| You will probably want to add more services to your LAN depending on your needs. One of the most common additions is support for other platforms, specifically Macintosh and Windows. Well, the former is very easy: just install Netatalk; however the latter is a bit trickier, requiring the installation and configuration of Samba. Netatalk is available as an RPM from Sourceforge at http://netatalk.sourceforge.net/ and Samba is available at ftp://ftp.samba.org/pub/samba/Binary_Packages/redhat/RPMS/7.0/samba-2.2.0-20010412.i386.rpm. Both packages will allow your client machines to share a server volume, much like NFS, and Samba can be configured to allow you to share your server’s printer with Windows clients. Another popular addition to LANs like this is a MOO Server. EnCore, http://lingua.utdallas.edu/encore/, is an open source MOO project that has made setting up a very functional MOO server much easier than it used to be. As I outlined in the previous chapter, MOOs are text-based virtual realities that allow for chatroom-like interaction in a virtual space. Having your own MOO allows for easy customization and administration, and lets you free your class from social distractions that often exist on publicly accessible MOOs. EnCore has even made some pre-packaged servers available; the Linux tar ball may be downloaded from ftp://ftp.utdallas.edu/pub/ah/moo/binaries/LambdaMOO-1.8.1_Linux.tar.gz: mkdir /usr/local/moo
cd /usr/local/moo
wget ftp://ftp.utdallas.edu/pub/ah/moo/binaries/LambdaMOO-1.8.1_Linux.tar.gz
wget ftp://ftp.utdallas.edu/pub/ah/moo/enCore-latest.tar.gz
gunzip LambdaMOO-1.8.1_Linux.tar.gz
tar –xf LambdaMOO-1.8.1_Linux.tar
gunzip enCore-latest.tar.gz
tar –xf enCore-latest.tar
man README.txt The last command will display the readme file included with the server distribution. This file will tell you how to get your MOO started. I would also suggest reading The first part of Haynes and Holmevik’s High Wired. Finally, use the Internet for a resource. Changes are that no matter what you want to accomplish with your server, someone has already done it once. Most Linux users will take some time and document their experiences for new users to follow. I suggest beginning with simple search engines. Look for a Linux Users Group (LUGs) in your area; chances are there are more than one. Linux users are friendly and knowledgeable, and most actually derive pleasure from helping each other out with simple and complex problems. Also, consider join a mailing list or two. I already recommended a security list, but a general how-to or administration list would also be very helpful and you get started. By working together as users, we can all help end the dominance of Microsoft even when our government won’t. In his July 4, 2001 article calling for freedom from Microsoft, Dan Gillmor ended his essay with an Independence Day call for revolution: “Maybe it’s inevitable. Maybe resistance is futile. But the odds also were long against American patriots who stood up to a greedy, power-hungry king in 1776.” HEAR-HEAR!
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