Quick note that if characters don’t display correctly from your client and you want samba to display characters properly you should change to the following samba server settings in smb.conf:
[global]
client code page = 936
unix charset = UTF8
…
and the following linux client settings:
[global]
unix charset = UTF8
…
You may need to set UTF8 to GB2312 or some other setting for some windows environments.
There is no denying that it is highly beneficial to have centralized authentication and file services. Over the years we have made a lot of strides in AiHua. Our first server was an old box with Mepis on it that served as our file server during the spring of 2006. Our next few systems were based on LTSP or DRBL which effectively both have centralized login’s and centralized file repositories. It makes a huge difference when staff can login to their own desktop and files from any computer in the building. It also allows for them to continue working at another station or with a computer/thin client that is in reserve.
When an entire company is comprised of linux/unix desktops and servers, it’s easy to set up LDAP services for authentication and NFS for centralized storage; however, windows computers are not so simple. In the past it took some level of expertise in both unix/linux and windows machines to create an effective ldap/samba replacement for a domain controller, it isn’t overly daunting and there is a great deal of information on the internet; however, it’s still not for the faint of heart.
This is where a fantastic open source project called ebox comes in. Ebox installs ontop of ubuntu (a free/open source linux) server editions and provides an out of the box domain controller! It also features easy to use web interfaces to add users, groups, and computers. It’s no one trick pony, as it also features a firewall/gateway, proxy/nat, DHCP, TFTP, jabber server, e-mail server, and VPN server out of the box.
We recommend you give it a try and replace the Windows servers around your office with this powerful solution. If you need help setting it up or setting up a PDC on another linux distribution like openSuse, we are availible. Follow the links to the right to contact us.
It seems that in the virtualization race that a couple of relatively new entrants are making headway. The first, proxmox, works much like a hypervisor for xen. It actually runs on a modified Debian linux, making it quite similar to one of our favorite distributions in the office: Ubuntu linux, which is also based on Debian. It’s a true open source project that also supports openvz guests which have a speed advantage but are restricted in which operating systems can be virtualized.
The second new development comes from Sun Microsystems who is soon going to offer an open sourced virtualization server which is also based on xen. This one will be a hypervisor based on OpenSolaris (which is a tried and true unix variant and makes our list of favorites with Ubuntu and OpenSuse) and thus features some of the fantastic features that Solaris variants have. The most exciting of which is native support for the most advanced file system available: ZFS. It will also feature interoperability with their acquired technology from VirtualBox (an open source product I heartily recommend to desktop users who need or want virtualization) and has a vastly improved interface compared to previous interface attempts by Sun Microsystems.
These technologies will make implementation and installation much quicker and significantly simpler for organizations to achieve. It will also make deployment of virtualized appliances (such as those offered by AiHua) easily installed by persons with minimal technical know how (as configuration can be primarily achieved by IT personnel prior to distribution). They also seem to support many more hardware configurations than the often expensive name brand servers that ESXi seems to prefer.
To discuss the feasibility and potential benefits and side effects you can use the contact page to engage our consultation services.
As AiHua primarily serves organizations working in developing nations, we are frequently asked about whether equipment should be purchased locally, in a regional hub (like Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Singapore), or as many expatriates ask, should equipment be purchased in one’s home country. There are many factors, but as a general rule I say one should try to purchase locally. Provincial headquarters or a capitol usually have equipment for sale, or with some connections can get needed equipment.
The advantage to using local equipment is often that it allows for easier maintenance and warranties from vendors. If purchased overseas there is no guarantee that equipment will be fixable provincially, or even at a capitol, sometimes it must be sent to Europe or North America to be repaired at considerable cost and downtime.
The caveat in equipment purchasing strategy is that Apple/Macintosh can be double the cost outside of North America, so if Apple/Macintosh is an absolute neccessity, then the only real option is to purchase there. However, for most work in developing nations, an Apple/Mac isn’t neccessary so very capable networks can be designed around commodity hardware and open source solutions.
We nearly hit the six months worth of non interupted uptime mark for a DRBL server that was built for one of the Bless China International locations. This means that until today when a day long power outage unfortunately forced me to shut it down before the battery gave up, there has been no downtime for six months! There were 5 departments using the server everyday, all day long to boot from, access their files, and access the internet.
This sort of reliability speaks volumes about the quality of open source software and it’s practicality for office use. The calls for service during the past few months were few and far between and primarily consisted of questions about how to make a spreadsheet row longer or how to change text background colors. I’m saddened that I didn’t get to see how long it would hold out for, but I believe all those uptime calculations about Unix and Linux that are put out every year now!
I recently came across an article HERE that discusses new anti piracy measures Microsoft has begun taking to combat piracy in China (which is estimated to be 90%). It brings me great relief that we use linux systems as they are ethical, free, and don’t contain virusses or malicious software designed to steal sensitive information. I’d encourage everyone currently using pirated software to either purchase legitimate copies or moving/migrating to open source/free software (particularly one of the free linux or unix variants). In the case of the latter, please see our services and contact pages for assistance converting your office.