Home Server Set-up - Is There A How To Available?

Hi,

I wish to set-up a server a home/office server but I'm not sure which distro best suits my needs. My wife and I have just started a new business and we work from home, but travel extensively for business. So, I'd like to have a NFS at home that can hold all our business data but also allow us secure access to files while on the road should we need them.

I'd also like it to work as a media server in the house. I've ripped all our CD collection to FLAC and would like a centralised storage area and to be able to access that music from around the home.

The spec will be something like AMD 64 5000+, SATA2 320Gb Raid 1, 2Gb RAM. The FLAC files will be stored on an external USB drive. Probably a Seagate 500Gb unit. We also have 3 printers and a scanner that need attaching, one in a different location to the server (maybe via a WiFi printer port). We have Ethernet cabling in the office and in several rooms so we don't need to rely on WiFi for client connections.

I have been toying with Ubuntu Server 7.10, but having just left my Ubuntu desktop behind after a disastrous 8.04 upgrade and moved to SuSE 10.3 (what a joyful experience ) I thought it might be wise to use the same OS for the server.

That leads me to a few questions.

Firstly, would Ubuntu be a better choice as the platform for the server (this was my initial intention before swapping to 10.3) - the environment would be mixed? I use openSuSE 10.3 and Virtualbox with a Win XP guest, my wife is on XP as are the kids (though I'm trying to convince them otherwise).

If the answer to the above is no, would openSuSE 10.3 Desktop without Gnome suffice as a server OS for our needs, or would we need to use Enterprise Server?

Not being a Linux expert, is their a good How To - to guide me in the setup? I have seen a couple for setting up a server for ISP's or hosting companies, but not specifically for home server (well one, but it looked a little limited). Or could anyone recommend a good book to help along the way? I'm not adverse to getting my hands dirty, but do need the system to be stable once running.

And finally, is it wise to mix the office server with the media server, or are these better served on two separate boxes?

Many thanks in advance.
Paul

I'd like to have a NFS at home

I'm still googling but I'm seeing this a lot. You will need to look at the authentication side of a lot of this, and I suspect a protocol that will use encryption.

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi?G...rnet+secure+nfs
If you look this tone pops up a bit.

No NFS mounts should be allowed from hosts which are accessable from the Internet

You do have this though, http://www.unix.com.ua/orelly/networ...is/ch20_04.htm seems a whole book.

Personally if this was me I would look at vnc or such like, or ssh just not so sure that NFS is correct over the internet, I suspect it can be done. My impression with internet shared stuff is the authentication side is the really important stuff.

Edit
If this is important data I for one am not happy giving advice. I've googled internet secure file sharing, but it is proving a little unhelpful, sftp another one. Hopefully someone else can assist but not to sure I would be happy doing this with minimal knowledge on authentication.

IMHO you maybe better of paying for the setup if some of the other solutions don't quite meet it.

Thanks for those links. I think my terminology got in the way there. I used NFS to specify a file server where we can centralise all of our business data (told you my Linux was limited )

This will take some very careful planning before even setting off down this road. What are your thoughts as to the platform. SuSE or Ubuntu?

EDIT: Just seen your comment on paying for the setup. I think you're right. We have to keep our data very secure as all of it is confidential.

Cheers
Paul

I'm on a Suse forum

IMO I found Suse to fix security fixes slightly faster and has newer applications, but I've not looked for a while, so this may have changed.

Edit
To paying for it =>
Would be my feeling to that I would also add try to get a good backup policy preferable twice one off site(i.e not same pc as source) if at all possible.

I currently use Mondo has my backup solution. I find it just works, without stress and to many devices (I'll add a tape unit to the server). An off-site backup solution is a good idea. I just checked a couple and the pricing looks inexpensive.

I've only been on SuSE for a few days, but my first impressions are Easy install, and it just worked! I like the idea of Novell being behind it too.

No I really like Suse.

There KDE in my mind is one of the best versions, and Yast can be a god send. Not to forget to mention there OSS development/contributions are excellent.

Hehe as for backup policy I only just about started recently. Do know if the data is a real worry then being onsite(Same network) its possible you could end up losing/having corrupted backups.