OT: Mac and Linux equiv. of Windows features

[Bret Alan]

All,

I am still learning, so as I usually do when I post here, my 
apologies up front if this is too stupid an email (I am asking here 
because this group is pretty cross-platform aware):

Two different parts to this:

Part 1:

I just recently started using Windows 2003 Server, and I am very 
confused by the differences between things like just connecting to 
the server through Network Neighborhood, connecting to the Domain on 
the server, and Terminal Services.

The recent thread on Remote Desktop here answered some of my 
questions, and it looks like Terminal Services is a thin-client 
desktop connection, but isn't this similar to connecting to the 
Domain? Doesn't that give you the equivalent of what Mac OS X SERVER 
calls "Managed Desktop"?

I'm confused, obviously. Anyone shed any light here? Just the basics.


Part 2:

I have been defending Mac and Linux for years but have always known 
so little about the server end of things that when people say things 
like "There's nothing like Active Directory on Mac or Linux." I 
usually have no idea if there is or not.

So what are the equivalents of different Windows Server (or Client 
for that matter) features on Mac and Linux? Here are the ones I 
understand are equivalents so far (are these right?):


SERVICE DISCOVERY (older/newer):

WINDOWS: Netbios over NetBeui/Netbios over TCP/IP
MAC: AppleShare over AppleTalk?/AppleShare over TCP/IP or Zero Conf 
(Rendezvous) (eventually?)
LINUX: Nothing I can find. Netbios over TCP/IP via Samba or Zero Conf 
protocols maybe?

DIRECTORY SERVICES (older/newer):

WINDOWS: Older?/Active Directory (proprietary LDAP?)
MAC: NetInfo/Open Directory (LDAP)
LINUX: NDS (proprietary) or OpenLDAP (LDAP)?

DNS and DHCP SERVICES:

These seem pretty generic, except Dynamic DNS which seems integrated 
into Active Directory, but difficult to implement on Mac or Linux. 
True?

Then I get even more lost:

Is there a difference between signing onto a Domain (as far as what 
features this gets you) between these three platforms? Again, I know 
that Mac OS X Server has "Managed Desktop" but is that the equivalent 
of signing onto a Domain in Windows, or more like Terminal Services. 
I suspect I have these things completely mixed up. Again, any 
assistance is welcome.


I'll save printing questions for another year.

I am currently reading an MCP book on Windows 2003 Server, so some of 
this might make more sense when I actually finish the book, but it's 
so hard to find books that cover either generic topics or 
cross-platform comparisons.



Thanks.

Bret