>I have a client running a couple of line-of-business VFP apps on a LAN. The LAN workstations are a mix of various Windows OSs but the backend is strictly Samba on Linux.


SCO is only 2.x DBF compatible. After you mentioned SCO and cited that install doc I makes me wonder if they are using SCO on their LInux server as their dbf database? SCO?

Flashship (http://www.fship.com will work with FP and most xbase code and database backends, except VFP.

There are tools from Plugsys.com (MAX and XODBC, both commerical), and from the xbase site that may be of help.

Also, see http://www.linuxlinks.com/web/development for a listing of TONS of Linux based web development tools, both GPL and commerical.



>
>They want to allow remote (Internet) users with just browsers to be able to query the VFP data - sort of like getting waybill status updates from FedEx or UPS.
>
>With my practically nonexistent Web dev background

That will definiately increase the time till deployment... :)


>I envisage creating a VFP7 app to generate query responses. The company is willing to provide a W2K box (even W2K Server if necessary) to run this app plus any other services that might be needed - even IIS and/or WC, if needed.

WC will work against Apache on IIS, IIRC, but I am not sure it will run against Apache on a Linux box. It expects drive and directory designations that are not Linux compatible.

>
>The only hitch is they don't want to expose an IIS/W2K server to the Internet. They would rather use a Web server on Linux (probably Apache). They are security paranoid, and Linux is what they know, they don't know MS server offerings - how to set up, secure, etc.
>
>Is there a solution that would work in this situation? Possibly relaying IIS output through Apache, or some other approach?

Relaying ISS output through Apache won't work.

>
>Failing that, a compelling reason for them to use IIS rather than Linux/Apache?

Sorry, I can't think of any... ;-)