Timothy
Parker Consulting Incorporated
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Easy Information Technology’s
easyLinux and easySamba Easy Information Technology (EIT) is not
a common name to Linux users, but they are purveyors of a product called
easyLinux. The easyLinux product is supposed to be a simple to install and
configure version of Linux. EIT’s
easySamba offers a simple to install, configure and use version of Samba for
those who have recently come to Linux and don’t want to be faced with Samba
install from the original source. Our easyLinux review version came as two
CD-ROMs from the EIT distributor in the US, IGEL. The easyLinux version is not based on any particular Linux
distribution, but is designed by the developers using current kernels and
packages. The primary focus of
easyLinux is the simple installation and configuration routines that accompany
the run-of-the-mill distribution set. The bootable CD-ROM (not boot floppy
included) leads to a graphical installation routine that is easy, but not
particularly easier than the installation routines that now accompany Mandrake,
SuSe, Caldera, Corel, and other versions of Linux. After verifying the mouse and keyboard, easyLinux proceeds
much as the other distributions do by prompting for an installation mode. The easiest installation of easyLinux
requires no superfluous prompts except for a disk partitioning, LILO, X and
network routines (no better or worse than others). Total time for a basic installation was about half an hour.
The stand-alone installation still asks for networking information, which
was a bit strange. The Experienced install gives you more control, but doesn’t
do much more. Finally, the
Professional installation lets you add any packages on the distribution.
All installation routines are friendly and easy enough. After installation, easyLinux uses a
bunch of wizards for all system configuration routines. For a novice the wizards will be handy, but for anyone who
knows a little Linux they will get in the way. I found myself quitting the
configuration and administration wizards repeatedly to open a terminal window
and do everything manually. As
mentioned, though, if you are unsure about what you are doing, easyLinux will
have a nice GUI wizard (running under KDE) to help you. The software bundle on the two CD-ROMs
is acceptable but not notable. Tools
like StarOffice and GIMP are included, as are a few utilities.
For novices, this will be an acceptable set of applications and utilities
but I quickly ended up FTPing a bunch of tools and applications from other
machines. The Web site for EIT
claims the easyLinux system features 4 CD-ROMs (5 for the German version), but
we only received two. What’s on the other CD-ROMs remains a mystery. Is easyLinux easier to install and
configure than standard Linux? A
little, yes, but not enough to warrant it over others.
In fact, the poor bundle would be more disappointing for someone who can
get as much from Mandrake or SuSe. Sure,
the configuration wizards are handy for newcomers, but they will quickly get
ignored as the user learns the Linux system in more detail. The box easySamba comes in is mostly
that: box. There’s a lot of
cardboard in the box to fill it up, with a thin, small perfect-bound manual
included. A CD-ROM is tucked inside
the manual. easySamba is supposed to run Samba on any RedHat, SuSe, or easyLinux
system, although we installed it without problem on several other distributions
(including Caldera and Mandrake). In fact, as long as RPM works on the Linux
target, it should handle easySamba without problems. The easySamba package provides Samba 2.0.6. The documentation
is acceptable, but the fact that it was translated from another language is
obvious in some locations, and the spelling and grammar errors will annoy some. Samba, for those hibernating or new to
Linux, is a utility set which uses SMB (Server Message Block) to allow Linux
machines and Windows machines to appear on the same workgroup, as well as
simplify file transfers and sharing of resources such as printers. Samba has
been available for several years. What
easySamba is supposed to bring to Samba is a graphical front-end that simplifies
the installation and configuration of Samba.
Once installed and configured, easySamba behaves exactly the same as a
manually-installed version of Samba. Installing easySamba was simple enough:
mount the CD-ROM as root and run a setup utility. The dialog-driven interface
does a pretty good job of guiding you through the process of setting up both
Samba server and clients. You can use Samba to set up a primary domain
controller if you want, and a wizard (or “wizzard” if you believe the
manual) lets you handle the Samba services easily. A Sambaadmin tool lets you
manage the Samba server easily, and make changes to the configuration
dynamically. Installing Samba using easySamba is
easier than the manual approach, and does save a little time.
For novices to Linux and Samba, easySamba will provide a much easier path
to getting Samba up and running quickly. For
veterans who know Samba well, there’s not much easySamba adds that will
attract attention, although the administration routines are nicer to work with.
Setting up shares and modifying existing shares is much easier with easySamba
than with the ASCII configuration files, and this alone may make the package
worth the cost. The underlying guts
of the easySamba system are pure Samba, with only the front-end product from EIT.
Is it worth $50 to you to simplify this task?
That’s your call. Easy Information Technology Summary: A front-end installation and configuration tool for Samba. No new guts, but a friendly face. |
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Send mail to
tparker@tpci.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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