Topic: Other distributions like SME?

[Andy]

Are there any other Linux distros that does web, mail and ftp?

Andy

[Curly]

Clarkconnect at www.clarkconnect.org

[byte]

Doesnt SME do the job then? If not the smoothwall or ipcop

[Bill]

Trustix Linux and Immunix Linux are good for the seriously paranoid. Then there is Gentoo which can be anything you want it to be.

[Ed Form]

Andy wrote:
>
> Are there any other Linux distros that does web, mail and ftp?

One that doesn't get mentioned here very often is Netmax...

http://www.netmax.com

The bit that's good about this product is the way they sell it and do support. I really do wish the Mitel people would offer a commercial version with a similar support policy.

Ed Form

[Robert]

We've been using a supported version of SME for several years. Support has been very good. The commercial version is called the Mitel Networks 6000 Managed Application Server. Info here:
http://mitel.com/products/products.cfm?p_id=151

Robert

[Samer Pharaon]

> We've been using a supported version of SME for several
> years. Support has been very good. The commercial version is
> called the Mitel Networks 6000 Managed Application Server.
> Info here:
> http://mitel.com/products/products.cfm?p_id=151

But, how much does it cost. I was trying to find out this information for a long time, with no avail. Contacting Mitel was not helpful since they forwarded my emails to a local dealer who did not provide any useful information.

Any ideas how much getting a supported verion of SME would cost ???

[Robert]

I think the annual cost for up to 100 users (including support, upgrades, antivirus, etc.) is around $1,300.

I can give you the name of the reseller we use, if you like -- he's been quite responsive. Send me an e-mail off-list if you like.

Robert

[Ed Form]

Robert said...

> This message was sent from: General discussion.
> http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=8981.msg33935#msg33935
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> We've been using a supported version of SME for several years. Support
> has been very good. The commercial version is called the Mitel Networks
> 6000 Managed Application Server. Info here:
> http://mitel.com/products/products.cfm?p_id=151

It costs a lot of money and, in many cases, the support isn't needed. With Netmax the policy is that you buy support when you need it at so many dollars per incident. A version of SME with all the good bits in it that the commercial version has, but with support on a per-incident basis would sell like hot cakes.

Ed Form

[Dan Brown]

...of course, the "good bits" that the commercial version has include the antivirus system, which Mitel isn't at liberty to give away, as they didn't write it.

To answer Andy's question, just about every Linux distribution on the planet will serve http, mail, and ftp.  Some, of course, are easier to configure for certain things than others.  Andy, what do you want to do that SME doesn't handle?  That might make recommendations a bit more useful.

[Samer Pharaon]

Dan Brown wrote:
>Andy, what do you want to do that SME doesn't
> handle?  That might make recommendations a bit more useful.

Host and create DNS records (primary and secondary).

[Andy]

>Andy, what do you want to do that SME doesn't handle? That might make
>recommendations a bit more useful.

Well, I am sure that SME can handle everything I need, but after much research and many questions in this community, I still don't know how. I realize that e-smith.org is not an official support forum, but virtually all of my questions on both the general and experienced forums have remained unanswered, which I assume means that noone knows the answers to these newbie questions.

I am asking for the names of other distros so that I can give it a last try with another dstribution before going back to Windows... My experience with Linux so far is that I am now willing to pay the £600 to buy Windows Server 2003 but not the £600 to buy the supported version of SME...

I am not being critical of SME, I am sure it's a wonderful solution to many people, but I think that I need better documentation and a more knowledgable community to interact with, in order to be able to use it.

Andy

[Harold]

Andy wrote:

> I am not being critical of SME, I am sure it's a wonderful
> solution to many people, but I think that I need better
> documentation and a more knowledgable community to interact
> with, in order to be able to use it.

You don't need to interact with a community if you buy the supported version of SME, you get professional support.

H

[Andy]

>You don't need to interact with a community if you buy the supported version of
>SME, you get professional support.

I realize that, but since my only experience with SME is this community, I am not convinced that the paid support will be more knowledgable. The funny thing is that I won't even be using MS support if I buy Windows, but I know that I can find the answers to my questions easily.

Thanks for your reply.

Andy

[Bob King]

Andy

I have been installing and using Mitel SME (E-Smith) servers for a little over 3 years. I knew very little about Linux in the beginning but found these forums to be very supportive and help. The developer community is very active and I have always been able to find someone on the forums to help with problems.

The thing to remember is that when using any GNU software, all the help & support you receive is voluntary. People giving freely of their valuable time, a few kind words will get you a lot more than an arrogant attitude, threats or accusations.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Deunan Knute]

I tend to agree with Bob King..

Before I was using Red Hat..  Support comes from various dummies books, irc channels and the web itself.  But I seem to head directly towards the great digital wall.  Until I found SME.  Easiest of the easy.

There are other Distros mentioned.  My 2 cents comments.

Clark Connect
Trustix (Now tawie, then back again to trustix)
SOL Linux (Very powerful, but lemme gain a bit more experience with Linux in general before attempting to understand it again)

Regards

[SloopJohnB]

There is no other Small Biz Solution like SME!! I have complained about the responses to posts in this group, and I have complained about the resellers' attitudes toward some of us freeloaders, and I have even complained about the BETA tag still on version 6.03b.

But I must say, after all the searches I have done over the net, and the experiences I've had with Novell and Small Biz Server, Mitel has acquired a great product!

Mitel/SME (formerly e-smith) has made it that much easier for those of us, who don't write the code, to administer a business-class server. The web interface, the installation, and the configuration, is simpler and easier than most of Microsoft's products by far! If you understand the intended usage and intended users of the Mitel product, then you will agree for the most part that SME,although jaded is some people's eyes, is the best choice for many of us!

Now for those who don't like SME, MS has Small Biz Server2003 with Exchange for 5 clients for $599 25clients for $999 (w/o Exchange) at Frys Electronics...

If I haven't said it before, Thanx Dan_Y, and thanx to those who contribute to this forum. I will try to keep all negative comments to myself in the future!

SloopJohnB

[Dave Montgomery]

Good Day All!

I am a newbie to Linux although I used to install/support Xenix System V about 15 years ago. Since then I've had the pleasure of Novell Netware (from v2.11-v3.20) and onwards to Windows NT, 2000, and SBS (the bain of my life).

I discovered SME Server completely by accident and installed/configured my first one some 6 months ago.

I recently had a problem with a customer on SBS2000 and although I am no dummy (no really!) I couldn't get SBS to just "install" and run. Every time I rebooted I would have anywhere between 1 and 20 services failing to load. And I hadn't configured anything yet, this was the base install. I spent 2 days installing service packs and searching Technet.

I installed/configured my second SME Server this week and had the whole thing installed and running in less than 20 minutes. A couple of visits to this discussion group and I had my "Windows XP joining the domain" problem sorted.

What I think I'm trying to say is "false economies". SME Server is fantastic and causes me a whole lot less hassle than any Windows based system.

I made my mind up to contact Mitel about being a reseller for the commercial version of the software, all those extra features, AV, Groupware -- Brilliant! Upon contacting Mitel in the UK the guy said that they weren't continuing with the product and therefore weren't taking any resellers on. I was gutted.

I really would like to be able to purchase the commercial version (with or without Service Link).

Can anyone point me in a direction please?

Best Regards
Dave Montgomery
UK

[Me]

I'm into consperacy theories.....

I'm guessing Dave Montgomery has identified the hidden agenda

It seems that  Gordon's and Peter's sigs are not listing their email
      as an mitel or e-smith address....   Hummm...

I think they no longer want to be in the Linux Distribution business???
They want to use it only as their MAS variants...

What you think?


....

[Torben L. Soerensen]

Interseting discussion. My company has been user of SME with ServiceLink for 11 month and 22 days. Yesterday Mittel told us that in 8 days they will shut down the support for us and, no there are no resellers in Denmark, sorry. I can imagine such an attitude from say IBM or Microsoft but this is the end.
To everybody, thanks for the hints.

Regards,

Torben

[Dick Morrell]

What did you expect of a company who hadn't a clue 1) about what they were supporting 2) or the good staff (like Charlie et al) who they employ.

Mitel are a bunch of monkeys and you're better off elsewhere. Eight days is appalling and underlines the commitment they had to you as a customer.

Rather amateur isn't it. No wonder they sell bugger all product.

[Dan York]

Richard,

As you are well aware from the times I have posted this before, Mitel Networks maintains these forums for discussions of *technical* issues related to our unsupported developer release.

We have not and will not comment in these forums on business matters between ourselves and our customers.

Regards,
Dan

[Otto Leinad]

Mr. Morrell,

Why do you have to be so mean?  Why do you have to be so negative?

> What did you expect of a company who hadn't a clue 1) about what they were supporting

How do you know?  Have you paid Mitel and received their technical support?  From other postings I've seen here it sounds like commercial customers have received excellent support when they need it.

> Mitel are a bunch of monkeys and you're better off elsewhere.

What is the purpose of this insult?  Last I knew, Mitel are the people hosting this forum.  Mitel are the people that have continued to provide an excellent small business distribution that we all are using *for free*, even though I am sure there is little business sense for them to continue to do so. Mitel are the developers who chime in here from time to time with helpful hints.

What purpose does it serve to insult the very people operating the forum in which you are posting your insult?  Is that not biting the hand that feeds you?   And would such comments as this only make them less interested in continuing to feed you?

I have long liked the slogan "Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way" and would suggest that's a good practice here... either lead by coming out with your own contributions that add value to the Mitel base, follow along and support the Mitel distribution and help others with its use, or if you are not going to do either of those, just please go somewhere else and leave this forum for those of us who do want to work with this distribution.

I have not posted here before, but I've been a very happy user for a couple of years now (of the free version) and this posting just crossed the line.

Otto