Home Server

[oksnoop2]

I've got an older Dell Inspiron Laptop and a Terra-byte external HDD. I'm thinking about setting up a small server for my home. The other computers on my network are both windows 7 machines. What i want to accomplish by doing so is:

1*Have all my documents, music, and such sit on the drive so that I could access it over the network.

2*Perhaps be able to access it over the internet.

3*Set up a spring autohost.

This is pretty ambitious for me so I would appreciate any tips or advice. Any good distros of linux I should try?

[REVENGE]

Ubuntu Server + Samba?

If you're a university student, you can also opt for the latest Windows Server.

[oksnoop2]

Well this was short lived experiment. I got home and tried to turn on the laptop and well, it powers on. BUT that's about it. No windows, not even the bios. *sad face*

[REVENGE]

Well this was short lived experiment. I got home and tried to turn on the laptop and well, it powers on. BUT that's about it. No windows, not even the bios. *sad face*

Check the RAM.

[MidKnight]

He's already reseated the ram and the HDD. It may be that the RAM's just blown.

A broken gfx card or mobo may also be at fault.

[bobthedinosaur]

sounds like a ram issue.

[yuritch]

If you have more than one RAM stick in the laptop (I've had 2x256MB sticks in my old laptop for example), try removing one and see if it works. Maybe some of them are still workable.

[oksnoop2]

Yep, stick of ram went bad. I think i'll get ubuntu desktop and samba. I don't feel quite ready for the command line.

[aegis]

if you have limited ram, ubuntu desktop will use most of it, while ubuntu server will use a very little amount.

this is how you get comfortable with the command line. just use it, and have another computer handy with someone to help or with google to fill in the gaps.

[REVENGE]

You could try and find some cheap spare RAM from craigslist, though for fileserving purposes that should be enough.

[oksnoop2]

Ok i downloaded the 64 bit server edition, I guess i can add a gui to it.

[aegis]

gui is what takes most of the resources <_<

could install webmin.

[REVENGE]

gui is what takes most of the resources <_<

could install webmin.

+1, forget the GUI.

[oksnoop2]

So I installed it and now all i have is a black screen with a small horizontal white flashing bar in the top left corner. Did it install properly?

EDIT, installed 32 bit desktop version just fine.

[REVENGE]

If you're dying for a GUI, Xubuntu might be a more resource-friendly choice.

[SinbadEV]

I;m not sure how good a server DSL makes but I managed to run it on a painfully ancient box last year... it's got a GUI.

[oksnoop2]

Ubuntu is actually running like a champ on this laptop. I'm really impressed. I'm still trying to figure out samaba now.

[SinbadEV]

Samba's a pain from my memory... FTP is easier and there are a few options that allow you to map said site as a drive

found this one on a quick google

http://www.theblog.ca/novell-netdrive

[REVENGE]

http://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/29 ... ith-webmin

This uses webmin and completely bypasses the commandline (to configure Samba).

[oksnoop2]

So this is what I want.



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I want to be able to access files off the external HDD from my win/lin computer and let everyone print. Well I don't care about the Ipod but i threw it in there for completeness. Right now the windows OS's can see one another and are in the same homegroup. Neither linux OS can see anything. It's a mix of windows 7 and ubuntu lucid lynx computers. Any tips from or additional questions are appreciated.