Sn00zE
Senior Member
Anyone got a Linux home server setup? Im looking at building my own and are busy playing around with some setups.. Anyone got tips and tricks for such a setup?
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Linux Home Server
- Thread starter Sn00zE
- Start date
What would be the main purpose of your server? Depending on what it will be used for, you'll need more of some things, and less of others, e.g file server needs space, but not really memory, while a database would need memory and space (depending on what you store), etc.
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
www.contribs.org for SME server
it's got everything you'll need, web, ftp, email server (and webmail)
antivirus and antispam built in
supports windows (samba) file sharing, also can act as domain controller for windows workstations
also can do softRAID (mirroring) if you want to
hard disk space consumed < 500Mb
it's got everything you'll need, web, ftp, email server (and webmail)
antivirus and antispam built in
supports windows (samba) file sharing, also can act as domain controller for windows workstations
also can do softRAID (mirroring) if you want to
hard disk space consumed < 500Mb
Veroland
Executive Member
From your non specific question I would say a good start is to just install a linux machine and play with setting up a firewall, ftp, samba etc etc until you know what you want to do and have a idea of what to use.
Sn00zE
Senior Member
Ok, to be more specific, it will be a file server, also a backup server for my parents business they are running from home. They have a dedicated web and mail server for the business so im leaving that part out. I know i don't need allot for a file server looking at motherboard, cpu and memory. Storage wise im going for a Raid 5 setup with a hardware raid card with 8 sataII ports for future expansion. At the moment im also looking at getting 4 x 1.5TB drives.
I have been playing with some OS's already, started with basic ubuntu setup on a P3-450Mhz with 128mb Ram, that was waaaay to slow. Then i tried Webmin as a setup, but its too damn complicated and just adding a second drive and trying to share it is a mission in its own..
Last night i installed JeOS, with Fluxbox for maintenance and GParted to manage my partitions and any drives i want to add to it. I installed samba for file share and got my second drive mounted and shared for file dumping. Just to add i must say JeOS is pretty darn quick on a P3-450Mhz with only 128MB.
Looking at firewalls, im still researching some of them.. will play with it at a later stage. I have a decent router at home for now.
I will also be looking at adding a downloader program that i can remote from work or anywhere to download stuff for me at home and be done when i get there after a long day.
At the moment this is just a test bed for my file server that i am going to build.. Still saving for it.
Edit:
Just to add, im also going to add a UPS to my server with a auto shutdown script that will trigger if Eskomel decides to cut the power. I just want to protect the server and drives.
I have been playing with some OS's already, started with basic ubuntu setup on a P3-450Mhz with 128mb Ram, that was waaaay to slow. Then i tried Webmin as a setup, but its too damn complicated and just adding a second drive and trying to share it is a mission in its own..
Last night i installed JeOS, with Fluxbox for maintenance and GParted to manage my partitions and any drives i want to add to it. I installed samba for file share and got my second drive mounted and shared for file dumping. Just to add i must say JeOS is pretty darn quick on a P3-450Mhz with only 128MB.
Looking at firewalls, im still researching some of them.. will play with it at a later stage. I have a decent router at home for now.
I will also be looking at adding a downloader program that i can remote from work or anywhere to download stuff for me at home and be done when i get there after a long day.
At the moment this is just a test bed for my file server that i am going to build.. Still saving for it.
Edit:
Just to add, im also going to add a UPS to my server with a auto shutdown script that will trigger if Eskomel decides to cut the power. I just want to protect the server and drives.
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Drop me a PM, I will give you all the free advise you need... I build business servers for a living, and am always willing to assist anyone who wants to learn the art.
You can also call me on 0725666101...
You can also call me on 0725666101...
For a great linux server solution try ClarkConnect, I tried OpenFiler, SME Server, SmartBox, FreeNAS and various other LAMP Server setups and found ClarkConnect the easiest and friendliest server setup by far. The forums are also very active for help and support.
I have the following ClarkConnect servers at client installations and they are very stable.
1. File Storage System with 8 terabytes of storage ( 8 x 1 terabyte drives)
2. File Server with 500 gigs of storage with a RAID mirror
3. File Server with 320 gigs of storage with a RAID mirror
4. File Server/Storage with 750 gigs (3 x 250 gig drives) (My server)
5. Web Server for website development (My Server)
For a firewall, I would suggest Smoothwall Express v3. I have 6 at various client sites.
You can PM me if you want help seeing as you are also in Cape Town
I have the following ClarkConnect servers at client installations and they are very stable.
1. File Storage System with 8 terabytes of storage ( 8 x 1 terabyte drives)
2. File Server with 500 gigs of storage with a RAID mirror
3. File Server with 320 gigs of storage with a RAID mirror
4. File Server/Storage with 750 gigs (3 x 250 gig drives) (My server)
5. Web Server for website development (My Server)
For a firewall, I would suggest Smoothwall Express v3. I have 6 at various client sites.
You can PM me if you want help seeing as you are also in Cape Town
Since you've started with an ubuntu base, install the ebox packages.
http://ebox-platform.com/
http://ebox-platform.com/
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
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MyWorld
Executive Member
NOTICE:
THIS IS NOT A RANT, I HAVE MY WHITE FLAG UP ALL THIS TIME. This just a friendly observation of something that has bothering me for a while now.
I know I'm going to stick my head into a bee's nest here, by why are people so afraid to just learn Linux?
We learn Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo and whatnot, but not Linux. How is that possible you ask?
Now I'm installing Smoothwall, a whole new distro just to do what a few strands of input form a console would have done via IPTables.
Just see what this has done? I have been using various flavours of Linux since 1998 I think it was, and have used nothing but Linux on by own PC's since 2002/3, but here we are, I cannot help on an Ubuntu installation, it is Ubuntu, not "Linux", they have added their own flair and taste to Linux.
Nothing wrong with that, choice is the driving factor of Linux, but put the same Ubuntu user on Slackware?
He did not learn Linux, he learnt Ubuntu, if you catch my drift.
Same with the rest, I'm searching for a GUI to do what a few keystrokes in a terminal would accomplish in double quick time. Most of the time it is the GUI that fails us, not the application, that will remain rock solid.
For me a server should not have X, just command line, cuts down on resources and is very, very responsive and fast. You cut down on hardware, no keyboard, mouse, monitor needed, only a nic or KVM switch for the initial installation.
There is NOTHING you can do with a GUI that CLi can't do 10 times better and faster.
I'm not shouting from a soap box here, I'm just trying to motivate you people to really try and get your hands dirty. Have some fun!
See what is the bare minimum that you can get away with on server, in the past I got my server under 200MB.
I no longer use home servers as I do not have a use for them, but experiment people, use Linux, get to the roots, the "grease in your nails" attitude! Where possible use CLi and toss out the GUI so that you can learn yourself Linux!
The old "hackers" of Linux is a dying breed, the ones who could whip out a terminal and make your head spin in so many directions you needed a GPS while sitting still. Yea I know I'm moving on in years, and we tend to get nostalgic, but man those were the days...
THIS IS NOT A RANT, I HAVE MY WHITE FLAG UP ALL THIS TIME. This just a friendly observation of something that has bothering me for a while now.
I know I'm going to stick my head into a bee's nest here, by why are people so afraid to just learn Linux?
We learn Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo and whatnot, but not Linux. How is that possible you ask?
Now I'm installing Smoothwall, a whole new distro just to do what a few strands of input form a console would have done via IPTables.
Just see what this has done? I have been using various flavours of Linux since 1998 I think it was, and have used nothing but Linux on by own PC's since 2002/3, but here we are, I cannot help on an Ubuntu installation, it is Ubuntu, not "Linux", they have added their own flair and taste to Linux.
Nothing wrong with that, choice is the driving factor of Linux, but put the same Ubuntu user on Slackware?
He did not learn Linux, he learnt Ubuntu, if you catch my drift.
Same with the rest, I'm searching for a GUI to do what a few keystrokes in a terminal would accomplish in double quick time. Most of the time it is the GUI that fails us, not the application, that will remain rock solid.
For me a server should not have X, just command line, cuts down on resources and is very, very responsive and fast. You cut down on hardware, no keyboard, mouse, monitor needed, only a nic or KVM switch for the initial installation.
There is NOTHING you can do with a GUI that CLi can't do 10 times better and faster.
I'm not shouting from a soap box here, I'm just trying to motivate you people to really try and get your hands dirty. Have some fun!
See what is the bare minimum that you can get away with on server, in the past I got my server under 200MB.
I no longer use home servers as I do not have a use for them, but experiment people, use Linux, get to the roots, the "grease in your nails" attitude! Where possible use CLi and toss out the GUI so that you can learn yourself Linux!
The old "hackers" of Linux is a dying breed, the ones who could whip out a terminal and make your head spin in so many directions you needed a GPS while sitting still. Yea I know I'm moving on in years, and we tend to get nostalgic, but man those were the days...
Because we are all inherently lazy and want to do things the easy way...
NOTICE:
THIS IS NOT A RANT, I HAVE MY WHITE FLAG UP ALL THIS TIME. This just a friendly observation of something that has bothering me for a while now.
I know I'm going to stick my head into a bee's nest here, by why are people so afraid to just learn Linux?
We learn Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo and whatnot, but not Linux. How is that possible you ask?
Now I'm installing Smoothwall, a whole new distro just to do what a few strands of input form a console would have done via IPTables.
Just see what this has done? I have been using various flavours of Linux since 1998 I think it was, and have used nothing but Linux on by own PC's since 2002/3, but here we are, I cannot help on an Ubuntu installation, it is Ubuntu, not "Linux", they have added their own flair and taste to Linux.
Nothing wrong with that, choice is the driving factor of Linux, but put the same Ubuntu user on Slackware?
He did not learn Linux, he learnt Ubuntu, if you catch my drift.
Same with the rest, I'm searching for a GUI to do what a few keystrokes in a terminal would accomplish in double quick time. Most of the time it is the GUI that fails us, not the application, that will remain rock solid.
For me a server should not have X, just command line, cuts down on resources and is very, very responsive and fast. You cut down on hardware, no keyboard, mouse, monitor needed, only a nic or KVM switch for the initial installation.
There is NOTHING you can do with a GUI that CLi can't do 10 times better and faster.
I'm not shouting from a soap box here, I'm just trying to motivate you people to really try and get your hands dirty. Have some fun!
See what is the bare minimum that you can get away with on server, in the past I got my server under 200MB.
I no longer use home servers as I do not have a use for them, but experiment people, use Linux, get to the roots, the "grease in your nails" attitude! Where possible use CLi and toss out the GUI so that you can learn yourself Linux!
The old "hackers" of Linux is a dying breed, the ones who could whip out a terminal and make your head spin in so many directions you needed a GPS while sitting still. Yea I know I'm moving on in years, and we tend to get nostalgic, but man those were the days...
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
Right on.
A GUI is so much easier, just point and click.
If something borks, then it's the SSH session
Right on.
A GUI is so much easier, just point and click.
If something borks, then it's the SSH session
Loose the GUI get WI (Web Interfaces)... you can admin from anyware using any browser!!!
Webmin, Ebox, etc, etc...
Sn00zE
Senior Member
NOTICE:
THIS IS NOT A RANT, I HAVE MY WHITE FLAG UP ALL THIS TIME. This just a friendly observation of something that has bothering me for a while now.
I know I'm going to stick my head into a bee's nest here, by why are people so afraid to just learn Linux?
....
Same with the rest, I'm searching for a GUI to do what a few keystrokes in a terminal would accomplish in double quick time. Most of the time it is the GUI that fails us, not the application, that will remain rock solid.
For me a server should not have X, just command line, cuts down on resources and is very, very responsive and fast. You cut down on hardware, no keyboard, mouse, monitor needed, only a nic or KVM switch for the initial installation.
There is NOTHING you can do with a GUI that CLi can't do 10 times better and faster.
I'm not shouting from a soap box here, I'm just trying to motivate you people to really try and get your hands dirty. Have some fun!
See what is the bare minimum that you can get away with on server, in the past I got my server under 200MB.
I no longer use home servers as I do not have a use for them, but experiment people, use Linux, get to the roots, the "grease in your nails" attitude! Where possible use CLi and toss out the GUI so that you can learn yourself Linux!
The old "hackers" of Linux is a dying breed, the ones who could whip out a terminal and make your head spin in so many directions you needed a GPS while sitting still. Yea I know I'm moving on in years, and we tend to get nostalgic, but man those were the days...
Dude, did you type this whole rant just using CLi?
Just kidding..
I agree with you man.. I like to learn the hard way, do it over and over, but with linux i also like using commands allot more.. That's why on my server im going to use just JeSO, with a few added extra's.. I only installed the Fluxbox to make things a little easier to add drives and mount drives and move data, that's it.. When im done i exit X and leave it on command. My sever only uses about 16mb of memory.
I really dont like all those other distro's for server. Webmin was confusing enough and had way too many stuff on it anyways, Ebox also has too much i don't want to use.. Most of those WI's is too cluttered and you don't have control over everything.. Command line is the way to go to keep it simple!
The only reason i would add a WebGUI is to maybe admin the server from off site, but then again it will be slow.. So, SSH is still the option.
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MyWorld
Executive Member
Off topic, I know, but a discussion that is long overdue.
I used to ONLY use CLi a couple of years back to make myself proficient on Linux, movies, text editing, even web browsing Lynx with fb driver.
I'm not throwing out a yard stick so we can measure our manliness, but have people never wondered how it looks and work if you play a video from outside of X?
How does Lynx look browsing the web with a basic fb driver?
Can I maintain my setup without any GUI's?
Even, have I tried a more difficult WM to learn something new, like Fluxbox, Openbox (for beginners) and then E17, E16 and the likes?
Oooooh, the power of the penguin, it is intoxicating!
Cudos on you for trying to get your hands dirty!
Sigh, I know... but staying up all night to fight with a Linux problem and then finally getting it to work, my oh my, the sense of victory that you and a select few were able to solve your particular problem! What a mind job!
Like back in the day of the 2.4.x kernel as select few of us Linux geeks over on another forum were the first to get a Telkom USB ISDN modem to work on Linux. It took weeks of kernel hacking until we got it, back then even the ISP's phoned us for Linux desktop support for their clients. Then came kernel 2.6.x and udev and it was basically just "plug-and-play".
I have derailed this thread enough, I'll go take my Grand-Pa and heart medication now, all this excitement is bad for my weak heart...
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Other Pineapple Smurf
Honorary Master
On the hardware, get 2 different brands of drives and then pair those. Performance is not an issue, more reliability. We have just lost over 6 segate drives in the last 2 months. We are now moving to Segate and Western Digital.
Also be careful of the RAID you chose. Mirror is perfect for what you want as you can continue working when a drive fails, but to go stripped you need to rebuild the broken drive and this can take some time.
If you want a GUI, try LXDE - its as lite as Fluxbox but just nicer. But then again this is personal preference.
Also JeOS is for virtualization, rather use a server install as it is optimized to make use of more than 3GBs of RAM.
Have fun
Also be careful of the RAID you chose. Mirror is perfect for what you want as you can continue working when a drive fails, but to go stripped you need to rebuild the broken drive and this can take some time.
If you want a GUI, try LXDE - its as lite as Fluxbox but just nicer. But then again this is personal preference.
Also JeOS is for virtualization, rather use a server install as it is optimized to make use of more than 3GBs of RAM.
Have fun
Sn00zE
Senior Member
MyWorld - I like to get my hands dirty when working with linux. Its fun and im a curious person, always want to know more and how it works and what it can do.. Sometimes i over do it and i break it, then i just start over! hehehe Linux for me = FUN!
cbrunsdonza - Your a bit confusing there dude! If your using raid you should use drives that match. Seagate has got a 5 year warranty so where is the problem..
Also, i have used mirroring before and i hate it.. its a shlep! Im going raid5 with 4-5drives more over time when needed. If one fails, the parity drive kicks in and i just replace the screwed drive and run a raid repair over night..
Okay guys, i know JeOS is a virtualization OS, but its nice and small and damn quick. Im not going to use more than 2GB memory in my server anyways. So seeing that JeOS is a stripped OS, would a proper linux server distro be beter then?? Anyone want to add there 2cents?
Sometimes i over do it and i break it, then i just start over! hehehe Linux for me = FUN!cbrunsdonza - Your a bit confusing there dude! If your using raid you should use drives that match. Seagate has got a 5 year warranty so where is the problem..
Also, i have used mirroring before and i hate it.. its a shlep! Im going raid5 with 4-5drives more over time when needed. If one fails, the parity drive kicks in and i just replace the screwed drive and run a raid repair over night..
Okay guys, i know JeOS is a virtualization OS, but its nice and small and damn quick. Im not going to use more than 2GB memory in my server anyways. So seeing that JeOS is a stripped OS, would a proper linux server distro be beter then?? Anyone want to add there 2cents?
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The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
@ dark - even a raid5 can fail (yes, even with one failed drive) 
Luckily that should never happen
If you're lucky you should be able to get it up and running without any fuss, if not, then there'll be the tried and trusty backup (you do make backups, don't you?)
Luckily that should never happen
If you're lucky you should be able to get it up and running without any fuss, if not, then there'll be the tried and trusty backup (you do make backups, don't you?)
MyWorld
Executive Member
Server suggestion:
LFS
Gentoo with use=" minimal server -X -qt - gtk"
SLackware with no X
Arch Linux with no X
Ubuntu server without the fancy prancy X
Any distro with no X
Sorry just had to.
LFS
Gentoo with use=" minimal server -X -qt - gtk"
SLackware with no X
Arch Linux with no X
Ubuntu server without the fancy prancy X
Any distro with no X
Sorry just had to.
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Sn00zE
Senior Member
@ dark - even a raid5 can fail (yes, even with one failed drive)
Luckily that should never happen
If you're lucky you should be able to get it up and running without any fuss, if not, then there'll be the tried and trusty backup (you do make backups, don't you?)
Raid 5 can fail if more than one drive crashes yes! But Raid5 can handle one failed drive and will allow you to replace it without having immediate down time. It can also fail if data is corrupted over the raid or the parity drive is destroyed in the process.. But don't we all run that risk with and storage medium. Main reason i'm aiming to use raid5 is to keep the server running even with drive failure. A UPS is also going to be there to keep the server power clean and running.. And in case of an extended power failure the shutdown script will run and shutdown the server safely before and damage gets caused to the system in case of complete power loss..
Yes most critical data gets backed up to DVD and External drive. Other part of data like movies and music and some pics is non-critical so i don't need to worry about that.
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