I am currently ready to install a Linux distro for use as a server to act as a remote desktop server for independent users with at least libre office and a web browser installed for their use. The hardware I have is a HP proliant 370 with one xeon E5620 processor. I had installed and run mandriva/mandrake server years ago and I really liked it. I wish their business model had been viable. My background is MCSE in NT4, and 2000 and I've installed, configured and run M$servers up to 2008. Also installed and run ubuntu desktop as clients to the M$ server.

what I want to do with it is configure it as a file and print server along with libre office and web browser running the equivalent of M$ terminal server, so multiple users can run separate sessions. Once I can demonstrate to the owner it is possible to do everything without M$, then I can get the owner to get more (bigger/better/faster) hardware.

1. Is there a descendent of the mandrake server that would do this well? Easily? (PCLinux seems to be the leading possibility of mandrake descent)
2. What is the best way to emulate a terminal server?
3. Any other suggestions?

Thank you all. I am a newb when it comes to command line as I have forgotten most of what I used to know...and there are a lot of new ones dependent on the lineage of the distro...

Mageia inherited the best of Mandrake/Mandriva's technology and technologists. You probably should try it before getting too wrapped up in Ubuntu.

openSUSE Leap has a significant similarity to Mandrake/Mandriva/Mageia, with it's rpm packaging foundation, using zypper as interface instead of urpmi, and YaST (which runs with or without GUI), similar to Harddrake in function and capability.

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I second the recommendation of Mageia.

I've been using it continuously since v. 3 on at least one machine and have found that it works quite nicely. It functioned for me quite nicely as a file server (my printer is wired directly to my network, so I haven't needed a print server for quite some time).

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Definitely Mageia if you're trying to get as close to Mandriva as possible, and I say that as someone who uses PCLinuxOS. PCLOS forked off Mandrake many years before the end of that distro, while Mageia was put out right at the end of what became Mandriva and by some of the same people.

All three of them are very well done, but Mageia is the closest descendant.

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thanks to all! I tried installing PCLinux and it got stuck, probably because it didn't like the limited video chip on the Proliant server. when I took out the thumb drive and rebooted, it reverted to the ubuntu. In the meantime, I installed a video card and now the ubuntu is happy, and I think the PCLinux or Mageia would be happy too. For now I will forge ahead with the Ubuntu, but plan to try PCL and Mageia on another box as time allows.