Help pick an OS! -or- Linux Share help

TiZakit · Jun 15, 2011

Hello all,

I'm setting up a file server and attempting to find the right OS for this project.

I've messed with both windows server 2003 and freeNAS, but not sure that either of them are perfect for me.

Here is a bit of the servers setup:
Socket 939 Athlon 64 3200+
1gb RAM
Dell PERC 5i RAID controller
8x 750gb Hard drives.

I started this project intending to run a RAID 5.

I can get shares running in either freeNAS or 2k3 with no issues. The only problem is that I want to be able to authenticate users at the folder level. I was not successful in getting this to work on either system. (I know I posted this in the alternative OS forum, but I'm not above a windows based solution.)

Client OSes Consist of WINXP, WIN7, and OSX. It would also be nice to be able to connect to with an android phone, but not a current priority.

I'm up for a bit of work if thats what its going to take to get this moving, but I just need shove in the right direction.

Thanks for the help!

(Also, is anyone else having issues with the forums tonight?)

SMOKEU · Jun 16, 2011

Have you had a look at Ubuntu server?

TiZakit · Jun 16, 2011

Just a plain smb implementation? Perhaps there is just something that I don't understand about smb that forces windows users to authenticate. Sounds like I've got some research to do at work tomorrow.

TiZakit · Jun 16, 2011

Ok, So I've got server 2008 downloading from MS right now to try that out as well.
Turns out that I have WHS available as well.

Unless someone can turn me away from MS products, I might go with one of those.
The more I look into it, the more I feel I'm just screwing up my freeNAS config. I might drop back down .7 and try that before I give it up.

Shelnutt2 · Jun 16, 2011

with samba you can do exactly what you want. Any distro, ubuntu (server), debian, gentoo it'll all be able to be configured the way you want

.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Samba

SuperMiguel · Jun 17, 2011

+1 debian... secure and stable =)

TiZakit · Jun 17, 2011

Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how to mount the array.

I can get shares going no problem, just not enough of a linux nut to know how to find the array that resides on a PCIe card.

The card shows up in lspci, thats about as far as I can get. I'm not sure where it would reside in /dev.

anyway to figure this out?

Thanks!

Stratus_ss · Jun 17, 2011

generally speaking doing something like

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

will list all of the disks detected by the OS.

Your array is probably "soft" which means that linux doesnt understand windows software arrays. 90% of consumer "raid" done on the cards are actually just software flags for windows

TiZakit · Jun 17, 2011

Thanks, I'll give that a shot next time I have access to it. Busy weekend ahead.

I've been tinkering on and off with linux for years, its just hard to convert years of windows thinking into linux... plus I've been spoiled with a GUI for a LONG time

Its a hardware controller. Dell PERC 5i, which is a rebadged LSI controller. Its the bees knees :bday:

Automata · Jun 17, 2011

If you want to learn it, forcing yourself to not use a Windows OS certainly gets you motivated to get it solved; otherwise you don't have a server to use! This is how I "forced" myself to use Linux as a server and I haven't ever looked back. There is nothing better.

You can easily add samba shares by modifying the /etc/samba/smb.conf file. Here is how mine is setup. This lists out user restrictions, among other settings.

Code:

#======================= Global Settings =====================================
[global]
        workgroup = WORKGROUP
        server string = Thideras File Server %v
        netbios name = thideras-server

#This is to stop the error messages in /var/log/messages
        domain master = yes
        local master = yes

        log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
        # max 50KB per log file, then rotate
        max log size = 50

        security = user
        passdb backend = tdbsam
        encrypt passwords = yes

        max open files = 65536

        wins support = yes
        hostname lookups = yes


#--------------------------- Printing Options -----------------------------
        load printers = yes

        printcap name = cups
        printing = cups


#============================ Share Definitions ==============================

[printers]
        comment = All Printers
        path = /var/spool/samba
        browseable = no
        guest ok = no
        writable = no
        printable = yes

[Hitachi]
        comment = Hitachi root
        path = /mnt/hitachi
        browseable = yes
        public = no
        writable = yes
        valid users = thideras
        create mode = 770
        directory mode = 770
        force owner = thideras
        force group = samba

[Media]
        comment = Media
        path = /mnt/hitachi/media
        browseable = yes
        public = no
        writable = yes
        valid users = @samba
        create mode = 770
        directory mode = 770
        force owner = thideras
        force group = samba

[Backups]
        comment = Backups
        path = /mnt/hitachi/backups
        browseable = yes
        public = no
        writable = yes
        valid users = thideras
        create mode = 770
        directory mode = 770
        force owner = thideras
        force group = samba

[Ram]
        comment = Ram disk
        path =/mnt/ram
        browseable = yes
        public = no
        writable = yes
        valid users = thideras
        create mode = 770
        directory mode = 770
        force owner = thideras
        force group = samba

[HTPC]
        comment = HTPC Share
        writable = no
        path = /mnt/hitachi/media
        valid users = Media
        browsable = yes

If you want to go this route, find a good guide and have someone that you can bounce questions/issues off of (for example, a thread here).

Here is how my RAID array is listed with a "fdisk -l":

Code:

[root@thideras-server ~]# fdisk -l

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


WARNING: The size of this disk is 5.0 TB (4994996633600 bytes).
DOS partition table format can not be used on drives for volumes
larger than 2.2 TB (2199023255040 bytes). Use parted(1) and GUID
partition table format (GPT).


Disk /dev/sda: 4994.9 GB, 4994996633600 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 607273 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1      267350  2147483647+  ee  EFI GPT

petteyg359 · Jun 17, 2011

TiZakit said:
Its a hardware controller. Dell PERC 5i, which is a rebadged LSI controller. Its the bees knees

The logical disks should show up in the list produced by fdisk. If they don't, you're probably just missing the driver for the card. I think the driver is "megaraid_sas". If it's not already built, it is under Device Drivers > SCSI Device Support > SCSI Low-level Drivers in the kernel menuconfig.

TiZakit · Jun 17, 2011

Thanks all.

I've got some unexpected time to work on it, but turns out the HDD died that I had it on. 160GB WD... Its pretty old. So I'm installing it on another drive I had laying around... I guess thats the chance you take with old hardware.. (Warranty expired in 2007)

No matter though. I had no config at all really.

I'll update and let you guys know what I find. Thanks a lot!

TiZakit · Jun 17, 2011

At the present I'm just testing still, I've not got all hard drives up and running on the controller as I'm waiting on a PSU that can handle it and have enough connectors. At that time, I'll probably wipe the OS and reconfigure. Trying to cement some of this in my brain, and I'd rather not extend everything.

Also, thideras, thats what I'm attempting to do. I'm trying to take my dabbling in linux to the next level.. Any direction you could afford as to some good resources would be helpful. One of the issues that I tend to run into is outdated information.

Code:

tizakit@anubis-fileserver:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000d0540

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          32      248832   83  Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2              32       19458   156039169    5  Extended
/dev/sda5              32       19458   156039168   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/dm-0: 158.7 GB, 158708269056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19295 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 1073 MB, 1073741824 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 130 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdb: 2248.8 GB, 2248818032640 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 273403 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/sdb doesn't contain a valid partition table

So from that I can gather that /dev/sdb is the array.

Can I just run this command? and get things rolling? I think it will work, but is it proper? Hell, I don't even know if I should be using parted, or some other tool.

Code:

 sudo parted /dev/sdb mkpartfs primary ext4 0 -0

Automata · Jun 17, 2011

/dev/sdb is your array, correct. Here is my "list" that I follow when I reinstall my server. You should be able to follow it somewhat closely as I've attempted to substitute information that you've given (disk size, device names, etc). It would look something like this:

Code:

parted /dev/sdb
>mklabel gpt
>mkpart primary 0 2248G
>quit

Once you have the partition created, simply create the filesystem:

Code:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1

You will then need to create a location for your RAID array (can basically be anywhere), mount it and add it to the fstab file so it gets mounted on restart.

Code:

mkdir /mnt/data
[COLOR=DimGray]#This can be any location.  Completely up to you.
[/COLOR] 
mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/data
[COLOR=DimGray]#Simply mount the disk[/COLOR]

df -h
[COLOR=DimGray]#This lists available space on all disks.  Make sure your array is listed.[/COLOR]

I like to mount my disks with their UUID, to make sure it doesn't get messed up when drives move, go away or get added. To do that, you need to find the UUID of your array.

Code:

[root@thideras-server ~]# blkid
/dev/sdb3: LABEL="/" UUID="250881d7-5bbf-49f8-a064-4b5ae9128dd0" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sdb2: LABEL="SWAP-sdb2" TYPE="swap"
[COLOR=Yellow]/dev/sda1: UUID="19171c93-8871-4341-9d83-1bdfa00cd28b" TYPE="ext4"[/COLOR]
/dev/sdb1: LABEL="/boot" UUID="285b61d9-6f3e-48a1-9e12-548ec4c0e9f9" TYPE="ext3"

Then, simply add the line to /etc/fstab:

Code:

LABEL=/                 /                       ext3    defaults        1 1
LABEL=/boot             /boot                   ext3    defaults        1 2
tmpfs                   /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
devpts                  /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620  0 0
sysfs                   /sys                    sysfs   defaults        0 0
proc                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
LABEL=SWAP-sdb2         swap                    swap    defaults        0 0

#Mount Hitachi array
[COLOR=Yellow]UUID=19171c93-8871-4341-9d83-1bdfa00cd28b       /mnt/hitachi    ext4    defaults        0 0[/COLOR]

Then, you can move onto Samba shares and users:

Code:

adduser thideras
[COLOR=DimGray]#Add myself[/COLOR]

passwd thideras
[COLOR=DimGray]#Change my Unix system password, does not have to be the same as the next command[/COLOR]

smbpasswd -a thideras
[COLOR=DimGray]#This is the password I will use to access shares from other computers[/COLOR]

groupadd samba
[COLOR=DimGray]#I like to add groups so that I can easily add a user to proper shares without
#having to restart Samba[/COLOR]

usermod -a -G samba thideras
[COLOR=DimGray]#Add myself to the "samba" group[/COLOR]

Shelnutt2 · Jun 17, 2011

I'm only ever used the fakeraid on a motherboard but shouldn't /dev/dm be the raid arrays? Not /dev/sdb? Wouldn't /dev/sdb be the physical disk but /dev/dm is the array? I might be wrong.

Automata · Jun 17, 2011

If it is a MegaRAID controller, it shows as a normal disk, just as my examples above. This is because it isn't software RAID (or Intel controllers).

TiZakit · Jun 17, 2011

thideras! Looks like you saved me a ton of *headdesk*

Thank you!

It probably came at the expense of me learning some, however, I'm still very happy.

I owe you one. I'll let you know how it goes once I get the full array online.

TiZakit · Jun 19, 2011

Alright, thanks for the help everyone!

I can see and operate my shares as expected on my windows clients. I have one OSX client and it won't authenticate.

Aren't macs supposed to be easy or something like that? I'm still googling, and no solutions I've found work. Any ideas? If i change everything to user = share , then I have no issues on OSX at all.

EDIT: Figured it out... I had been connecting to it incorrectly I suppose.
I'd been using

Code:

smb://192.168.1.13/data

When I should have been using

Code:

 smb://WORKGROUP;[email protected]/data

TiZakit · Jul 4, 2011

I figured I owed you guys some pictures for your help...

No, I don't like the hard drive spacing. I almost bought a different case because of it. Instead, I threw some GT AP-30s in front of them. They force enough air though that I'm confortable.

Thanks again!

petteyg359 · Jul 4, 2011

What case is that?

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