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I am very new to server administration. Can Ubuntu Server be installed onto a former Windows Server and control Windows 7 and up clients? Mainly to keep people from installing software on the Windows workstations, control Windows/Microsoft Updates, block access to certain websites, control logins, disk quota, end-point security, etc.? Mainly I want the workstations to not be able to be configured or changed by the users.

I have been looking for links with tutorials on doing something like this but have not had any luck.

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  • Define "control". Control implies an extremely broad category of many many types of controls, so specifics will be useful here.
    – Thomas Ward
    Jun 18, 2015 at 20:32
  • Control logins... I meant I could create users and set up their home directories on the Ubuntu Server and then, when they log in a Windows workstations, their documents, pictures, etc. are available via the Ubuntu Server. Jun 18, 2015 at 21:20
  • Control Windows/Microsoft Updates... I meant to prevent Windows computers from downloading and installing certain updates unless it is necessary. Jun 18, 2015 at 21:39

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I don't think you can achieve your goals with Ubuntu, however don't outright accept this answer so that others can respond with additional suggestions/insights.


Here's what I know from your comments and from stuff at my workplace which can't be replaced with Ubuntu and such due to the requirements:

  • Wanted: Create users and manage what users exist
    • Can be done with Active Directory like services, and they do exist for Ubuntu but I don't know what they are off the top of my head.
  • Wanted: Set up their home directories and user space files on an Ubuntu server
    • There's probably a way to do this, but the Windows and Linux permission structures are wildly different. To truly achieve this you'd need Linux to work with all Windows' permissions, and they don't match up, so control of filespace permissions is probably not possible. (Storage is, permissions isn't)
    • To truly make this section work you need a Windows server with Group Policy Objects for all systems and a Windows file share server that handles Windows permissions.
  • Wanted: Control Windows/Microsoft Updates
    • Impossible with Ubuntu. What you need here is WSUS - Windows Server Update Services - and that is Windows proprietary and needs a Windows server to make work.
  • Additional Prerequisites:
    • Windows Group Policy Objects
    • Windows Active Directory
    • Integration between the two above prerequisites, in order to do user control (what users and groups exist), central management of system policy (so you don't have to manually apply the group policy objects on each system by hand), folder redirection and roaming user profiles (so their desktops come up with all their files, app data is available, etc.)

All in all, what you need is a Windows environment. You are working with Windows workstation computers. You are looking for Windows Active Directory. You are looking for Windows Group Policy management servers tied in with Active Directory. You are seeking WSUS to restrict and control updates such that they can only update from the WSUS server, from where you can approve/reject updates that are available.

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  • Thanks for your explanation. Would Ubuntu Server + Ubuntu workstations do what I am trying to achieve? Jun 19, 2015 at 0:37
  • @BufordT.Justice Ubuntu workstations can achieve this because you could have Linux permissions, but Updates are controlled differently. You would probably be looking into Landscape or some other management system to control access and such. I'm not capable of giving you insight into configuration of that, though, and that is a separate question in its own right.
    – Thomas Ward
    Jun 19, 2015 at 0:38

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