[KLUG Members] Windows user with interest in Linux.

[zdennis]

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Jason R. Schroeder wrote:

> 
> Anyways, the big thing I am concern about would be my server (computer
> #1). Is it possible to host an exchange server where outlook can connect
> the same way it can now?

You can't host MS Exchange on a Linux box, but you can setup any mail server and have outlook connect to it just fine. We use Exim
for SMTP and dovecot for POP and IMAP and at our office, and we have clients ranging from Outlook to Thunderbird to KMail to a PHP
Horde web site.

There is Open XChange (http://www.open-xchange.com) which from what I hear is a pretty comparable alternative to MS Exchange for
Linux boxes. Also Zimbra (http://www.zimbra.com) appears to be pretty nice.


> As for programming, is there any way to have a>
> team collaborative programming project?

Yes, it's called revision control systems. Two popular ones are subversion (SVN) and CVS. Although SVN is newer and designed to
fix some limitations that CVS has (I prefer SVN). Alot of IDEs such as Eclipse and Emacs have functionality built in (or plugins
available) to integrate SVN/CVS functionality into their applications. CVS and SVN both rely on having a dedicated server host the
files.

There is also some other peer based revision control systems like DARCS. You can see a whole list of revision control systems at:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_revision_control_software


> I am always trying to find ways
> to better utilize the server other than increase my power bill. I also
> use this server for a shared printer connection for the other machines.
> As for the desktop, I could switch it to Linux or dual boot it, but I
> like to retain the same if not similar capabilities as before, plus also
> retain the ability to play games( I didn?t drop this kind of $$$ into it
> for it to just sit there). Heh

I personally hate dual booting machines. It's annoying to reboot. If you want to game you can leave your desktop a winbox or dual
boot that, but don't do that to your server, otherwise it's not really a very good server if you keep rebooting it. =)

> 
> Well, that?s all I can think about for now. I will try to attend your
> meeting next Tuesday; you guys are only 2 blocks from my house. Please
> let me know if Linux might be able to serve my needs and yet free me
> from the cost of having to upgrade windows every 4 or 5 years.
> 


Linux can meet your needs. ;)

Zach
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