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Is a pre-build file server worth it or should I make my own


G+_Talky
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Is a pre-build file server worth it or should I make my own. I'm trying to make a file server to store my data but ubuntu server is not the easiest to install and configure. Is a pre build server worth all the money or should I just continue trying myself. I'm not interested in data security I'm just asking if the less hassle is worth it.?

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Don't overlook the learning opportunity!  I'd actually recommend CentOS for this.  It's RedHat, so it's what business uses, and Admin skills for it are in high demand right now.  You'd be stuck with the command line only assuming you use a CentOS minimal install, but getting the networking, NFS, and SMB configured shouldn't be to difficult from a shell.  I may know a guy that could give you a hand with getting up and running quickly.

 

Here's my first hint, after installation is complete, run 'ifup eth0' and 'yum -y install nano' (nano is a much easier to use shell text editor than vi/vim generally.)

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Not to downplay Travis Hershberger 's suggestion. CentOS is a great option. It's essentially the community edition of Redhat enterprise linux. That's not to mean that CentOS is the "old" version of RHEL or anything less than an excellent option. They are essentially the same.  Development of one is development of the other.

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Licensing and support are definitely factors in your decision, but since it's not going to be a production server in an enterprise environment, it would be crazy to pay for something that you can get free and clear of any obligations. The community is probably doing as much development on the twin platforms as Redhat's paid staff are, and they're doing it because they have passion for free and open software. Who better to provide support!

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Talky? If you think Ubuntu is too much to manage, CentOS is probably going to be more responsibility that you want too.

 

I use both CentOS and Ubuntu LTS all the time and I would use a Ubuntu LTS release for a server OS over CentOS if given the choice.

 

Both distros have great community support. The big difference I see is their upgrade cycles. Ubuntu LTS upgrades every two years. RedHat/CentOS releases approximately every three to four years. I don't know how many times I've felt like I've had to hunt for update RPMs that wouldn't break my system or felt like I had to compile updated libraries for half my system just to get a third party application running in CentOS/RedHat because the core libraries were just too old. I've very rarely had this issue with Ubuntu LTS.

 

Also if hardware resources are limited, Ubuntu LTS supports inplace upgrades. CentOS does not.

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