Linux Format forums

NAS vs Media server

bobthebob1234 — Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:36 pm

Author: bobthebob1234

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:36 pm

So I have a MSI media live with a 3tb hdd in it running MythTV at the moment. The 3tb is almost full (100gb left) and isn't raid'd / backed up at all

So the way I see it I can either get a new NAS and fill it with hard drives (HP Micro server), keep current myth box, maybe stick an ssd in it to speed it up a bit

or

Completely new media server, in a HTPC box and a bunch of hard drives, which I can put more tuner cards in (Media live only has 1 pci slot), however 4+ hard drives might be a bit noisy in one machine under my tv (Well next year I'm back in uni halls so it will be living in my bedroom, and lots of spinning disks may not be a good idea when trying to sleep?)

Anybody have any thoughts on the above? What have others done? Basically talking 2 machines vs 1 machine.

Noise is really my main concern.

Thanks

Where is consumer *nix?

guy — Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:15 am

Author: guy

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:15 am

Asking about when we will get Linux on the consumer desktop is like asking when we will get fluidised bed furnaces in steam locomotives, or carbide-tipped stone axes.

The consumer desktop is a dead technology. Consumers want smart tablets, desktop folks are doing work not consuming.

Linux filesystem trees

Spangwiches — Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:54 am

Author: Spangwiches

Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:54 am

Sorry nelz, you're right I must've read that somewhere else and assumed it was there.

I remember reading an explanation/alternative but sadly I don't remember what it was (since it's not something I care about (or even really understand)).

[Get a Mac Parody video] Mac vs PC vs Linux vs MikeOS

Spangwiches — Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:41 am

Author: Spangwiches

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:41 am

Heyyyy, you're the fella who makes those "My Mum trying [OSes]" videos. I love those.

Your family seems awesome.

Is it me, or......

leke — Sun Jun 02, 2013 6:44 pm

Author: leke

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 6:44 pm

Don't forget adBlock plus It takes care of those pre-ads on youtube as well as the pop-ups.

Ubuntu: Has it lost it?

Nuke — Sun Jun 02, 2013 2:08 pm

Author: Nuke

Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 2:08 pm

Witchbutter wrote:

To suggest that Unity or Mir as a design decision has caused Ubuntu to "lose it" is ignorant of the desktop space as a whole. I believe Ubuntu has chosen Unity in attempt to gain much broader adoption than linux has ever seen in desktops, tablets and phone platform

Fine, I don't have a problem with their using Unity for tablets and phones, where the growing market is meant to be. The problem (as with Win 8 ) is with forcing the thing on the desktop too.

Witchbutter wrote:

Several forward thinking moves by Canonical reveal this motive: Steam on linux directly supports Ubuntu, ... These are all design decisions not intended to compete with other linux distributions, but .. to take more users away from Microsoft.

"Forward thinking move" is a pompous and BS way of describing what is almost certainly, and more prosaically, the result of a behind-the-scenes deal between Canonical and Steam. There is nothing in Unity which makes it a uniquely appropriate platform for Steam. There are already hacks for Steam on other GUIs.

And it is a design decision that does make Unity compete with other distros, because it willl tend to draw not only Windows users but also users of other Linux distros - many Linux users also like to game you know.

Witchbutter wrote:

The real issue Unity intends to overcome is the ease of use problem that the linux desktop has always had. Long time users of linux desktop like me already know that the linux desktop is great, but new users are easily frustrated by a week or more of configuration after install to get their PCs to behave in terms of graphics.

Er, hang on, you changed the subject in mid-stream there. You started talking about "ease of use" but then changed to issues with the ease of installation. It has been said many times before, but Joe Sixpack would also have serious problems installing Windows if it were not pre-installed. If Canonical can strike deals with PC makers to pre-install Linux, maybe with appropriate publicity, then fine, THAT is the answer to the installation problem (and many other problems, like FUD, too). But that solution is nothing to do with Unity as such - it could be done with Gnome, KDE, Mate, Cinammon or most other GUIs for that matter.

Witchbutter wrote:

Also, users now expect a much snappier interface similar to their phones or even Windows 8

Snappy interface? Wow, I cannot recall when I last worried about how "snappy" my PC is. My PCs have been snappy for about the last ten years, despite my never having have a cutting-edge model. Internet response is another matter, nothing to do with my PC. Funny you mention Windows 8, people hate it - not just in the Linux press. Only yesterday I was browsing a Windows-8-Hate article in a mainstream PC mag in W H Smiths. And the sort of people who "expect" their PC interface to look like their phone interface are the sort of people who have already given up their PC, or will be doing so in the very near future.

Witchbutter wrote:

As well, X is a horror to work with if you have a real problem and are a brand new linux user. Mir aims to overcome the problem by thinking outside the paradigms of the X server.

So does Wayland, which was to be X's general replacement. Looks from where I am sitting like Canonical are going a different way in order to create non-interchangeablity of apps, and hence a walled garden.

The cloud, an easy way out? Maybe, or not...

Ram — Thu May 30, 2013 8:08 pm

Author: Ram

Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 8:08 pm

They've either disabled the setting up of a Password or haven't enabled it by default. So the protection is there.

Laziness by both parties - Vendor for not enabling by default - User for not reading the manual.

All bunting and frolics

guy — Tue May 28, 2013 11:16 am

Author: guy

Posted: Tue May 28, 2013 11:16 am

One very good reason to kill a petrol engine is to kill the high-voltage pulses from the controller to the spark plugs, as if these continue after a crash there is a risk of an ignition lead sparking and igniting petrol vapour.

Any electronically-controlled petrol engine without a controller kill switch is a ticking time bomb.

Makes us turbo-Diesel freaks a bit smug. And my brother with his old classic and its mechanically-driven magneto.

Ubuntu? Tumbleweed...

Ram — Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:02 am

Author: Ram

Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:02 am

Rhakios wrote:

Ram wrote:

Gone back, well first time on this particular Laptop to Opensuse. 12.3 runs beautifully on it.

I tried 12.3 on my test box recently, and while it installed just fine and runs quickly enough, I found I was stuck with the ugly font problem that others have complained about in the past, but which has not previously afflicted me. I tried a few fixes, but nothing seemed to make much difference.

Luckily I'm not experiencing that.

Application data soft link to Dropbox directory.

mm2ps — Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:10 am

Author: mm2ps

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:10 am

Hello,

I have a soft directory links with the hidden program data (.local/share...) for Rhythmbox (so I know what podcasts I have listened to on different computers) and for Xfce Notes 1.7.7 to directories on Dropbox. Dropbox is a cloud storage system that syncs data with a directory on your computers.

In this way I have a local and synced cloud copy of the data which I can use on other computers.

My question is, is this a good idea and are there better ways of achieving this the of sharing application data between computers?

I am interested to hear your thoughts.

Kind regards,

Douglas

The year of LINUX with a twist.

guy — Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:40 pm

Author: guy

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:40 pm

Except, there are rumours of a Microsoft buyout of Dell.

I get the impression that PC manufacturers are edging more into the perceived future thin-client-cloud area and and cutting their old ties to the fat-client model. Since that is the only consumer market Windows can boot on, they are getting desperate enough to try Google's tactic of hardware ownership. Surface bombed out because, in MS's view, the hardware guys didn't play by the Stone Tablet rule book but <shock, horror> made up their own. Hence the interest in Dell.

Meanwhile the next revolution in fat clients is looking suspiciously like a Valve-sanctioned Linux gaming PC. Faster, with more up to date games and cheaper than its Windows sibling, it's not going to need anything more than a Valve logo to shift it by the shelfload. And it'll be great as a SOHO workstation when you're not gaming - probably also more compatible with the Cloud service where your business tablet or Chromebook stashes all its stuff, too.

Still, can't do any harm for the screen to offer, "Tomorrow's PC today: faster gaming than yesterday's Windows 8 (TM), more compatible with your old Office files than yesterday's Windows 8 (TM), more compatible with your new Office files than yesterday's Windows 8 (TM), lower cost than yesterday's Windows 8 (TM)"

Steam

Paradigm Shifter — Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:44 pm

Author: Paradigm Shifter

Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 8:44 pm

I'm stuck with Windows - I game using an "exotic" setup, and while AMD appear to support EyeFinity in Linux... nVidia does not do the same with Surround. Worse, Portrait mode throws a further spanner in the works, as X can't seem to cope with three monitors in portrait - it thinks they're 1920x1920, rather than 1200x1920...

I may go back to landscape and try again, but I need to sort the desk out first...

edit: Grammar.

LiveCode

Rhakios — Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:12 pm

Author: Rhakios

Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:12 pm

It's okay, you can all relax now as it seems they have passed the target now. Quite a late spurt there, and still 35 hours to go.

google

flashman_andy — Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:07 pm

Author: flashman_andy

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:07 pm

Don't worry, you will soon be able to sit and sup your coffee in starbucks, while window shopping at your new google store across the street from you.

I am waiting for the new google vs apple trailers... Hi I'm a search Engine and I'm just a mac....

Norway to change all cash registers to Open Source

flashman_andy — Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:40 pm

Author: flashman_andy

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:40 pm

Does that mean we can all contribute to the opening of these cash registers?