Big Trev

Using this guide here:  http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=Ubuntu_8.04_LTS_Server_(Hardy_Heron)_Install_Guide

Installed 8.04LTS, with DNS and OpenSSH installed during the installer.

I installed it with the default domain of my internal domain (xx.local), rather than the internet-facing ones.

Got it working, and now need to import the PST files (only a couple).  You can get to the import utility from the Downloads link (top right) in the admin console.

Pretty happy with it so far!

Migrating off Microsoft DNS, I’ve had a look at BIND and similar, but given my sketchy knowledge of that crazy networking stuff, it all looks a bit hard.

So, I’ve found dnsmasq, which is a bit of a cut-down simple DHCP and DNS solution - I’m not running an enterprise here!

Some useful resources I’ve found are:

http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/netos/article.php/3377351

http://www.kindawannadothat.com/2009/04/easy-dns-and-dhcp-setup-on-linux/

I’m running up a basic 8.04LTS VM, with Webmin.

Step by step:

apt-get install dnsmasq

Then, edit /etc/dnsmasq.conf and add the following to the top of the file (don’t worry about the rest of it, it’s all commented out):

expand-hosts
domain=mylan.local
dhcp-range=192.168.0.50,192.168.0.100,168h   
dhcp-option=3,192.168.0.1

Line 2 is your domain suffix
Line 3 is the start and end DHCP IP addresses, and the lease time
Line 4 sets your gateway address

Then, edit /etc/resolv.conf and add your ISPs name server(s)

nameserver 208.67.222.222
nameserver 208.67.222.221

and then for any boxes on your lan with static IPs, change their resolv.conf to point to your dnsmasq server, and add their hostnames to /etc/hosts on your dnsmasq server:

127.0.0.1 localhost
192.168.0.5 mail
192.168.0.10 printserver
192.168.0.15 workstation1

After setting it all up, or making any changes, use:

/etc/init.d/dnsmasq start

/etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart