Which linux distro for NAS/Download server

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Lets really get this fire burning, have you tried the WHS trial download yet :)

I have been using FreeNAS for a while and trialing true server upgrades in the mean time. Tried Amahi and ClarkConnect, both good packages that I kept on my consideration list. Tried Ubuntu Server, a bit off putting for Linux amateurs as you boot to a command prompt. Decided I didn't want to learn the commands so binned it off.

Finally I tried Windows Home Server. Tell you what if it is a Windows PC network there is no contest. Firstly it is easy and familiar to set up, this makes you feel confident that your server is running right. The thing it does best though is the backup of PCs & Data. If you have 2 or more hard disks in it you simply tell it which shared folders you want a redundant spare of and it ensures there are two copies at all times. This to me is preferable to RAID as it has no reliance on a specific motherboard or RAID card to recover data in case of hardware failure, it works with any mix of sized disks and it allows you to easily split what is backed up and what is non-critical. It then wakes on your PC's at night to do a full backup of them too. All this through a very easy interface that is pre-configured.

I can honestly say I didn't want to go down the MS route (£80 down the drain), but I do think it is the easiest and best featured solution for a Windows Network.
 
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OK - only one of these is actually based on Linux, the other is based on BSD, but FreeNAS (BSD) or OpenFiler (Linux) should do what you want.

from my understanding (I've never used them), they are easy to set up and have nice, friendly web configs.

If you want a fully fledged distro - Arch.

EDIT:

Actually - that always recommends Slack for me... and I am really not that fond of Slack (far to much of a PITA... I mean really, wtf is up with their package manager?!)

This is right on the money, OpenFiler is seriously excellent or you can setup a seperate system to export targets using iSCSI protocol over gigabit ethernet (anything else is not worth it) using Linux into your DMZ based server allowing it to mount those volumes as if they were local drives - this is really easy and there are tons of guides on how to do this.

You will be wanting something solid and stable if your looking for something close to 5-9's uptime!!! go for the latest version of CentOS (free - 5.3???) its a gutted version of Red Hat Enterprise Server and I can say 100% it is rock solid, I've deployed many of these into various sites and no problems at all.
 
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I decided against this as I wanted something which will offer more in terms of serving, AFAIK freenas is just a network storage distro and not multifunctional as a server?

My FreeNAS box is also running Tinyproxy amongst other things, FreeNAS out of the box is a NAS server but with packages can be made to do other things.
 
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Hi DJMK4

Im trying to do something very similar to you i.e. NAS file server etc. but im stumped :(

I installed Ubuntu Server edition but all i got when i ran it was a text based thing, no GUI :(

Is this the way it is supposed to be? Is there any way to install a GUI like on Ubuntu Desktop edition? TOTAL linux noob here :(

Thanks
 
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Hi DJMK4

Im trying to do something very similar to you i.e. NAS file server etc. but im stumped :(

I installed Ubuntu Server edition but all i got when i ran it was a text based thing, no GUI :(

Is this the way it is supposed to be? Is there any way to install a GUI like on Ubuntu Desktop edition? TOTAL linux noob here :(

Thanks

no gui is correct. no gui is awesome! Why do you need a gui?

If you really need a GUI (this makes oxy cry) I think it's:

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
 
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Sorry Oxy :( haha

Im a complete linux noob so i have no idea how to use a non-GUI system. Only 21 so never really lived through the DOS era. Only ever really had W**dows :( sorry for swearing haha.

So will installing that package install a Ubuntu-like GUI?

Thank you very much for the info!! :D
 
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Hi DJMK4

Im trying to do something very similar to you i.e. NAS file server etc. but im stumped :(

I installed Ubuntu Server edition but all i got when i ran it was a text based thing, no GUI :(

Is this the way it is supposed to be? Is there any way to install a GUI like on Ubuntu Desktop edition? TOTAL linux noob here :(

Thanks


That's the way it's supposed to work, it's a "proper server" :D

If you're looking for a GUI to make life easier for yourself then you might want to check out this how-to guide:
Install a Virtual Desktop using VNC

Or, use Webmin

Alternatively you could simply install Ubuntu Desktop instead of Ubuntu Server.
 
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Sorry Oxy :( haha

Im a complete linux noob so i have no idea how to use a non-GUI system. Only 21 so never really lived through the DOS era. Only ever really had W**dows :( sorry for swearing haha.

So will installing that package install a Ubuntu-like GUI?

Thank you very much for the info!! :D
I'm 21 and I used DOS - that's no excuse! ;)

If you are really struggling, I posted in this thread about Amahi - www.amahi.org.

I work under Linux full time and thought I would give this a whirl for home use because I just can't be bothered with the hassle and if my brother ever needed something sorted he could use a simple web page.

Anyway, if you sign up to that and follow the instructions, it works really well out of the box. My only gripe is that it overwrites my handmade configs if you edit a share via the website but I suppose that's better for the vast majority of users ;)
 
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well magnumsport, my response about GUI was tongue in cheek. When I started playing with linux in 04 I certainly wasn't ready for terminal (dos prompt effectivly) either.

Install the GUI until you get used to it. personally I would install debian lenny instead of ubuntu. In my experience it makes a more stable server, I tried ubuntu server and found it, or rather I couldn't get it to work properly.

Having said that, you must use what you like best and what you understand more, if thats debian or ubuntu or something else it does'nt matter!

What do you want to use the server for? Torrent? usenet? rapidshare? storage? sharing files to windows machines?

Windows also isn't a swear word. I sue it on my desktop and have Mac OS x/fedora on macbook, debian on my Toshiba NB100 netbook and debian on my homeserver.

I would use linux on my desktop but I have 2 x SSD in RAID and RAID and getting linux to see them makes me cry. I have started my PGCE so can't risk the computer dying on me this year or else I would fiddle!

Keep posting on this forum so we can see how far you get! Just read a lot, be pacient and backup your data in case of meltondown! :)
 
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Thanks again very much for the info Oxy! :D

Because i am a total windows boy/linux noob, i wanted to pick a distro that was familar, hence using Ubuntu. I was more than a little shocked when i realised it was terminal haha. But saying that, i did download the ubuntu package... and it worked! :D Thank you!

Thing is, now it looks like Ubuntu desktop, not a bad thing for me, but how does Server differ under the skin to Desktop?

I want to essentially do what the OP was doing. i.e. A small computer with a huge capacity, leave it on in a corner somewhere, scheduled torrents through night, File share to windows PC's and 360, remote admin. Just want a central location for everything as the home is growing, and i usually need a piece of software on the PC i am on, which is on another PC grrr

Thanks again :D
 
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Thing is, now it looks like Ubuntu desktop, not a bad thing for me, but how does Server differ under the skin to Desktop?

That's because now you have installed ubuntu desktop... it now is Ubuntu desktop...

I want to essentially do what the OP was doing. i.e. A small computer with a huge capacity,
put a big disk(s) in it.

leave it on in a corner somewhere, scheduled torrents through night,
rtorrent + screen or torrentflux, or transmission

File share to windows PC's and 360,
samba server

remote admin.
OpenSSH, Xming, VNC(ugh)
 
Soldato
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I don't see the point of a GUI for a headless server, but if that makes you feel more confortable then thats ok.

On mine I have Sabnzbd installed for usenet downloads, automated with rss feeds.

I use rtorrent + screen for torrent downloads.

I use samba to share to windows computers & SSH for terminal commands remotely.

I only start the ftp deamon when I need to use it and stop it straighht after.

As for streaming to 360, I use mediatomb to stream to my ps3. Dunno if it supports 360 though.
 
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What are you views on the Icy Box IB-NAS4220-B?

It seems ldeal for what i want really.

Few questions though.

1. What is the torrent client like?
2. Is the firmware upgradable using linux?
3. Is it Xbox 360 Compatible? (It has Samba i think)

Thanks :D
 
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