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Linux file server


Bogbas

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Some of you might have some old(or fairly new) pc parts lying around which could be used to build a server. Here's an excellent guide on how to build a linux file server.

 

I managed to install one from spare parts using that guide in a few hours. The machine itself isn't that spectacular, AMD 800Mhz TB, 512 PC133 RAM, GeForce 2 GTS, and two very old hard disks. But it works very well.

 

The guide shows you how to make the server 'headless' so you don't need an extra monitor/keyboard/mouse for it(although you need a mouse/keyboard/display during the installation). In the end it just needs a connection to your LAN and a power cord. Only thing that was bugging me on the final system was that it didn't properly detect the refresh rates my monitor can do, 60Hz is a bit low I think. But I plan to manage it remotely so it's not a big problem.

 

The guide can also serve as an "introduction" to linux. The installation of the OS itself was easier than installing windows XP.

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Guest Jordan

I run a file server, super handy.

Although my Windows XP one doesn't need a mouse, keyboard or monitor in. I just run everything through remote desktop connection on whatever PC i'm using.

 

All thats in is: powercable, two ethernet cables, USB cable (for network printer) and wireless aerial.

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I run a file server, super handy.

Although my Windows XP one doesn't need a mouse, keyboard or monitor in. I just run everything through remote desktop connection on whatever PC i'm using.

 

Well I could have done that, but it wouldn't be any fun ;) And the pc isn't really powerful enough to run xp (yes, I have tried). The guide also shows how to setup a LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) server and a web- based torrent client. You can manage it with a web browser from any pc that's on the LAN.

 

So basically I just need to use the remote administering (the guide shows how to set that up) if something goes wrong or I want to add some other functionality.

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Guest Jordan

Wow, you have similar specs and it wouldn't work? My server:

P3 1ghz

512mb SDR133

 

It was an arse finding a board for it that had LAN on it (i didn't really want 2 ethernet cards.)

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Wow, you have similar specs and it wouldn't work? My server:

P3 1ghz

512mb SDR133

 

It was an arse finding a board for it that had LAN on it (i didn't really want 2 ethernet cards.)

 

Xp did run on it, but it was very sluggish. And in the end the filesystem got corrupted somehow so it checked and repaired it during every boot. And it crashed everytime some application was launched that used 3d acceleration (google earth mostly). It was my parent's computer but they got fed up with it so I built them a new one for about 300€ (a bit above 200£).

 

So I took the components from the old one for spare parts. I was a bit surprised that the 3d acceleration actually worked on linux as I thought the graphics card was broken.

 

I had to upgrade the cooling though, 78C is a bit high even for an athlon TB. But luckily I had a copper zalman heatsink + fan lying around. Now the tempereture is around 32C.

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