limit access to the local network.
This will be best because you won't experience any issues with data being properly read on either end and can also provide you access while you are on the road. Your standard version of OS X can do all of this, simply with a few modifications to the httpd.conf file in /etc/httpd/httpd.conf
You can also download MySQL and MySQL administrator which gives you a UI that is easy to navigate and understand. There are many ways to deploy your setup, each one has it's benefits and it's downfalls, but that's really for someone like you to decide on what type of platform you expect to deploy to work effectively.
Just google for calenders, and by the way google has their own type of web based calender to. |
|
rugby
I think I know it all.
VIP
join:2000-09-26
Camby, IN
·Callcentric
·Comcast
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·AT&T Yahoo
·Nuvio
| said by HEDP  :Just google for calenders, and by the way google has their own type of web based calender to. Their whole Google Apps suite looks good, if you don't mind sharing your information with them. |
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