[PLUG] Linux Server setup

[Derek Loree]

On Fri, 2003-12-05 at 14:18, Michael Montagne wrote:
> >On 12/05/03, Aaron Burt busted out the keyboard and typed:
> 
> > On Fri, Dec 05, 2003 at 11:46:27AM -0800, Michael Montagne wrote:
> > > So my wife was complaining about spam in the office.  I threw out my
> > > usual, you should set up a linux server to collect your mail from your
> > > ISP (right now they all just use pop3) and you could use spamassassin.
> > 
> > It's that, or install a spam filter like Popfile on each PC, giving
> > users control over their own spam-filtering.
> > 
> > > You could also make that your file server and then you could back up
> > > easier and not cut off from someone's files when they decide to turn
> > > their computer off.  Currently they use a peer-to-peer network with
> > > all win98 machines. 
> > 
> > I did small-business networks for quite a few years, and I want to make
> > sure you know what you're getting yourself into here.
> > 
> > Servers require sysadmins.  The Boss is (rightfully) gonna ask, "How
> > much is your time gonna cost?  Can we trust you to be available RIGHT
> > NOW when the thing breaks and shuts down the whole office?  What do we
> > do if the both of you up and move to Connecticut?  What business reason
> > compels us to commit to something that'll cost us money now and for the
> > indefinite future?"
> > 
> > For most folks, changes mean anger and confusion.  The one who hits the
> > mail-check button every 20 seconds when she's expecting something won't
> > like being told to wait for Fetchmail on the Linux box to do its every-
> > 10-minute check; she'll sit and stew and drum her fingers as loudly as
> > possible.  The one who shares a few form letters won't like having to
> > access them from another drive letter, because he's *always* accessed
> > them from c:\Documents\pucky\bull\ and dammit, anything else is just
> > plain *different*.
> > 
> > The technical work is easy, the social work is not.  Mimimize the pace
> > of (perceived) change and technology commitment, cultivate and use the
> > office's amateur technicians, sling boatloads of charm and humor and
> > only the tiniest pinches of BS, and act like everything's perfectly
> > reasonable. 
> > 
> > > I think I can handle all of this except for one nagging question.  I
> > > want this to look relatively easy so I thought I'd ask here first.
> > > She likes to check her mail from home. Their ISP is Qwest and I'm sure
> > > they connect using DHCP.  I also sort of told her that she could
> > > access the linux box from home when she needed to.  Are these things
> > > (the access parts) possible with your standard Qwest DHCP setup?  
> > 
> > When I had QWorst DSL, I accessed my Linux box remotely all'a time.
> > It's one of the nicest things about having DSL or cable.  I used a free
> > dyndns.org hostname and set up my box to update it every time it did a
> > DHCP.
> > 
> > Be sure and test that everything works and recovers automagically before
> > making any promises, let alone bringing the box into the office.  
> > And think about backup and virus-scanning for the file-server.
> > Central reliable storage with regular backup can be its own reward.
> > 
> > Sorry this is so long, but all of it is heartfelt and IMO important.
> 
> The social aspects aren't so hard here (provided everything works
> pretty well) cause there are so many bothers right now.  Also my wife
> is the "computer guy".  If she wants to do it, we can do it.  But the
> remote thing eludes me.  Her modem is assigned an IP and is PPPoA.  My
> modem is a pass thru.  So if I ssh to my IP I get my gateway box.  But
> how do I ssh thru her modem to a specific box on the network?

Is the IP address of the modem the only routable IP address, or do all
of the internal machines have routable IP addresses too?