Can we run a server on Ubuntu, without it being Ubuntu Server or LAMP? The Ubuntu operating system is also known as the beginner's Linux, as it allows every Windows user to try the Linux philosophy in a very accessible and easy way.
How would you feel if we presented you with the Beginner's Server, or to put it better, how to convert your existing Ubuntu installation into a Server that contains all the features a server offers and not just a simple LAMP (from the initials of Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP):
Domain & Directory, Central domain and directory management, Users, Security groups, Distribution lists, Contacts, Multiple Organization Units (OUs), Group Policy Objects (GPOs), NETLOGON scripts, Roaming profiles, Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication, Supported OS: Windows® XP/Vista/7/8/10, File sharing in Windows® environments (CIFS), Users and Groups access and modification permissions (ACLs)
Network configuration, Routing, Gateway, Firewall, HTTP Proxy
Mail Supported protocols: SMTP, POP3, IMAP, CalDAV, CarDAV, SIEVE
Supported clients: Mozilla Thunderbird®
Webmail
Synchronization to mobile devices via ActiveSync
Multiple virtual mail domains
Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication
Management via Zentyal or Microsoft Active Directory®DNS Server, DHCP Server, NTP Server, Certification Authority (CA), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
If you are interested, we can see how it is easily done with 5 command lines.
We present to you the Zentyal server based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. It is a standalone open-source Linux distribution for Small Business Server that provides, as you saw from the features we mentioned above, interoperability with Microsoft's Active Directory.
The distribution, as mentioned above, is also released in ISO files for a clean installation. However, we will see how we can convert a regular Ubuntu installation into a Linux Server with a UI.
As you may know, all server operating systems come with as few features as possible and without a graphical interface in order to use no system resources except for the necessary server functions.
Thus, the lack of a work environment makes the management of such systems almost impossible for novice users as it requires management via the terminal.
Enough with the quotes. Let's see how it's done:
First let's add the necessary ppa to source.list
Open the terminal and type
sudo add-apt-repository 'deb https://archive.zentyal.org/zentyal 5.0 main'
or add the following line with nano to the /etc/apt/sources.list file:
deb https://archive.zentyal.org/zentyal 5.0 main
Authenticate the packages from the Zentyal repository by adding the public key with the following commands:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 10E239FF
wget -q https://keys.zentyal.org/zentyal-5.0-archive.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
Let's update the database with the new packages using the following command:
sudo apt-get update
Then start the installation:
sudo apt-get install zentyal
When it's finished, open your browser to the address to see the first screen of the server:
https://localhost:8443
The Connection Port to your server is the default. You can choose a different one during installation or after installation from the web management panel.
On the first server screen that appears in your browser, you will need to log in using your Ubuntu username and password.
But let's proceed with the installation for those who want to have zenbuntu-desktop outside of the Server:
sudo apt-get install zenbuntu-desktop
Finally, let's add all the Zentyal packages:
sudo apt-get install zentyal-all
More details about all the features of your new server on the official website
https://wiki.zentyal.org/wiki/Zentyal_Wiki
