changing home network

[Aaron Konstam]

On Sat, 2008-03-22 at 16:01 -0400, tom wrote:
> On Sat, 22 Mar 2008, Les wrote:
> 
> > Hi, everyone,
> > 	I currently have four systems on my home network.  I have them all
> > configured as standalone systems, but the burden of backing them up etc.
> > etc. is becoming too much.  I want to set up a full network with server
> > and common user directories.  Currently I have 2 Linux only systems, one
> > windows only system, and one dual boot.
> >
> > 	I have been monitoring (and sometimes helping, occasionally kibbutzing)
> > the mailing list, so I believe I can figure out most of it by now.
> > However, here is my question.
> >
> > 	I have one older low-end system, and one dual cpu system that is on all
> > the time, either of which could be the server.  However, the dual cpu
> > system is where I do most of my work, including dual boot to windows.
> > This makes it a bad prospect for a network server.  I could configure
> > and run XP pro in a virtual setup, but I am leery of making the full
> > change to network server, with a virtual windows client and doing work
> > on the server (compiling and running programs with occasional resets to
> > clean up my big goofs).
> >
> > 	I am leery of using the older system simply because I suspect it is
> > approaching mechanical, support, and electrical end of life (over 6
> > years old).  Buying a new system is possible, but adding yet another
> > 300watts to my system load would be tough.
> >
> > 	I think I would need to add wiring to the house.  So, the question
> > becomes do I trust the older system, make my system the server, adopt
> > the remaining system (currently running f8) as a server, or should I
> > just throw down the cash and get yet one more system for a server.  Also
> > I am thinking that having a common server would make backuppc simpler
> > and support, backup issues and so forth would be much simpler.  Could I
> > continue to have the mail setup as it is with each system downloading
> > email from my ISP?  Setting up a mail server is not something I want to
> > do for our home stuff.
> >
> > `	I suspect that on this mailing list there is someone who has been
> > faced with a similar situation, so please if that person reads this,
> > give me your experienced opinion.
> 
> Well, I got opinion. Experience may be questionable, but I got opinion. 
> 8-)
> 
> As I read it, you just want a file server/disk server with none of the 
> trimmings. For a server which just supports backup, durn near anything 
> should work just fine, as long as you stuff enough disk capacity in and 
> keep a nice UPS online. Should you prefer to keep the user files live on 
> the new server, you would have slightly more complexity but your files 
> follow you around.
> 
> Guessing a bit in the dark, I'm tempted to suggest take your lightest cpu 
> machine for the server. Put a big disk in, and run both NFS and Samba so 
> it doesn't much matter whether or not you are working under Linux or 
> Windows.
> 
I would mostly agree with the above. If I understand you have a newer f8
only machine I owukd use that one.Adding disk space might help things .
--
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Death is God's way of telling you not to be such a wise guy.
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Aaron Konstam telephone: (210) 656-0355 e-mail: akonstam at sbcglobal.net