Topic: SME as a DC with integrated mail server

[bolivartech]

I am wanting to setup a replacement for a Server 2003 / Exchange 2003 setup. Currently creating a user account on the exchange server will create an account on the DC, an email account, and there home directory. I'm not great with Linux yet, so I'll admit the more Gui's the better for me, but I'm not afraid to hit the CLI if I have to. I'd like to setup all of it on one server first just for testing and learning, so I'm sure to only complicate it as time goes on.
So my question, is there a good how to on setting up a DC with SME, and integrating a Mail server into it? I'm assuming using for a file server will be a simple setup, but that will be needed too. Thanks for any input, and I'm sorry if I offended anyone by wanting to use an easy interface instead of CLI, I spend as much time learning this as possible but I still have to help maintain a very microcentric network, and  we all know how time consuming that is.

[mmccarn]

This is pretty much what SME is designed to do; I suspect all you need is some pointers to the various bits of documentation for your situation.

Configure your server as a domain controller:
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter13#Workgroup

Adding workstations to your new 'domain'
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter7

Some info on 'Groups' on a SME server:
http://wiki.contribs.org/User-Groups

Setup your SME to provide printer drivers automatically to your Windows workstations:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Printer_Drivers_for_Windows_Workstations

Basic email setup:
http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter13#E-mail

More information on email setup:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Email

I strongly recommend that once you've verified that your email server is sending and receiving email OK you follow these instructions to configure some reasonably sane anti-spam settings:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Email#Setup_Blacklists_.26_Bayesian_Autolearning

Read up on DNSBL servers before enabling DNSBL filtering:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Updating_to_SME_7.2#DNSBL_Servers

Read up on RHSBL servers before enableing RHSBL filtering:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Updating_to_SME_7.2#RHSBL_Servers

(You may want to refer to the very well regarded Sonoracomm HowTo on email setup on a SME server:
http://www.sonoracomm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=32)

I find that with 'LearnAsSpam.pl' and 'LearnAsHam.pl' enabled I have not needed to do *any* whitelisting or blacklisting at the spamassassin level.

Be sure you install all the available SME updates - there were several updates in September and October that make a big difference on my servers.

When you're done, creating a new user on your SME server at https://servername/server-manager will
* Create a mailbox for that user
* Allow that user to login to any workstation that has been joined to your SME domain.
* Create a home directory for that user

[bolivartech]

I'm going to create a VM install to practice all that, but while I'm thinking about it... Would it be possible to take a list of users from from my current DC and automate the creation of accounts on SME? I don't want to transfer them exactly just not enter each one new. I figure my best solution for the home directories would be allow them access to both for period of time then backup and clear it out. I'm unsure what to do with their emails though, possibly same solution.

[cactus]

I'm going to create a VM install to practice all that, but while I'm thinking about it... Would it be possible to take a list of users from from my current DC and automate the creation of accounts on SME?

Perhaps the Lazy Admin Tools (LAT) might help you.

Just noticed the URL's used in this page are the old ones and do not work anymore. Be sure to modify the url's in this HowTo like this:
www.contribs.org -> mirror.contribs.org/smeserver.

I guess we need to port this page to the wiki as well.

[mmccarn]

Lazy admin tools:
http://wiki.contribs.org/Lazy_Admin_Tools

I find the easiest way to learn how to use the Lazy Admin Tools is to run 'lat-dump' then look at the output files it creates - basically a set of lat-xxx commands that can be used to restore your server configuration.  At least, they could be used for that back on SME 6; there may be some bits of SME 7 that aren't included, but the 'lat-users' part should work great.

IMAPCopy (Copy email from any IMAP account to any other IMAP account):
http://www.sonoracomm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60&Itemid=32