Linux vs FreeBSD vs Server 2003

[IndieSnob]

I am looking to setup a file server again after giving up on my old one a few months back.

Before anyone suggests using Windows Home Server, I would never go back. It worked flawlessly for me for about seven months, and then the main OS drive died. After buying the same size harddrive and trying to repair the OS install for more than a week, I ended up losing quite a lot of my data (thank god for backups).

The file server will be running on an old P4 2.4 Northwood with 512 megs of PC-2100 DDR and an ECS board. I will also be running a couple of the ATA harddrives on a Fastrak SATA150/ATA 100 PCI controller card.

I am going to use an old Seagate 40 gig SATA HD for the OS, and then will be adding a 300 gig, 200 gig, 180 gig, 120 gig, and two 80 gig ATA harddrives for data.

I have access to academic licensing for Server 2003, so I am not concerned about cost.

Really the only thing I care to do with the file server is streaming video and audio to my Vista dekstop as well as my XBOX 360. I will also be occasionally using an ATA DVD burner to do file backups.

I haven't used Linux in years, but I am comfortable using one of the more noob friendly distros to set it up.

The one thing that attracts me to FreeBSD is the distros that allow you to set up the computer as a NAS, but yet at the same time I am worried about going back to doing JBOD with a bunch of ATA harddrives.


Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: IndieSnob
Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Thoughts... Okay!

Sounds like you want to employ 'doorstop' (Hacker slang) hardware for mission critical apps...

Secondly, your 'plan(s)' seems to be rather helter-skelter (Dictionary term)...

And, lastly, you have anticipated perfection from 'doorstop' hardware and helter-skelter planning.

Your "(thank god for backups)" comment speaks volumes, but mystifies at the same time!

Evidently you had self-doubt - and rightly so - but at least you acted on your instincts - or so it seems!

Just a thought...

All things considered, maybe you should lower your expectations - use better hardware - and/or come up with a better plan! 😉

Is that what you were looking for - confirmation that you are doing everything wrong?!?!?

If so, yes, you're right - and, no, FreeBSD isn't going to pull your ass out of the fire!

Anyway, those are MY thoughts...

 

[Goosemaster]

FREENAS (FreeBSD)

[/thread]

I've used it with terabytes of data with both JBOD and RAID volumes and loved the results.

Did I mention that it books off of a USB thumb drive and prevents you from having to use the hard drives for the system partition?


edit:

If you find the command line to be too restrictive I'd look into a very bare CENTOS install with Gnome.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: IndieSnob
Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Thoughts... Okay!

Sounds like you want to employ 'doorstop' (Hacker slang) hardware for mission critical apps...

Secondly, your 'plan(s)' seems to be rather helter-skelter (Dictionary term)...

And, lastly, you have wrongly anticipated perfection from 'doorstop' hardware and helter-skelter planning.

Your "(thank god for backups)" comment speaks volumes, but mystifies at the same time!

Evidently you had self-doubt - and rightly so - but at least you acted on your instincts - or so it seems!

Just a thought...

All things considered, maybe you should lower your expectations - use better hardware - and/or come up with a better plan! 😉

Is that what you were looking for - confirmation that you are doing everything wrong?!?!?

If so, yes, you're right - and, no, FreeBSD isn't going to pull your ass out of the fire!

Anyway, those are MY thoughts...

I take it you aren't much of a morning person.😛

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
I take it you aren't much of a morning person.😛

OMG!!! Thank you!!! You've restored my faith in mankind...

What an insight - really!

I'm a swing-shift, afternoon, kinda guy. I h-a-t-e mornings (except for sleeping) and the sun is coming up again!

I've been up for (like) 36 hours, and I just had my 10th meal - but now I'm ready for some shut-eye!

Goodnight, sweet Goose! 😀

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
I take it you aren't much of a morning person.😛

OMG!!! Thank you!!! You've restored my faith in mankind...

What an insight - really!

I'm a swing-shift, afternoon, kinda guy. I h-a-t-e mornings (except for sleeping) and the sun is coming up again!

I've been up for (like) 36 hours, and I just had my 10th meal - but now I'm ready for some shut-eye!

Goodnight, sweet Goose! 😀

you deserve a few meds: :beer: 😀

 

[TheKub]

How did you lose data on the WHS? I don't know how that would occur unless you were not using duplication, and in that case you should have only lost the data on the OS drive. All the other drives could have been installed into an external encloser or PC and the files would be there.

I only bring this up becasue it sounds like user error, and if that truely is the case it doesn't matter what OS you use.

 

[n0cmonkey]

FreeNAS looks nice. I've considered using it. Best advice I can give though: Use what you know best.

If you're really good about backups, experimenting might be okay. If you aren't, or don't like to experiment don't take chances.

 

[IndieSnob]

Originally posted by: TheKub
How did you lose data on the WHS? I don't know how that would occur unless you were not using duplication, and in that case you should have only lost the data on the OS drive. All the other drives could have been installed into an external encloser or PC and the files would be there.

I only bring this up becasue it sounds like user error, and if that truely is the case it doesn't matter what OS you use.

I did not use duplication on all files, only files that were written to and changed so that the newest version of the file was always safe.

That being said, even some of the files I had duplicated were lost when the system drive went down. The whole reinstall process of WHS really left me sickened.

I know that file duplication is a strong selling point when using file servers, however I'm more interested in having that much more space and not having the storage headroom to have a duplicate of everything. I don't run anything that is critical and thus I can take a hit because anything that important to me I keep backed up on DVD media.

 

[IndieSnob]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
FREENAS (FreeBSD)

[/thread]

I've used it with terabytes of data with both JBOD and RAID volumes and loved the results.

Did I mention that it books off of a USB thumb drive and prevents you from having to use the hard drives for the system partition?


edit:

If you find the command line to be too restrictive I'd look into a very bare CENTOS install with Gnome.

Yeah, I was thinking of using FreeNas, and may go ahead and do it.

 

[IndieSnob]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
FreeNAS looks nice. I've considered using it. Best advice I can give though: Use what you know best.

If you're really good about backups, experimenting might be okay. If you aren't, or don't like to experiment don't take chances.

Thank you for yours and everyone else's input.

I think at this point I am going to experiment with a few of the different OSs out there and see what is the best fit.

I wish I had better hardware, i.e. could just buy some larger SATA drives etc. etc., but money has been extremely tight as of late so I am trying to do the best with what I have.

Cheers!

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: IndieSnob

I wish I had better hardware, i.e. could just buy some larger SATA drives etc. etc., but money has been extremely tight as of late so I am trying to do the best with what I have.

Cheers!

FreeNAS excels with anything and everything you throw at it 😀

50MB/s + using software RAID1 an el cheapo Netgear Realtek-based NIC is normal