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file server - what to use?

G

Greebazoid

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 20, 2006
116
0
Cape Town
I cant afford another mac in the house (bought three this year already) but I need a file server with protected storage (ie, some sort of RAID).

I've been using Windows 2003 Standard Server, and its done the job just fine, until a) my licences have expired for it and b) it got infested with trojans.

I have a 2.6GHz AMD, 1GB RAM, 3 x 160GB SATA drives, 1x120GB SATA drive, 4 SATA channels.

Any suggestions?

Oh, I'm not a unix expert - by any means - so what ever I install will need to be idiot friendly (ie, me).
 
well if you want security windows is right out...but ive used even normal XP Pro as a file server with few problems. just got to secure it right and have everything up to date.

since you have a PC id recommend Ubuntu or SUSE linux. they arnt completely idiot friendly, but they are much better than they used to be.
you dont really need to be a linux/unix expert for their file sharing abilities.

if you had another mac i'd just say get OSX Server. once you use Tiger Server everything else is crap.
 
Problem with other macs is the only other mac I could even come close to affording any time soon would be a mini, and you can add SATA drives to that

So SuSe or Ubuntu it is then - thanks for the idea, will report back in due course
 
ya i know the feeling. i have a 2x2 G5 and a MBP as my two main machines. i cant really afford anything else. i have 2 pcs i use as everything else. i use them for test servers for development purposes mostly. ive used them as file servers and such as well. right now the more powerful of the two is hooked to my TV as a media server until iTV comes out.
good luck with Linux. i recommended Ubuntu and SUSE because they are generally two of the easiest two to install, have a degree of hardware compatibility, and are generally the most full featured and easiest to use distros imho.
 
Ubuntu is very easy to get going - prob a good plan for your first ever linux box. For a server I prefer CentOS but its not quite as easy to get everything going, very solid and stable though, I use it for all my servers.
 
Greebazoid said:
I cant afford another mac in the house (bought three this year already) but I need a file server with protected storage (ie, some sort of RAID).
Click to expand...

I'm using Linux. Fedora Core 5 right now to provide storage to this Mac. Fedorauses the Gnome desktop which is very "Mac-like" with point and click configuration. Performance is OK.

My G4 Mini only has 100Mbps Eithernet which is slow. But Linux can do firewire networking with Macs. So my Mini uses that and the serveer is as fast as a fire wire disk. Other macs can use theie gigabit Eithernet to get to the server.

Much of what you know about Macs applies to Linux. Linux and OSX are much closer to each other then are Windows and OSX.

An of course Linux is free.
 
dwishbone said:
good luck with Linux. i recommended Ubuntu and SUSE because they are generally two of the easiest two to install, have a degree of hardware compatibility, and are generally the most full featured and easiest to use distros imho.
Click to expand...

I too suggest Suse. Been suse user for years an they are the best. Ubuntu is pretty good played with it some an have the last kUbuntu on cd to try out as soon as I get my win 2003 server up an running ok at work.

jack
 
hah!

Got meself a suse 10.1 DVD

hey ho,
hey ho,
its linux building I go..
with an AMD and DVD
hey ho, hey ho..
 
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