System Requirements
All Platforms
FirstOffice requires at least 20 Mb of free hard disk space at the time of installation, but more will be required as the database grows with regular use.
In multi-user systems, you must reserve at least one computer in the network as your FirstOffice server. All servers should be dedicated (i.e. they should not be used for any other purpose such as print spooling or running separate applications). FirstOffice communicates using TCP/IP: this must be installed on all servers and clients. FirstOffice is suitable for use on mixed networks (e.g. networks with Linux, Macintosh and Windows clients), provided all machines have TCP/IP installed.
If you will be connecting to your FirstOffice server using GSM devices (e.g. mobile phone) or a dial-up modem connection, the minimum recommended modem speed on the server is 64 kbps. If there will be more than 10 users, or if you will use the Attachments feature to attach files to records or mails, at least 128 kbps is preferable. The server should have a fixed line connection and a static IP address. The Attachments feature is described here.
10 Mb/s Ethernet Cards are sufficient for the clients and for the server in small networks. In large networks with more simultaneous connections, a 100 Mb/s card is recommended for the server.
Any employee can work with FirstOffice simultaneously in a local area network or a wide area network. As FirstOffice supports firewall technology independent of the type of internet connection (ADSL, ISDN or dial-up modem), it is recommended that firewall software be installed on the server machine.
Concerning security, it is important to mention that the data flow between the FirstOffice server and its clients is encrypted. Back-up files created using FirstOffice's built-in feature are also encrypted. Every user will use a unique user name and password to log in. For increased security, it is recommended that you switch off Windows or Macintosh file sharing on all machines.
Windows
Hardware
For a single-user installation, you will need a Windows computer with a hard disk drive and a printer. The minimum processor is a 450 MHz Pentium II (600 MHz PIII or P4 recommended). The minimum memory requirement is 256 Mb. These specifications also apply to the client machines in a multi-user system, where memory requirements are more dependent on the version of Windows than on FirstOffice. FirstOffice has a minimal hard disk requirement on the clients (usually under 20 Mb). The server should be selected with the transaction load of the installation in mind. The minimum server is a 600 MHz Pentium III with at least 256 Mb memory (2 GHz Pentium 4 with 512 Mb memory recommended).
Software
FirstOffice single-user needs Windows 98SE/2000/XP (Windows 98 is not supported). In client/server installations, Windows 2000 or XP are the recommended operating systems for the server, while the clients can use 98SE/2000/XP. The server should not use Windows NT, while the clients can use NT (NT 4 Service Pack 6) but it is not recommended. FirstOffice can be installed in file-sharing networks (Novell) but the FirstOffice installation will not use any of the file-sharing facilities. TCP/IP and Winsock2 (WS2_32.DLL) must be installed on the server and all clients. GdiPlus.dll must be present in the same directory as the application if you are using Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) or Windows NT 4 Service Pack 6, and Unicows.dll should also be in that directory if you are using Windows 98SE.
Macintosh
Hardware
In a single-user system, you will need a Macintosh with a hard disk drive, a printer and at least 64 Mb (OS 9) or 128 Mb (OS X) of internal memory. The minimum recommended machine is an iMac or a Macintosh G3 (G4 if you are using OS X). These specifications also apply to the client machines in a multi-user system. The minimum server is a Macintosh G4 with at least 128 Mb of memory (a G5 with 256 Mb is recommended). Hard disk speed is more important than processor speed. iMacs should not be used as servers.
Software
FirstOffice requires Macintosh System 9.2.1 (or later). Users of OS X should use 10.2.7 or later on clients and 10.3 or later on servers. Macintosh servers should use OS X. Multi-user versions of FirstOffice use TCP/IP and Open Transport: these must be installed on the server and on all clients. OS 9 support will be discontinued in FirstOffice version 5.0.
Linux
Hardware
Please refer to the Windows or Macintosh sections above for details of hardware requirements.
Software
Recommended distributions are Red Hat 7.1, SuSE 7.0, Slackware 7.2 or similar/later. The X Window System should be installed in single-user installations and on client machines. The Linux server version of FirstOffice does not have a graphical interface: it can be used with any distribution that has Linux Kernel 2.4 or later and GNU C Library 2.2 or later.
