partition drive - nas and linux

[dollsey74]

Greetings, all.

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but here I go.....

I "inherited" a small, form factor PC. I'd like to partition the drive and have a NAS on one partition (in order to access files on my other computers and PS3) and install Linux on the other (so that I can surf the Internet on my TV). Is it possible to do this and be able to use Linux and access files on the NAS at the same time? The PC would be wired to my home network.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

[Remah]

Originally Posted by dollsey74

Greetings, all.

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but here I go.....

I "inherited" a small, form factor PC. I'd like to partition the drive and have a NAS on one partition (in order to access files on my other computers and PS3) and install Linux on the other (so that I can surf the Internet on my TV). Is it possible to do this and be able to use Linux and access files on the NAS at the same time? The PC would be wired to my home network.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

Yes to both questions. Linux and many NAS solutions will allow you to provide NAS services and browse the Internet on the same computer. If you want Linux you can install it then add the applications you want to use.

Without more clarity about why you want NAS and Linux together, I have reservations about what you are trying to do.

• NAS is best for a dedicated server with dedicated data drives. That's why NAS appliances are very common. That's why NAS software such as FreeNAS works so well by itself.
• Linux is better for a general purpose server (e.g. Ubuntu has desktop and server editions). It will, of course, perform very well for NAS.
• Running Linux/NAS from the same physical disk as the NAS data is generally suboptimal. If the compromise doesn't affect performance enough to bother you then you might not need NAS.

It might be an irrelevant quibble, I know, because both can often do all you want. But you should think about it.

• If you're the only user of the system and the most complex part of data storage is the partitioning then you might just need Linux (or any other OS) with file sharing.
• If you're using your PS3 as a media centre and, if it is attached to your TV, then you can browse through it and can leave the PC as a dedicated NAS. I'm guessing your browsing might be limited to finding media to watch in which case you may not need your usual web browser.
• If you want a heavy-duty server with more complex storage configurations, such as RAID or ZFS, then you may just be stirring the pot between NAS and web browsing by having them on the same machine.

[dollsey74]

Hi, Remah.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. What I'm really looking for is the ability to use a PC as a "central storage center" that I can access from my home desktop, laptop, and PS3, as well as use it to surf the web on my HDTV. From what I understand from your comments, would it be bestfor me to install a Linux OS (Ubuntu?) on the PC and enable file sharing? Or are there "addons" to enhance the sharing experience? Are there options that will allow me to access the files when I'm not on my home network?

Thanks in advance,
Jason

[Remah]

Originally Posted by dollsey74

Hi, Remah.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. What I'm really looking for is the ability to use a PC as a "central storage center" that I can access from my home desktop, laptop, and PS3, as well as use it to surf the web on my HDTV. From what I understand from your comments, would it be bestfor me to install a Linux OS (Ubuntu?) on the PC and enable file sharing? Or are there "addons" to enhance the sharing experience? Are there options that will allow me to access the files when I'm not on my home network?

Thanks in advance,
Jason

As I said, you can do all of those things, including remote-access, on almost any operating system (OS) such as Windows, Linux or FreeBSD. There is a lot of software that can run on all three of those OS e.g. Firefox, Opera, Chromium web browsers.

Operate as a fileserver (ie file sharing) first. If you run out of the features you need then look at a NAS, but as I said a NAS usually expects a dedicated computer whereas you want to share it with your web browser.

Unless you are technically proficient then I recommend that you start with what you are familiar with before you look elsewhere.

Have a look at some web tutorials on sharing files or setting up a file server. Youtube is full of videos tutorials. An example would be to search for "windows file sharing with PS3" or "linux file sharing with PS3".

[dollsey74]

Thanks again, Remah. I greatly appreciate it.

Jason