Question on Linux as a fileserver/print server

[Gantt Edmiston]

NC*SA group:

These questions were posed to me today and since I could not answer it
to the satisfaction of my former manager, I told him I'd pass it on to
those better equipped to respond.  He's a great guy and I like to help him
whenever I can.

Setup:  Small business,  has 25 users, all running Windows workstations.
Currently they have a Novell server used for file (space)serving and
print serving.

The business needs to upgrade to a new file server/ print server.
Replacing the Novell solution with another Novell solution will be about
$4000 (software only).  Moving to a Windows solution, about $1200.
(all these figures were quoted to me as fact, I don't know if there are
correct or not, or if it matters to this story).

A Linux (assuming Redhat) solution would be about $250.  Based
on that, I am also assuming they are gonna use the current hardware
and just upgrade the software.  And I didn't ask the obvious, which was
why not just use what you've got...  whatever...

Questions: Is Linux a viable replacement solution for the current
Novell solution, assuming that we assume a lot of the answers
that I didn't know to ask?

I told him that SAMBA most likely would work for his file serving
needs, although I've never set that up myself.  And that I wasn't
sure about the print serving aspects for Linux.

If you do this kind of stuff everyday and don't mind sending me
your thoughts, I'll pass it on and we will all feel better for helping
someone move off Windows... ;-)

Thanks --> Gantt

Gantt Edmiston
Senior Unix Security Engineer
(919) 997-7190 [w]
<mailto:gedmisto@csc.com>