How to set up a Linux-based home file server

From ArticleWorld


File servers used in home networks are becoming more and more common nowadays. They save a lot of hard disk space in the homes where they are found, ensuring that all files which could be duplicated are stored in one place. The easiest example is that of photos taken with a digital camera: instead of having everyone download copies to his computer, only one copy of the set is required, the one on the file server.

This guide outlines the process of setting up a Linux home file server. It does so by mentioning the tools required and giving some hints regarding configuration. However, the process itself is too case- and configuration-dependent to be explained here fully. Instead, you should refer to the documentation available with each tool to determine the best settings.

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Steps

  1. Install a Linux distribution. If you have the time and the processing power for it, Gentoo is the best option, giving a lot of performance. You may also want to use FreeBSD: although some Linux-specific tools are not available on it, it is the operating of choice for high-demand file servers.
  2. Install hdparm. This will allow you to squeeze some performance from your disk drives.
  3. Install Smartmontools if the file server disks have SMART monitoring capability. This will allow you to keep an eye over your disk drives' health.
  4. Install NFS and Samba to allow you to share folders without too many hassles and use make better use of user accounts. It may also be a good option to install Rsync and NTP.
  5. If your network uses DHCP, you should also install DHCP if the distribution you have chosen does not support it.
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Notes

Ideally, your file server should have a lot of disk space and the drives should have a high speed. Plenty of RAM is good to have. You will not need too much processing power though (an old 300 MHz Celeron is more than enough), and things like a sound card, a video card, CD-ROM drives (after you have installed the operating system), keyboard, speakers and even case are useless.

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