[Leaplist] centrally manage Windows XP Home?

[Jason Boxman]

Ray wrote:
> Jason Boxman wrote:
>> Is anyone doing any interesting centralization of management for Windows
>> XP
>> Home based systems with Samba and any other friends?
>>
> XP Home is very limited to what it can and can not do for networking.
> IIRC it has something like 4 - 8 shares max.  A share includes mapped
> drives, network printers, etc...  For windows networking power you need
> either win2k pro or winXP Pro, not winXP Home.  Home is not built to
> network.

It's not possible to run a batch file or something at startup that maps some
drives?

>> As far as I know, without a domain you're stuck using old school workgroup
>> based stuff.  I'd like to at least be able to mount a couple of Samba
>> shares
>> at system start time.
>>
>> I'd be nice to centralize configuration of Thunderbird somehow; does it
>> have
>> any tools for handling that kind of thing?  Each system ought to have the
>> same set of mail accounts.  It's a small business and people might roam
>> between systems sometimes.
>>
> Again you are looking at doing something that requires a DC (domain
> controller) in order to get roaming profiles up and running.  this CAN
> NOT  be done with winXP Home.  you MUST use win2k pro or XP Pro for
> either of those options to work, plus you will need either win2k or
> win2k3 server running as a DC, thus using AD (active directory)

I wouldn't think you necessarily need any special support from Windows for
Thunderbird to support some 'Enterprise' type stuff.

>> Is it possible to sync up stuff like start menu entries and desktop icons,
>> or
>> is that relegated also to the domain of using Active Directory?  I can't
>> see
>> justifying buying three or four copies of XP Professional, so I'm stuck
>> with
>> workgroups.
>>
>>
> see above.  as for buying 3 or 4 copies, just buy 1 corp. edition.  they
> come with 5 license and you are set.  again without win2k or 2k3 server
> and an AD  you are not going to be able to accomplish what you are
> looking for.

Interesting -- that might be worth it.  I'll have to see how much that'll cost.

>> I'd run Linux on every desktop, but there's a not insubstantial quantify
>> of
>> proprietary domain specific software that only runs under Windows in play,
>> along with Quick Books Pro and the necessity of opening Office formats in
>> whatever the latest version may be.
>>
> HUH???  you can get Quick Books Pro to run under crossover office with
> some distros without any issues at all.  as for the "Not insubstantial
> quantify of pro...."  huh?

That's true, but there's a substantial number of poorly written applications
that are industry specific that must run.  I fear attempting to run those
under CrossOver or trying to explain why they don't "Just Work".  Moving to
Linux desktops is an unlikely step presently.

>> Also, are there any worthwhile things that might improve process workflow?
>>  I
>> haven't messed with it yet, but I get the impression Google's Desktop
>> Search
>> will search email?  Stuff like that for Windows would be useful.  (This
>> mail
>> is all on IMAP, though.)
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
> google desktop is not bad nor is their office suite they are producing,
> but what exactly are you looking to accomplish with google desktop search?

Tracking down stuff in WordPerfect documents when you don't remember the
filename; stuff like that.  I'm probably going to reorganize the file
hierarchy.