Basic questions regarding installation of Kolab

[Paul Douglas Franklin]

Duffields wrote:
> None of the books I bought to study Linux have any mention of Kolab in them so 
> I am pretty much starting from a point of total ignorance to install Kolab. 
>
> I used to think that I knew something about computers but I am obviously 
> beyond my depth.  There are some fundamental questions that are not referred 
> to in what I have read and I am not able to mentally tie the things I have 
> read to the installation of Kolab.
>
> Sorry to be so dumb but could somebody point me to where I can get answers to 
> such fundamental pre-installation questions as:
>
> 1. Is it necessary to install Ubuntu server (or any server) on the desktop 
> computer that will be used both as a client and as the Kolab server, or is 
> Kolab a complete server?
>   
I installed Ubuntu server simply in order to have a stripped-down 
installation.  As Alain said, the risk of using a desktop machine is 
that the user will suddenly decide to shut down or otherwise interfere 
in nice tidy running.
> 2. The business of setting up my own DNS and connecting it to my mail provider 
> (ISP) is perplexing.  My router provides DNS service. I think I know what DNS 
> is and I think that Kolab will be a domain in itself and all requests from 
> all the LAN computers will be handled by the router but perhaps I am wrong.  
> I see Kolab as a repository of data as well as a file controlling/locking 
> device that controls access to the data stored on the Kolab server. 
>
>   
I doubt that you have to worry about DNS.  Kolab will have whatever 
domain you assign it, and you can set your workstations to address it by 
IP address.

> Since I do not have a www domain, I assume that Kolab just requests mail from 
> my ISP mail accounts and then makes it available to each client on the LAN.
>   
See http://wiki.kolab.org/index.php/Fetchmail_with_Kolab2
This is the setup I have at home, and it works well for incoming.  Of 
course, I have a box dedicated to Kolab.  I don't know whether having it 
on a user's machine will complicate matters.
Others would be better able to advise you on outgoing.  If you continue 
to use your ISP-provided addresses, you can simply continue to use their 
SMTP.

> I am assuming that each computer on my network is considered a domain by 
> Kolab.   I guess I am a bit confused by the fact that it appears that there 
> will be at least two Domain Name Servers on the LAN and I have trouble 
> visualizing how it all fits together?   Maybe I should not bother trying to 
> understand what is happening and just get on with the installation, what?  
>
> If there is any source of such on-line information suitable for ignorant 
> newbies, I would appreciate knowing where to look for it. 
>
> Thank you Allan and Paul for your help so far.
>
> Cheers
> Mac
>   1
>
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>   

-- 
Paul Douglas Franklin
Computer Manager, Union Gospel Mission of Yakima, Washington
Husband of Danette
Father of Laurene, Miriam, Tycko, Timothy, Sarabeth, Marie, Dawnita, Anna Leah, Alexander, and Caleb