Servers

Axios

My life is an adventure..lol
I am going to get a dell server for free about 5-6 years old a dell not sure of the model
My question was has anybody used or set one up to store there data like a nas
and what server distro is the best and how dependable is it.
I have never done anything in the server world so its new to me.

tomscharbach

Axios When you get your Dell server, check the Service Tag on the Dell Support site and take a look at what you find. Dell has supported Linux for a number of years, and you might find that Dell has appropriate drivers for the computer you are getting.

Dell is closely allied with Ubuntu, so the Ubuntu Server distro might be the right choice for you. If you elect to try Ubuntu Server, use the 22.04 LTS download rather than the 22.10 download. 22.04 LTS will be supported through 2027, if I am not mistaken.

I've not set up a server since Unix days, so if someone comes along with a solid recommendation, follow it.

WetGeek

Axios My question was has anybody used or set one up to store there data like a nas
and what server distro is the best and how dependable is it.

My NAS is a commercial Synology device, but there is special purpose software available to be installed on an ordinary computer. Maybe something listed here will be of interest to you.

Solarmass

I wonder what is power consumption of this dell server, bcs you're gonna use it 24/7.
There is also Fedora Server edition https://getfedora.org/en/server/

Axios I have never done anything in the server world so its new to me.

Try maybe to install something like Nextcloud for fun! Or Home Assistant if you have any smart devices.

Good luck 🙂

stalebrim

Axios Take a look at TrueNAS Core. It's BSD-based, but pretty easy to use.

elfprince

For my part, having to also look after NAS (Network Attached Storage) needs, in addition to my personal pc's, seems to defeat the purpose of hassle free living. One computer is enough to look after. That's just me, of course.
PS: 😀

Cloak

Well I just load up any old Linux for a server. The one under the desk was until recently Solus. It's stripped down for HDD upgrades but will return to Solus soon. Just can't use NFS for some reason so stick with SMB and it'll work reliably. By all means have a look at Ubuntu Server or FreeNAS / TrueNAS but I find sticking to the same distro each end keeps the learning curve lower.. There are some great books on SMB around, have fun.