FileServer - ubuntu server Spec &questions

smogsy

smogsy

smogsy

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Im looking into getting a Fileserver to host
Media Library (Apple Lossless)
Video Library - SD Maybe some 720p
& to learn more about Unix get familiar with it

To stream to: 1 Vista PC 1 MacPro 1 Macbook 1 Dell Laptop & maybe PS3?

i'm thinking of installing Ubuntu Server Edition (recommended by a mate) but would listen to other reccomendations

regarding PC spec what sort of specification will i require to stream music/video to OSX & Vista around the house via Ethernet?

i been looking online
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-239-OK (looks like a cracky deal)
although work have some Computers they are lobbing out so i might grab one of them

Im sure they are
P4 2.4ghz
1GB DDR
80GB

i would upgrade the ram/HDD but processor wise do you think it be capable?

anything else i should be looking at?
 
I don't like ubuntu server edition, had some bad stuff with it in the past, may have been because I was new to it at the time.

I personally suggest using debian netinstall, if you want to run it without a GUI.

I would then enable the testing repo to install mediatomb (streams to ps3), transmission for a torrent downloader and, sabnzbd for usenet, you then need to install SAMBA to share folders with Windows/MAC.

I'll post in more detail should you wish to try debian with your server.

My server runs off 512mb ram a crappy 10 year old 20GB IDE driver and an AMD 3400+, you don't need a lot of power. Some people use the Atom processor...

EDIT: What I would suggest is finding a guide on google to install ubuntu server edition and Debian netinstall for a fileserver use, there are some simple youtube tutorials to. I would use virtualbox to trial the installation as you are new so you know what you are doing when your hardware arrives.

For ease you could also look at FreeNAS.... which does everything you want out of the box, I just found it hard to install sabnzbd, again probably because I was more of a newb when I tried it.

Go debian if you want a rocksolid server os and easy program installs. Ubuntu is a side project of Debian, again with a lot of support, I just found it does somethings in non-standard ways.

Try FreeNAS first, sounds like it will do everything you need and is so simple to setup.

On the hardwarew front I would get that free hardware and shove it in a nice cool big case, so you have room for future HDD explansion, Micro-ATX would be too small for me!
 
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Ubuntu is based on Debian, so good so far, though my preference is to use Debian.

The "Primo Trinity" is a bit overkill for a file server serving just 5 machines, unless you were thinking of using it for other purposes in the future (e.g. virtual machine host) Otherwise the P4 2.4 would be sufficient (although it's not a particularly power efficient cpu).

As you are streaming files, important thing is to ensure your server disks and network can sustain the data rates for streaming to how many concurrent machines. So say a 720p video requires 15Mbps (~2MB/s) and you were streaming 5 different videos at the same time, then you would need to sustain 75Mbps (~9MB/s).
 
Thankyou for your help,

im going to look at debain & FreeNAS

I did try to run them in virtualbox but i couldnt get it install from a .iso rather than a disk, i looked online & found that in the settings i had to set use iso from disk but on my version (lastest) it doesnt have that option :(
 
For what you are doing I would try Amahi. It will run fine on the freebie hardware you are planning and gives the best balance between simple and configurable that I have used. http://www.amahi.org/

Ubuntu Server is much more effort to get up and running, particularly if you are new to Linux. FreeNAS is great for basic fileserving, but you soon find something that you wish it could do.

Personally I went through all this a while ago and settled on Windows Home Server. With 5 Windows PC's connected to it the backup facilities and Drive Extender made it a bit of a no brainer at the time. Amahi is almost caught up now, but WHS2 is due this year as well. Will have to see what happens.
 
I have the below setup running 24/7 working perfectly well.

Gigabyte Atom 330
1.5TB Samsung Eco Green
2GB PC-6400

Ubuntu Server 8.04 and Virtualbox

I then have the below virtual machines..

Debian File Server - Headless with Webmin, mediatomb

Ubuntu 9.10 Mail Server - Running Postfix, Dovecot, Squirrelmail, Spam assasin, Clamav and shorewall firewall for security

If you take the virtual root you could add in a second network card and dedicate that one to the media streaming and keep everything else going through the onboard card. Gives you a little bandwidth management then.
 
Opensolaris + ZFS = Ultimate Storage Solution.

And yes RAM makes a heck of a difference on a well setup solution. It is used as Read cache.
 
sibeer said:
For what you are doing I would try Amahi. It will run fine on the freebie hardware you are planning and gives the best balance between simple and configurable that I have used. http://www.amahi.org/
Click to expand...


Just set this up to see what it was like - brilliant and easy to set up (well it was after I got my dodgy burner to burn a working Fedora disk!).

Now starting to move stuff from a Windows 7 box to it!
 
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