linux file server to windows pc

[c44151]

ok here is my plan having a linux file server to hold images of games or otherstuff (ex halo.iso) then I will place it on the linux file server and when my windows based pc want's to acsess the image to play the game it will download it from the linux server, mount it and away I go. Is it possible to do this or would windows be better.
I was thinking of using a .bat script to do this

open daemon tools
mount halo image from //linux pc/games/Halo.iso
run
unmount halo

something along that line.

I would like to use linux cause it is free and I dont have to spend 100+ on windows xp or some other windows o/s

[Redwolf]

Yep. Linux can do that. You need to use a program called Samba to help with that, and probably a GUI interface like LinNeighborhood on top of that to simplify the process. But it works well, isn't prone to crashing (if properly configured) and can be faster than a windows server in some cases.

Note that accessing a CD through a network is slower than directly through the HDD, but having a 100 mbps network can help migitate that.

Oh, and using a batch script to do that would be a bit hard unless you a) mapped the drive and b) found scripts or programs to mount and unmount the daemon tools.

[c44151]

it will all be accessed through a HDD

[Redwolf]

The CD will still be accessed through a network. Unless it's only a way to get around using NO-CD cracks or the such.

[nukes]

You'd be better putting that Firewire disk on that machine.
Alternatively you could copy the file across first.
like so:

@echo off
net use x: \\server\isos
cp x:\game.iso c:\temp\game.iso
daemon -mount 0,c:\temp\game.iso
cd \game-dir
game.exe
daemon -umount 0

Redwolf is right though
Its still going to take a long time to transfer all that data to your system.
As to running the server, yes Linux can do that. Use samba, easy to set up.

[flashingcurser]

I have a few games run off my samba server--a little anoying at startup time--loading new levels and such. Not too bad of an option for older games that you dont play very often. You have to expiriment to see which games will install to a mapped drive (in windows). With the price of very highspeed nic cards it could be very usable. However multiple people using the same file will make it (the game not the samba server ) very unstable.

[Redwolf]

You could always have a dedicated server

[flashingcurser]

Red can you help me with my dedicated cenepede 3d server?