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Thread ID: 81477 2007-07-28 22:25:00 Setting up Linux file server box chiefnz (545) Press F1
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573664 2007-07-28 22:25:00 As the title suggests.. I'm looking to set-up a Linux box to be used asa file server.

I've got a 120GB SATA drive which will be used as the main HDD for the Linux box, I'll probably add a second one later but at the moment this is suffucient.

I currently have Knoppix, Fedora, Mandriva and XandOS as my choices of Linux distros. Anyone have suggestions on other distros that may be better suited to this purpose.

Secondly, I don't have a KVM switch (don't think I really want to get one) but will I be able to login remotely from my XP machine as admin to do system maintenance on the Linux box?

Cheers
chiefnz (545)
573665 2007-07-28 22:38:00 As the title suggests . . I'm looking to set-up a Linux box to be used asa file server .

I've got a 120GB SATA drive which will be used as the main HDD for the Linux box, I'll probably add a second one later but at the moment this is suffucient .

I currently have Knoppix, Fedora, Mandriva and XandOS as my choices of Linux distros . Anyone have suggestions on other distros that may be better suited to this purpose .

Secondly, I don't have a KVM switch (don't think I really want to get one) but will I be able to login remotely from my XP machine as admin to do system maintenance on the Linux box?

Cheers

I can't speak about a BETTER opsys in Linux, but somehow I mucked around with Mepis and got what I wanted . . . but don't ask me how .

It might've been me on a somnambulist's activity, but I got it to work . I am satisfied and it runs well . . . I don't detect any lapse or speed losses, just the usual access times as I would expect if it were a primary unit running the files .

Right now, and since I asked and got a response to my question about VMs, I might have to rethink my results . Now, at a loss for all the facts, I will have to either wait for another 2-AM sleepwalking installation or just vacillate for a while longer .

Maybe I shouldn't treat a non-ill system . The human in me wants to make it faster, bigger, better . . . . the thinking person in me wants to leave it alone . . . . it runs .
SurferJoe46 (51)
573666 2007-07-28 23:26:00 Will you be using Windows to access this server?
If so any flavor of Linux will do.
All you have to do is share a directory via samba and make it read/write (chmod 777) for everyone on the LAN

If you are new to linux, Xandros will be easiest for you
racepics (7812)
573667 2007-07-28 23:31:00 If you are accessing the server from a linux box as well you can use Krfb to remotely control the server via desktop sharing. racepics (7812)
573668 2007-07-29 00:02:00 I would suggest Debian as a server OS, very stable. It sounds like you dont want any k/b or monitor for the server? I would suggest setting it up for ssh, which you can access from windows via an application called 'putty'

I have never done this personally, but someone like Chill or another may be able to help you (regards ssh)
Myth (110)
573669 2007-07-29 01:21:00 Cheers for the replies... any more hints wouldbe more than welcome. I will Google some more to see if I can get a step by step process for the setup of the Linux box. chiefnz (545)
573670 2007-07-29 01:58:00 Cheers for the replies... any more hints wouldbe more than welcome. I will Google some more to see if I can get a step by step process for the setup of the Linux box.

Look into "out-of-the-box" solutions, along the lines of CentOS (www.centos.org/) and FreeNAS (http:).
vinref (6194)
573671 2007-07-29 02:57:00 Look into "out-of-the-box" solutions, along the lines of CentOS (www.centos.org/) and FreeNAS (http:).

FreeNAS looks interesting... I see it says FreeBSD as the OS... would I have to install this or does FreeNAS install this?

Sorry I'm at work at the moment so didn't have much time to research all the options.

Cheers
chiefnz (545)
573672 2007-07-29 03:03:00 FreeNAS looks interesting . . . I see it says FreeBSD as the OS . . . would I have to install this or does FreeNAS install this?

Sorry I'm at work at the moment so didn't have much time to research all the options .

Cheers

FreeNAS includes everything - the OS, the tools and the GUI to run it . Just install it by itself and configure . I haven't actually used it (I use FreeBSD itself), but it should work perfectly . It is simply a cutdown version of FreeBSD but with tools and apps to customise it specifically for network-attached storage use .

The GUI config setup looks fairly easy to go through .

Try it, and report back your experiences .
vinref (6194)
573673 2007-07-29 04:28:00 Cheers.. will give it a go. chiefnz (545)
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