Locha
Hello there,
I have a Core 2 Duo Old PC that I would like to turn into a File Server. I checked FreeNas but seems that the requirements are higher than requested. What do you suggest in terms of OS? And is there anyone here using an old PC as a File Server at home?
Stygmata
FreeNAS 9.2.1.9 would run on your machine ( last freenas to run on 32bit ..core2duo 4 gb ram )..you can run ufs normally ...even zfs but it might be a bit slower
Maybe some linux fan -yo hussam!! canexplain this further as freenas is based on freebsd
scorz
Well I suggest you install a normal linux distro and set it up.
It's more fun plus you'll have more possibility to do some stuff later like running VoIP (if you have a big ass house or just for fun)
Maybe a local web server or whatever you have in mind..
But if you're not into such stuff and just want fs go for FreeNas
hussam
I haven't tried FreeNAS.
Samba on a Linux installation is also an option. Arch Linux wiki has very detailed instructions
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Samba.
Locha
@Stygmata, thank you for the feedback.
@scorz, which Linux distro would you suggest? Ubuntu Server edition would do a good job ?
@hussam, yes, I've read Samba and checked how to deploy it by using Ubundu as an OS. So, you suggest to go with that option, right?
Thank you guys for the feedback.
hussam
CentOS may be a good distribution to look at. It is built from the same source rpms as Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
scorz
@Locha Any distro will be ok. ubuntu/debian are a good start. Same thing apply to hussam's suggestion.
In the end mostly all linux-es are the same.
Stygmata
stay with the freenas version i told you about .. just dont use zfs .. why experiment when you have a software already tested for you
Locha
@Stygmata, @scorz, @hussam, Thank you for the feedback.
Will check what to work on and will keep you updated.
tzuka
So you came up with a solution?
If not, stick to samba and here are few ideas to complement your setup:
-hook a printer into your server to have a home print server
-install backup agents on your devices to automatically backup your data. If i recall well, there is an android app 'sync me wireless' on which you can create rules to backup specific folders when connected to specific wifi network, in your case your home network.
-if you want to scale with additional storage use mhddfs.
rolf
Core 2 duo with a good network interface should be enough to serve files with some sort of Linux, as long as you don't do things such as re-encoding on the fly.
One word about Arch Linux in particular: you will be virtually be building your OS bit by bit. Do not underestimate the time and effort needed! Ubuntu is a safe choice if you just want it to work. But Linux is a bit tricky, even with Ubuntu you might have problems.
Welcome to the world of Linux.
NuclearVision
Ubuntu is very heavy nowadays.
He'd better opt for something lighter, archlinux, Lubuntu.
Locha
Thank you guys for the feedback.
Adnan
For a server I would rather recommend something more stable, such as Debian.
rolf
I think Linux is stable enough, the kernel is, at least. The instability would come from GUI components, in my experience.
I also think Debian might be less easy to install. But I haven't tried for a while.
NuclearVision
rolf wroteI think Linux is stable enough, the kernel is, at least. The instability would come from GUI components, in my experience.
I also think Debian might be less easy to install. But I haven't tried for a while.
Trust rolf!
Unless you need a gui, it's easily smooth.
Joe
Your choice of Linux distribution shouldn't matter that much. It's safe to assume they're all equivalent more or less. What you want to worry about is how to serve the files.
Ask yourself some questions
- Do you want to use your computer as an actual file server running 24/7? Can your old PC run 24/7?
- How many users are going to be served at the same time?
- How many different OS are going to be supported?
General suggestions
- If you're supporting Windows clients, you most likely want to take a look at Samba. It's really solid, run very well with Linux, Windows and Mac clients and is relatively easy to set up.
- If you're only supporting Unix clients, I recommend checking out NFS. I absolutely love using it, but keep in mind that depending on how it's used, administration might be a bit of a pain in the ass
- If you're not really a unix sysadmin, you may want to get prepackaged solutions. FreeNAS is great but it is very resource hungry. I've heard good things about Amahi, but I've never tried it myself. If somehow you do end up trying it, please give us feedback.
dp0001
with all the Linux replies here, i'd probably get bashed here by saying this but... server 2003 or even 2008 will do the job just fine- if what you're looking for is plug and serve