How to setup a Linux File Server


Recommended Posts

  Fredde87 said:
what kind of fileserver? Like samba (for windows)? Just setup a distro with networking support and install (if not included) samba....

584830264[/snapback]

As simple as that ?

Do I have to turn off the GUI by editing the configuration text file to boot up in runlevel 3 ???

I havent decided on the distro yet.

I want it to be as efficient as possible so turning off the GUI will help preserve the resources right ? Also Windows v Linux File Server benches or speed comparisions would be handy if somebody know of something on those lines.

edit: Something like this ...

0_4537_2196106_00.gif

If its more recent like Red Hat 9.0 v Windows Server 2003

You will find conflicting results in testing. For example:

http://www.mindcraft.com/whitepapers/first-nts4rhlinux.html favors Windows

and

http://www.kegel.com/nt-linux-benchmarks.html favors Linux/Samba

Most of the "Windows is better" results are off Microsoft-commisioned tests, where MS specs out how the machines are set up (often using known configs that are unfavorable on Linux). The independant ones generally use standard/typical configs for eash OS and test off of that.

As for a GUI, no you don't need to install any X Window system on your box. No Window Managers, either (obviously, if you don't have X capability). Reducing the number of installed packages will make your Linux box more secure (less items to be vunerable to exploit) and run faster (less items! :p ). You can manage the server remotely via command-line (via ssh), or by GUI (via webmin and using a web browser on your remote PC).

It would be interesting to grab an old PC ('386 or '486 if you have one) and set up a file server on both with current OS releases from a Linux distro and off of current Windows release and do your own comparison. :yes: Post your results here, if you can. (Y)

EDIT: Quote from a recent news article (dated yesterday!) on the Samba comparisons:

  Quote
Novell's Hogan says that Microsoft has often specified the exact system configuration in benchmark tests. For example, in two Veritest studies which compare Windows 2003 Server with Linux, Hogan asserts that Veritest fine-tuned the Windows set-up but did not do the same for Linux.

"The test used Windows protocols only, while Linux had to emulate the Windows protocols using Samba," says Hogan. "As far as we can see, the testers did not even make the smallest optimisation for this Linux/Samba setting, while Microsoft helped Veritest fine tune on Windows."

  jerry said:
I havent decided on the distro yet.

I want it to be as efficient as possible so turning off the GUI will help preserve the resources right ? Also Windows v Linux File Server benches or speed comparisions would be handy if somebody know of something on those lines.

584830320[/snapback]

I'd use Gentoo if I were you. I setup a secure ftp server for my web server class in only 3 steps.

1. Installed Gentoo.

2. Created the user accounts.

3. Put sshd on the run level.

thats all I had to do.

Now users can ssh to my box( using putty ) if they need to change password and stuff. And they can use any ftp client that can support file transfer over SFTP.

WinSCP is pretty nice .. I think FileZilla supports SFTP also (so does DreamWeaver's buitin FTP feature )

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • More Microsoft Account headaches: Office 2024 licensing bug finally gets detailed fix by Sayan Sen Microsoft often highlights the benefits of a Microsoft account (MSA) as it points out the unified access users get across devices and services like Windows, Office, OneDrive, and Xbox, which can help in synchronization of files and settings for convenience. That is also why it is a mandatory requirement during Windows 11 installs. However, there can be major problems too. For example, earlier this month, we reported on an incident wherein a Windows user was locked out of their Microsoft Account when Windows flagged their OneDrive upload activities, and apparently there was no way to recover their account. We discussed how, in such a case, users can lose all their data, especially if it's BitLocker encrypted, which is not all that unlikely on Windows 11 24H2. You can read the story in full in this article here. Meanwhile, on the topic of MSA, Microsoft has finally released a detailed step-by-step guide for fixing the Office 2024 licensing bug. The tech giant had already published an update earlier back in December last year. While that was supposed to fix the issue, the problem likely persisted for many users. For those who need a refresher, users whose Microsoft accounts held licenses for both Office 2024 and earlier editions like Office 2021. After upgrading to Office 2024, the MSA continued to display the older version. At the time, Microsoft only stated that installing the latest version of the Office 2024 app would fix the issue. This week, though, a detailed guide has been shared. The company writes: You can find the support article here on Microsoft's official website.
    • Hey Neowin folks, I’m struggling with my Samsung QLED Q80C smart TV’s Wi-Fi dropping randomly. It connects to my 5GHz network but loses signal every 20–30 minutes, interrupting streaming. Details: Device: Samsung QLED Q80C (2023 model), Tizen OS, firmware updated to latest (May 2025). Network: TP-Link Archer AX73 router, Wi-Fi 6, 5GHz band, WPA3 security. Environment: TV ~10 feet from router, no major interference (tested without microwave or cordless phones). Setup: Streaming Netflix, YouTube via built-in apps; issue persists across apps. Steps Tried: Restarted TV, router, and modem. Switched to 2.4GHz band—same issue, slower speed. Assigned static IP to TV in router settings. Reset TV network settings and reconnected. Checked router logs; no disconnect errors logged. Searched Neowin; found a 2024 thread on Wi-Fi issues but no TV-specific fixes. Expected: Stable Wi-Fi connection for uninterrupted streaming. Actual: Wi-Fi drops every 20–30 minutes, requiring manual reconnect. Has anyone faced Wi-Fi dropouts on Samsung QLED TVs or Tizen OS? Could it be a firmware bug or router setting? Any debug tips or workarounds? Thanks for any ideas!
    • I can see why you would need an AI browser
    • if you get your MSA locked and can't recover it, and if you are on win 11 24H2 that can do automatic encryption (on Home editions too), then the BitLocker key goes with that account.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      sophiaisabella32 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      Brett76 earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Year In
      78andyp earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Cottonbud earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      langat earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      593
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      218
    3. 3
      Michael Scrip
      195
    4. 4
      +FloatingFatMan
      145
    5. 5
      Xenon
      135
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!