a discussion on the functionality of a gentoo home server

stillspiraling · n00b Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 74

I have been thinking about the best approach to running a home server in the next 3 months. I will have the box in my sig below with about 160 more gigs of HD space added on, all of it used for Gentoo, and I will be building another box for personal use, and maintain the server. The server will be hooked up to DSL or cable in the house, haven't decided yet. I want to basically let the whole house access this server for their use and access. The basic things I want to do with it are listed below. I was hoping someone could give me some input on these things, and how well they would operate.

I know I'll probably need a router and a switch to run the hot line into to give service to the whole house. I guess I'll need to do some networking research to get this accomplished correctly. Here are the main tasks I want out of the server (at least the ones I need input on)

1. A local file sharing system - having the ability to share large amounts of files (MP3s, movies, etc.) to the whole house through a simple access system (preferably like in windows file sharing). Can this be done from a *nux box to windows using systems, or would be HAVE to FTP or SSH into the box to get our files? there will be about 4 users (including myself) hooked into the server, all of the other 3 guys will be using windows of some sort.

2. a dedicated FTP server

3. a web server

4. possibly a game of some sort dedicated (such as cstrike).

5. Some way to wire into the home stereo to play sound files over the system.

The main question of the last 3 topics on the list is pertaining to IF it is alright to run this many things at the same time?? I have 1024 megs of PC2700 DDR ram, so I think it will be ok, but Input on this matter would be great!! What do you all think?

Thanks for all of the great help and replies in the past, it is always appreciated, SORRY for length!!

Cheers,
Jared

christsong84 · Posted: Sun May 04, 2003 9:37 pm Post subject:

I run a server on a P-III 450MHz, 1024Mb PC100 ram and a 80GB HD...My services provided to my house is:

Samba
Apache+PHP+MySQL
NWN Dedicated Server
SSH Server
FTP Server

My computer has no problems whatsoever..been up for a month (compared to when I had windows on it...this is AWESOME!)...

so in answer to your main question: Your computer will be kinda bored with so little to do :wink:

stillspiraling · n00b Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 74

very nice, that completely answered my question

Samba looks very interesting, and I have been wondering a lot about it's usefulness! THanks a lot for the prompt reply!

Jared

dliefbroer · n00b Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 18

Now this is a question that asks for answers like RTFM and UTFS.

I'll be nice this time and start you out:

1. SAMBA, that would be emerge SAMBA. I believe instructions can be found in the Desktop Guide for Gentoo.

2. Just pick your new to become favorite FTP server software. I use pureftp, but that's because of easy bandwidth throttling and virtual users. Just pick one, but what would you use it for?? Would it be outside use. Then be sure to firewall the machine correctly and make sure you don't get caught

3. Well that would be apache, emerge apache than try flushing some .html files in /home/httpd and wow it's a website.

4. Well there are cstrike, quake and unreal dedicated servers for linux, but currently they're all masked (don't know why). Search this forum to find out.

5. Install your sound-card (again desktop-guide), than use a 3.5 mm (mini-) plug to whatever goes into the back of your stereo, and use simple software to play music. Learn a webscripting language, create some sort of playlist with it and play that list with mpg123. There's plenty of stories on that stuff.

Once again google is your friend
_________________
LINUX - Because rebooting is for adding new hardware

handsomepete

christsong84 · Posted: Sun May 04, 2003 9:44 pm Post subject:

oh and a firewall would be useful for ya too (highly recommended if you're running a server other's can get to). check around for either iptables and/or shorewall.

frippz · Guru Joined: 22 Aug 2002 Posts: 460 Location: Sweden

I'd like to put in a good word for Pure-FTPd as well.
It's really easy to configure and almost ready to run out of the box.

gsfgf · Veteran Joined: 08 May 2002 Posts: 1266

uh, are yoou gonna be using the server as a router as well? Make sure to use a good firewall setup. I personally just use a linksys NAT router, though. It handles my DSL nicely.

Btw, my server:
P-200-64mb
It's running FreeBSD (it's older than gentoo)
1. SAMBA (just for copying over web pages and such. i use my workstation as the main fileserver as 99% of the time i need files on the workstation)
2. Apache+php
3. MySQL
4. SSH
5. FTP (though i rarely use it)
_________________
Aim:gsfgf0

noff · Posted: Mon May 05, 2003 7:44 am Post subject:

If you have that much power, I recommend you grab a tv card and setup mythtv. It is a tivo like program and you can use other computers to remotely watch the video it provides or just watch tv. Just got it working here and now I need a faster computer

There is an ebuild in bugs.gentoo.org ad the website is www.mythtv.org
_________________
What Larry was saying is that if you make it too easy for programmers, then poor programmers will be able to do things best left to good programmers, and will inevitably do them poorly. Everyone will suffer in the long term as a result." - Tom Chance