🚀 go-pugleaf

I have been given the task of setting up a linux network where the are
about 15 or so machines using a central file server.

We already have a linux box with plenty of diskspace that will become
our fileserver.  We will also have 15 or so other machines accessing
it.  All networking cables etc are all setup already.  What I want to
know is the best way to set this up.

Idea 1:

Set fileserver up as per normal and setup clients minimally to mount
(maybe with slackware's a and n series) and mount server's /usr.
Trouble here is major interruption when upgrading system.

Idea 2:

Set up server minimally (a and n series) and install software in
/export and have clients setup minimally mounting /export as /usr.
This would mean upgrades would cause much less interruption as I can
put a new slackware version in another directory on the server and
move the clients across to the new version as I upgrade them.  Actual
server software would not be upgraded, unless there was good reason to.

The main problem is that Slackware isn't very conducive to major
upgrades.  I want to have a system where I can upgrade without causing
problems to clients, and without having to practically wipe the system
and rebuild it from backups every so often.

How have others done this?  What do people suggest?  I would like to
stay with slackware only because I am familiar with it (and the bosses
round here don't like change), however I would consider another
distribution (redhat?) if people really think it's worth switching
over.


Thanks in advance for any advice,
Ivan
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Ivan Rayner                                 ivan@insect.sd.monash.edu.au