desktop vs. server?

[Andrew Farris]

On Fri, 2009-10-23 at 22:52 -0700, Joshua Solomin wrote:
> I'm about to try converting a spare computer of mine to Ubuntu (my
> first real foray into administering my own Linux system).  I'd love to
> get a chance to play with a good desktop GUI, to see if it would work
> well enough for my purposes to fully convert over to Linux from
> Windows.  However, I also know that I'll definitely want to use it as
> a Samba file server, and possibly also web server/application
> server/mysql.  So I'm waffling between installing desktop vs.
> installing server.  Any advice -- would it be easier to enable
> desktop-style features on a server install, or to add the server
> utilities I need onto a desktop install?

honestly, both are equally easy... but since you have little experience
with linux, ubuntu, or a linux command line im assuming, I'd suggest
starting with a desktop install, and modifying it. That way, you get the
benefits of the desktop GUI, and you can just download whatever
server-type apps you want from Synaptic. 

Also, on the ubuntu desktop, to install samba basically all you need to
do is try to share a folder (right click on a folder > Share). You will
be prompted to weather or not you want to install sharing, and a
password when you select 'yes'. bam, done.

hope that helps :)


-- 
Andrew
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