Ted; Firstly, you can install either 7.2 OR 8.0 , and instead of installing
as a server, you can install as a workstation and use the server
packages/services anyway. The 2 things to watch for is that your machine
will not be as secure, because the "xserver" will leave ports open to the
Internet, and because you'll have GUI's installed that most IT pro's can do
without.
2 Schools of thought here, ...
1) Many people who have/maintain servers prefer a bare minimum of services
necessary to do the jobs required. This method may be harder to learn for
some, and the extra packages ( in GUI mode ) will affect performance of a
true server,
2) Others prefer to install as a workstation with "Server" packages installed
as well. That way, they can take advantage of the GUI's to learn tasks and
terminology, before re-installing as a dedicated server. The server will run
a bit slower, but that should only become a problem if you expect a lot of
traffic on your "network".
One more thing,...Mandrake 8.0 includes a very nice firewall that will
effectively block any ports that shouldn't be left open to the internet
( including that "xserver" one I mentioned earlier), thus protecting you from
a plethora of potential problems. On the other hand, most server users prefer
to administer their servers from a remote workstation, and rarely sit in
front of the server to actually configure or alter programs on it. If you
have another PC that you will be connecting to this server, make sure you
check out a program called "webmin". It allows you to perform most
server-related tasks from another computer, regardless of the Operating
system on that workstation. In a medium to large scale network, the "System
Administrators" may not even work in the same room or even the same building
as their servers, and they are still able to perform their regular tasks
anyway.
As a personal preference, I always install as a workstation on all my
servers, but I always "over-build" mine into power monsters, so performance
never becomes an issue.
Hope that helps !
--
Dan LaBine
Maximum L.A.N.'s Ltd.
Registered Linux User # 190712
