[Malvern] Recommendations for File Servers

[Darren Beale]

> - accessable from both Windows and Linux
> - able to directly interact with both OS and server remotely
>         (initially only within the home network but eventually from the web)
> - no requirement to log into the server during boot up
>         (hoping to be able to run without need for things like mice /
> keyboards so it's jsut a box)

Install a minimal gui-less version of Debia^H^H^H$distro. Make sure
the machine doesn't complain after the POST about lack of keyboard or
mouse and do all admin via SSH, job done.

Samba is a doddle to set-up and will cover your Windows friendly file
sharing needs.

> - suitable AV and firewall

For the entire network, or just the machine? Not convinced you'll need
it if it's just for the file server but if it's for the entire network
then I'd tend to split that out onto a dedicated machine and use a
dedicated distro like IPCop. You could also use this to either set-up
a VPN if you want to connect to your network remotely and/or tunnel in
via SSH just to grab a particular file. I'm sure that there are *many*
other options here but my experience is limited to IPCop and similar
distros. I guess you could do the whole lot on one machine using
something like IPtables but I'd question the sensibility of having a
firewall that was also a file server.

> The next question is how to connect it to the network.

For reliable file sharing I'd always go for a wired connection
although this is likely just FUD on my part.

> The actual config of the server I'm looking at is a second hand PC with a
> 1.2GHz AMD processor, a 20 Gb drive for OS and initially 200 Gb for data,
> DVD reader and 512Mb RAM.

It sounds powerful for a file server

> I will also probably want to make this into a SMTP server too.

I always use qmail, but that's just a preference. I used to use
internal SMTP servers but started getting bounces when sending emails
to certain corporate clients because the sending IP was part of a
'domestic' range (e.g. my ISPs) and was therefore more likely to be
SPAM (according to whatever service they were checking against).
Seemed a bit fascist to me but it wasn't like they were going to
change their IT policy over a suppliers emails not getting through.

Should be a fun project.

D