[NMLUG] Debian server questions

[aaron at boim.com (Aaron NMLUG-EV)]

On Tue, 2005-01-11 at 17:17, Tim Emerick wrote:
> I'm trying to set up a headless samba / sshd debian server and have a couple
> of questions.

Thats my most common situation.

> 1. Can I manage the debian packages on this server using a remote synaptic?

I never learned any GUI methods, and even dselect confuses me.
GUIs can run remote anyway, use X or VNC.
CygWin's X-server is quite stable now, I recommend it if your
desktop/laptop is windows.

I seem to be able to do everything I need with only a few
command-line commands.

apt-get update ...
apt-get install ...
apt-get upgrade ...
apt-cache search <keyword>

The search command can usually give me the official package
name for anything I want.   Then just apt-get install...

> 2. I don't like exim.  I really don't need any mail services on this machine
> other than allowing different system accounts to be able to email me their
> auto generated stuff like status/logs/error messages, etc.  These would/could
> go through the SMTP server already on my lan.  Any suggestions?

For sending only, you won't need a daemon.
It does annoy me how many things (needlessly) depend on exim 
in debian.

Perhaps others can recommand a simple SMTP client for this.
I have just used sendmail for this in the past.

In fact... once I think I just wrote a script that spoke enough
SMTP to do it by hand...

telnet mailserver 25
helo ...