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SME Server RSS Feed DistroWatch.com: SME Server

SME Server


Last Update: 2023-01-30 01:13 UTC

SME Server (known as e-smith at the time) was founded in January 1999 by Joseph and Kim Morrison. The company introduced the first version of its flagship software product, the e-smith server and gateway, in April 1999. By the end of the year, many thousands of e-smith servers were running in countries from Fiji to Finland. Word was spreading quickly among developers and systems integrators who needed a solid, easy-to-use server for their small-business customers. In July 2001, e-smith was acquired by Mitel Networks, but was later released as an open-source product under the GPL licence. In May 2013 a new not-for-profit organisation was set up to manage SME server. Due to copyright issues it was named Koozali SME Server Inc. The word "Koozali" approximates to Swahili for "rebirth". Future versions will use this name. The distribution, which is based on CentOS, is currently entirely funded by donations.

Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 260 (27), 6 months: 269 (25), 3 months: 271 (24), 4 weeks: 270 (23), 1 week: 270 (21)

Average visitor rating: 8/10 from 7 review(s).

SME Server Summary
Distribution SME Server (formerly e-smith)
Home Page http://www.smeserver.org/
Mailing Lists http://lists.contribs.org/mailman/listinfo
User Forums http://forums.contribs.org/
Alternative User Forums
Documentation https://wiki.koozali.org/Main_Page
Screenshots --
Screencasts
Download Mirrors http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Download • DistroWatch Torrent Archive
Bug Tracker http://bugs.contribs.org/
Related Websites SME Server France • SME Server Italy
Reviews 10.0: DistroWatch
8.x: DistroWatch
7.x: The Register
4.x: Linux Journal
Where To Buy or Try

Recent Related News and Releases
  Releases announcements with download links and checksums:
 • 2022-09-14: Distribution Release: SME Server 10.1
 • 2021-06-15: Distribution Release: SME Server 10.0
 • 2021-03-23: Development Release: SME Server 10.0 RC 1
 • 2017-05-02: Distribution Release: SME Server 9.2
 • 2015-12-10: Distribution Release: SME Server 9.1
 • 2015-11-03: Distribution Release: SME Server 8.2
 • 2015-10-03: Development Release: SME Server 9.1 Beta 3
 • 2015-03-30: Development Release: SME Server 9.1 Beta 1
 • 2014-06-30: Distribution Release: SME Server 9.0
 • 2014-05-13: Development Release: SME Server 9.0 RC1
 • 2014-04-12: Development Release: SME Server 9.0 Beta 4
 • 2014-02-28: Distribution Release: SME Server 8.1
 • More SME Server releases...

Table Notes and Explanations

(Please refer to the table below.)
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  • To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
  • Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
  • Colour scheme: green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
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Feature 10.1 9.2 8.2 7.6 6.0.1 5.6 4.1.2 Feature
Release Date 2022-09-14 2017-05-02 2015-11-03 2012-05-27 2004-03-18 2003-01-15 2001-03-30 Release Date
End Of Life 2024-06 2020-11           End Of Life
Price (US$) Free Free Free Free Free     Price (US$)
Image Size (MB) 600-1600 200-800           Image Size (MB)
Free Download ISO ISO ISO ISO ISO ISO ISO Free Download
Installation Text mode Text mode Text mode Text mode Text mode Text mode Text mode Installation
Default Desktop -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Default Desktop
Package Management RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM RPM Package Management
Release Model Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed Fixed Release Model
Office Suite -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Office Suite
Processor Architecture x86_64 i386, x86_64 i386, x86_64 i386, x86_64 i386 i386 i386 Processor Architecture
Init Software systemd Upstart SysV SysV SysV SysV SysV Init Software
Journaled File Systems ext3, ext4 ext3, ext4 ext3, ext4 ext3 ext3 ext3   Journaled File Systems
Multilingual Yes Yes Yes Yes en, fr en, fr   Multilingual
Asian Language Support   id, ja, he, th, zh_CN, zh_TW id, ja, he, th, zh_CN, zh_TW zh_CN, th -- -- -- Asian Language Support
Full Package List 10.1 9.2 8.2 7.6       Full Package List
Package 10.1 9.2 8.2 7.6 6.0.1 5.6 4.1.2 Package
abiword (3.0.5) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- abiword (3.0.5)
alsa-lib (1.2.10) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- alsa-lib (1.2.10)
amdgpu (23.0.0) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- amdgpu (23.0.0)
bash (5.2.15) 4.2 4.1 3.2 3.0 2.05a 2.05a 2.04 bash (5.2.15)
bind (9.18.19) -- -- -- -- 9.2.1 9.2.1 8.2.3 bind (9.18.19)
chromium (117.0.5938.132) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- chromium (117.0.5938.132)
cups (2.4.7) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- cups (2.4.7)
dhcp (4.4.3-P1) 4.2.5 4.1.1-P1 3.0.5 3.0.1 2.0pl5 2.0pl5 2.0 dhcp (4.4.3-P1)
e2fsprogs (1.47.0) 1.42.9 1.41.12 1.39 1.35 1.27 1.27 1.18 e2fsprogs (1.47.0)
firefox (118.0.1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- firefox (118.0.1)
freetype (2.13.2) 2.4.11 2.3.11 2.2.1 2.1.9 2.0.9 2.0.9 1.3.1 freetype (2.13.2)
gcc (13.2.0) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- gcc (13.2.0)
gimp (2.10.34) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- gimp (2.10.34)
glibc (2.38) 2.17 2.12 2.5 2.3.4 2.2.5 2.2.5 2.2 glibc (2.38)
gnome-shell (45.0) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- gnome-shell (45.0)
gnucash (5.4-1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- gnucash (5.4-1)
gnumeric (1.12.55) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- gnumeric (1.12.55)
grub (2.06) 2.02alpha 0.97 0.97 0.95 -- -- -- grub (2.06)
gtk (4.12.3) -- 2.24.23 -- -- -- -- -- gtk (4.12.3)
httpd (2.4.57) 2.4.6 2.2.15 2.2.3 2.0.52 -- -- -- httpd (2.4.57)
inkscape (1.3) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- inkscape (1.3)
k3b (23.08.1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- k3b (23.08.1)
kmod (31) 20 -- -- -- -- -- -- kmod (31)
krita (5.1.5) - - - - - - - krita (5.1.5)
libreoffice (7.6.2) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- libreoffice (7.6.2)
linux (6.5.5) 3.10 2.6.32 2.6.18 2.6.9 2.4.20 2.4.18 2.2.16 linux (6.5.5)
Package 10.1 9.2 8.2 7.6 6.0.1 5.6 4.1.2 Package
lxpanel (0.10.1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- lxpanel (0.10.1)
mariadb (11.0.3) 5.5.68 -- -- -- -- -- -- mariadb (11.0.3)
mate-desktop (1.26.2) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- mate-desktop (1.26.2)
mesa (23.2.1) 18.3.4 11.0.7 -- 6.8.2 -- -- -- mesa (23.2.1)
mysql (8.1.0) -- 5.1.73 5.0.95 4.1.22 3.23.56 3.23.49 3.23.32 mysql (8.1.0)
nautilus (45.0) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- nautilus (45.0)
NVIDIA (535.113.01) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- NVIDIA (535.113.01)
openbox (3.6.1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- openbox (3.6.1)
openjdk (21) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- openjdk (21)
openssh (9.4p1) 7.4p1 5.3p1 4.3p2 3.9p1 3.7.1p1 3.1p1 2.5.2p2 openssh (9.4p1)
openssl (3.1.3) 1.0.2k 1.0.1e 0.9.8e 0.9.7a 0.9.6b 0.9.6b 0.9.5a openssl (3.1.3)
perl (5.38.0) 5.16.3 5.10.1 5.8.8 5.8.5 5.6.1 5.6.1 5.6.0 perl (5.38.0)
php (8.2.11) 8.1.10 5.3.3 5.3.3 4.3.9 4.1.2 4.1.2 4.0.3pl1 php (8.2.11)
plasma-desktop (5.27.8) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- plasma-desktop (5.27.8)
postfix (3.8.2) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- postfix (3.8.2)
postgresql (16.0) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- postgresql (16.0)
Python (3.11.5) 3.6.8 2.6.6 2.4.3 2.3.4 2.2.2 2.2 1.5.2 Python (3.11.5)
qt (6.5.3) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- qt (6.5.3)
samba (4.19.0) 4.10.16 3.6.23 3.6.23 3.0.33 2.2.8a 2.2.5 2.0.7 samba (4.19.0)
systemd (254.5) 219 -- -- -- -- -- -- systemd (254.5)
thunderbird (115.3.1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- thunderbird (115.3.1)
vim (9.0) 7.4 7.4 7.0 6.3 6.1 6.1 5.7 vim (9.0)
vlc (3.0.18) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- vlc (3.0.18)
wayland (1.22.0) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- wayland (1.22.0)
xfdesktop (4.18.1) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- xfdesktop (4.18.1)
xorg-server (21.1.8) -- 1.17.4 -- -- -- -- -- xorg-server (21.1.8)

Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for SME Server

Average rating
8.0
from 7 review(s)


What are your thoughts on SME Server?
Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system.
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Past reviews - sort by:

Version: 10.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-06-22
Votes: 1


 Been using SME-SERVER for years and have never had any issues that could not be fixed by searching the server’s contribs pages and/or forums for answers etc. The system is template based so you can change almost all system configurations without having to alter the original file. For example if you want to change the php.ini you can copy the original template to a customs template directory and fine tune your settings without actually modifying the original /etc/php.ini file. However, most settings are already included in the various databases that you can configure with simple commands like [db configuration mysqld LocalNetworkingOnly yes] and these are all well documented on the server’s koozali.org wiki pages. Off the shelf, the server is configured with a DHCP server, Mail server, File Server, DNS server, Web Server, Database Server (mysql/maria). All are set and configured in roughly 30 minutes and I’ve never had a box give me problems upon installation. Two things I would improve on is the upgrade transition that the last one v10.x required that you reinstall instead of upgrade and that the system is centos based but is always lagging a couple versions.



Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 10.0
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-12-17
Votes: 1


 If you want a linux based small server system for home or office, but don't want the management overhead, this is your answer.


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 10.0
Rating: 1
Date: 2021-08-13
Votes: 4


 I ran into all the same multitude of problems Jesse did plus some he didn't mention (Had to run the time-wasting installer 3 times for it to finally complete the installation, for example). I refuse to waste my time even enumerating them here. This server distro is a just a huge steaming pile. In my life, I've come to learn that when faced with a mystery as to why something is the way it is, looking at the "money" angle will almost always provide the answer. The "Donate" button in the web portal works just fine, although some other links/buttons don't. And their obnoxious "Remember that SME Server is free to download and use, but it is *not* free to build". I would suggest that if it's such a costly burden to build, stop building it and pick some other distro to donate your spare developing time to.


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