Chapter 1: Installation and Getting Around

Overview

The thing about Windows networks is they're so easy to set up. Or so they seem. And poor Linux, it gets the bad rap of being harder to set up. (Well, maybe that used to be true. Or if it's still true, it's getting easier.)

It's quite likely that you picked up this book because you already have a Windows network and you're looking to augment it with the free stuff Linux has to offer. Or maybe you want to try some of the experiments we present to see for yourself what the hubbub is all about.

Even if you already have a Windows Network set up, it's recommended that you utilize this chapter to help set up your test lab. That way, you'll be working with our specifications. The idea is that eventually you'll transfer the knowledge you gain here to the real world. But getting started first in the test lab, not the real world, is highly recommended. Why? Because in the real world you might not be using the exact same configurations we are, and we'd hate for you to curse out loud, have someone from Human Resources walk by at just that moment, and have you hate us forever.

In short, please : test lab first, real world second.

In this chapter, we'll set the stage for the rest of the experiments in this book. To properly prepare for the road ahead, you'll be loading:

• Windows 2003 Server (Standard or Enterprise)

• Windows XP with Service Pack 2

• Fedora Core 3 as a server

• Fedora Core 3 as a client

In Chapter 2, you'll be creating another Fedora client to specifically test interactions with Active Directory. But more on that later.

Once the installation of these systems is performed, you'll be ready to rock.

So let's roll.

Yikes, I Don't Have That Much Hardware

Yes, it's a lot of hardware to have on hand. But you don't have to have it all. Instead, consider using a virtualization tool to load multiple "guest" operating systems onto your real (host) machine.

The two major players here are VMware Workstation (from VMware) or Virtual PC (from Microsoft). The purpose of this type of software is simple: it allows you to pretend to have more machines than you really have.

You'll need one really huge box to act as the host to all these guests. But once you have it, you can perform all your work on one machine without a ton of messy cables. If this sounds like a good idea to you, I suggest you read two articles I (Jeremy) wrote for Redmond magazine about virtualization software, either at http://mcpmag.com/features/print.asp?EditorialsID=428 or at http://mcpmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=429 . For an alternative opinion, check out www.win2000mag.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/42269/42269.html .

We'll talk more about using virtualization software to solve some real Windows/Linux integration issues in Chapter 7, so stay tuned .