Zentyal 3.0 instead of MS SBS?

[barilkobart]

UNBELIEVABLE

[ctek]

Hi, barilkobart

I do not get your point of view. As myself use MS software but also Zentyal for years i do not shout on the forum that "it must be like this and that"
Now to the point.

First DO NOT USE VNC. Try to install NX Nomachine server and clients (it's simpler to set-up).
Second. The virtual machines are working without problems. I did install VM's onto several distros so far. Debian or fedora based so I sugest that you check your VM's configuration.

Also make sure on the rights of the iso's folder. It can be as simple as checking that other's have the right to read from that folder. Maybe you placed the iso's as root ?

Give more feedback since nobody can guess what is your setup. As for comparing SBS with Zential is wrong...   I have given up on SBS since is at best "working"
Switch to Enterprise level since MS is making a big difference between SBS and enterprise level products..

Last please do not ask that this free product should be made like windows since is NOT and it's provided free at the expense of the zentyal team and donations / subscriptions form users.

Please review the points above and come back with more info so we can help you.
Best regards
Bogdan

[barilkobart]

I am an MCSE working for in IT company supporting thousands of servers running Windows and UNIX.  I have been running Linux at home since the early 90s.

The pilot I am doing for a non profit organization requires Windows workstations to access a central server for their main application.  The Windows app runs from a network share.  The client also wants remote access via terminal services.

Zentyal would be perfect for them.  The app would run from a SAMBA share, and a VM running a Windows Terminal Services for remote access.  They already have a Windows Server license.  Additional VMs could be spun up for other future applications (Joomla is an example that they currently use).

To answer your questions and suggestions:
I am not using VNC for remote acesss, NX Nomachine is for remote X-Windows. 
I don't have problem with rights on the ISOs, the VMs are booting the ISO.
I am not comparing Zentyal to SBS.
I am not asking Zentyal to be like Windows.
Budget will a problem going to full enterprise MS solutions.

I am just looking for BASIC functionality in Zentyal.

First I could not get machines join the domain:, this was solved with an Zentyal update.

Second I could not get the VMs to see their configured hard drives: this was solved by configuring the VMs to use IDE instead of SCSI disks.  If Zentyal knows about this problem, why are SCSI disks the default out of the box?

Third I cannot get keystrokes inside a VM to get the virtual OS installed.  From the web portal, I should be able to fully control a VM.  The window that comes up is small, non expandable.  The mouse somewhat works, but gets out of sync in the window.  The window also says on startup in big letters: "No VNC".  I have tried installing the vncviewer package on the Zentyal server.  I have tried installed VNC on my remote workstation that is accessing the Zentyal portal. 

Without this basic functionality, Zentyal will have trouble attracting paying subscribers like this client I am doing this pilot for.

[ctek]

Ok, now we have a clear picture of what you try to achieve.
Let's see how we can get those points working. And since you say that you are not a new user to both systems MS and *NIX i think you can span your ideas from here.

I was suggesting you to use NX so you can connect to the Zentyal server desktop and not to WebAdministration. With this in mind i think that managing VM's will be easier for you but this is for you to decide.

Not getting a keyboard lock in VM is a issue it seems. Try the above point and see if you can make use of the keyboard.

joining the machines to the domain had little to do with Zentyal, and most to do with SAMBA. if you agree. Since you have experience with UNIX, a search on the samba list should have solved the issue.

I do not know why the VM is set to be default to SCSI but this is no issue unless you absolutely want to use SCSI.

To summarize:

Install Nomachine server on the Zentyal machine and try to connect to it.
See if you can manage the VM's remote

And if you look at the issues that you have mentioned, except the VM i think that all are covered here on the forum

Come back with feedback and we will work in that

Best regards
Bogdan

[ichat]

barilkobart ...
im stil verry disapointed  in both your tone and the kind of remarks you are making,

if your suposed problems are only because the software is so shitty like you seam to  be insinuating and your disapoint ment is that the dev team is spending  to few time  on the forum 'trying to get new customers'
i can tell you  that with the right editude you can get free support,  or you can  get support from presales people...  that is by investing in software not by shouting at it...

also i have hear the  'support 100s or 1000's of servers'  argument  more times than i can remember.  and basicaly it comes to, any msce tech should be perfectly able to  dive in to the ubuntu documenentation and read  (and understand) the lower level things that zentyal is doing... 


so pay in, or put in some effort,  both in being nice, AND in being productive.