I have a linux ox that I would like to setup as a server (for a small private home network). I installed Red Hat 7.2 on it with a commmand line only install (to get the true feel of Unix/Linux). I will be running 3 - 5 workstations that will run Windows 2000/XP, and Linux (probably Red Hat or Mandrake). My question is how do I configure my network cards (currently when I boot my Linux server box it stops at "Bringing up IP Interface eth0", then it fails citing "Determining IP Informations for eth0 failed" I know the NIC is Linux comatible (it stated right on the box when I bought it) What would be the best IP scheme to run, I know being a private network it will be a class C (192.168.0.1, or something along those lines) but I am unsure as to where to get started in getting my small network up and running. Also, If I am running Linux as a file server what partiton do I store the file on, the /home? I am unsure as to where people would store and access their files on the server form their workstations. I also know that I will have to setup Samba in order to have my Windows wrokstation communicate with my Linux server, I have read up on this but I am a little unsure. For example, When I use the command vi /etc/samba/* all I get is one line of text, and that is 127.0.0.1 localhost. If I use the command vi /etc/smb.conf I get a blank file. This confuses me, am I suppose to write the entilre file? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am a Linux newbie, that is excited to learn

I use IP-Masquerading for my local LAN. Please try howto. However I learnt from a little book called "Weekend Crash Course by Naba Barkataki" at Barnes and Nobles. Please do not forget to make your Linux box router with the command "ifconfig eth0:0"