Linux Not-So-Newbie Problems

[Eric Scott <ewscott@standby.com>]

I've been working daily with Linux - workstation and server - for nearly a year.  I've updated kernels, configured services and basically hammered my way about as far as I can go without some outside help.  The HOWTO's are great, the other available documentation is helpful, but I'm running into problems that seem "do it and it's done" per the written word and not quite so simple in practice.

I'm moving mail and web services in-house for a group of small companies.  We decided on Linux as the OS for the servers months ago; now that I've actually got the hardware installed, it's time to put up or shut up.

- I'm trying to install two servers running software-level RAID 1.  You can't mount a partition that's already in use. Help needed...

- I've attempted to configure IP Masq, firewalling and proxy to absolutely no avail. I'm sure what I'm missing is a one-step "hey dummy" kind of problem. Help needed...

- Is routing this tough?  I can ping the gateway on both sides, but neither subnet can reach the other. Help needed...

As you can see, this is basic-to-intermediate networking here.  And I can't seem to make it do what it's supposed to do.

Padwan in search of Jedi Master. Appropriate considerations extended. Please contact me directly.