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  • Mini PC (III) Simple File Server Build

    Introduction


    It is time to get the file server up and running. Since every other server in this Mini PC rebuild depends on shared storage, it is priority one. Its time to hit that keyboard!

    In earlier videos, I explained the reasoning behind this Proxmox server rebuild and prepared the Debian base system I’ll be using for most of the VMs (virtual machines) in this setup. I’ll link those videos at the end for anyone who wants the background.

    In this article, I’ll build a virtual file server that can be accessed over SMB (Server Message Block), a standard Windows protocol that is supported on most devices. Because I deal with a mix of Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android/I-phones I’m avoiding NFS, which can be hit-or-miss outside the Linux/Unix world.

    Eventually, I also want to add a simple web interface for mobile-friendly access. But for now SMB is the focus. In this video, I’ll cover:

    1. Converting the Debian base VM to a template
    2. Cloning the Template
    3. Expanding the Clones virtual disk
    4. Assign the VM new machine-ID, static IP Address, Host-name, and SSH keys
    5. Adding/mounting a new partitioning
    6. Installing and configuring Samba
    7. Testing the connection from another computer

    A quick note before we begin: this server lives on my private LAN, not directly exposed to any public networks. The inital security model in this presentation is very lax, and will be upgraded later. I’ve learned, the hard way, that to avoid headaches it’s better to start with a simpler working baseline and then tightening security in small controlled steps. If something breaks, you know what caused it and a fix is easier to figure out and manage.

    (more…)

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  • Mini PC (II) Debian Base Build for Servers

    Introduction

    Building a consistent base Virtual Machines (VM) is one part of my Proxmox mini PC refurbishment project. In this article I’m creating a reusable base Debian server, so every VM starts from the same stable foundation.

    I use Debian for most servers because stability matters more than bleeding edge software. One of the few exception is my gaming server, which runs Arch for newer libraries.

    This article walks through my base Debian build in detail. And yes, I’ve done this before. But most of the servers I’m building in this project rely on this template, so I’m refreshing it here.

    Since some of these servers will require storage expansion later, I will call out the specific decisions I made to account for this in the build. You should read all the way through, because I’ll point out the key decision points to be aware of before you start your own build.

    (more…)

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  • Mini PC (I)Virtualization and Storage

    Introduction

    Over the past six months, I’ve been building, and destroying, a large number of Containers and Virtual Machines (VM). I’ve now arrived at several I actually want to keep.

    The problem is that when I was setting them up, I completely mishandled storage planning, at least in the long run.

    All the VMs and Containers I was building and deleting on my Proxmox VE server were basically tests. Each one was set up with its own storage assumptions, without an overall plan.

    In the end, several of these were worth keeping, but my storage planning (or lack there of) wasn’t. I allocated a lot of storage unevenly; Plex got 1 TB, Kiwix got 1 TB, File Browser got 512 GB, and Calibre server got 256 GB.

    None of those services have ever got close to their allocated space. On average they were running with less than 50% space utilization. So I effectively limited myself from using approximately 1.5 TB of storage tied up in my various Servers.

    The fix is to consolidate storage by moving most data to a single file server, and have the other VMs access it for their content.

    (more…)

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  • Consoles, Terminals, and Shells Oh My!

    Introduction

    When people talk about the “command line” on Linux, they often mix up three different concepts: console, terminal, and shell. They interact closely, but they’re not the same thing.

    If you’re a casual user, the distinctions do not matter much. But if you use the command line a lot or write scripts, which many average users eventually end up doing, it helps to understand the differences.

    When squaring off against the command line, we should have a basic knowledge of what is going on. While the shell, console, and terminal are part of this, there are other concepts that need to be defined. The big ones is the difference between kernel space and user space.

    For this discussion we will look at data flow from your hardware (keyboard, mouse, monitor) though the Linux system to user space. In this discussion we will also introduce two acronyms; TTY and PTY.

    By the end of this discussion you should understand the differences, and how these various parts work together within the Linux operating system.

    Our discussion will focus on;

    • Overview of the Linux system from hardware to user space
    • the TTY and PTY are
    • What the Shell is
    • What the console is
    • What a Terminal (terminal emulator) is
    (more…)

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  • Fallout 4 Mod Folder Capitalization Fix Script

    Introduction


    One of the problems with loading loose file mods into Fallout 4 is the Case issue. Specifically Windows is case insensitive when it comes to folder names. On the other hand Linux is case sensitive. In some cases it is a problem that needs to be solved.

    When talking about case insensitive or case sensitive folder naming, what is specificity meant is that windows sees the folders “test and “Test” as the same folder. Windows does not enforce capitalization differences of names.

    Most File systems used on Linux, do see a difference between “test” and “Test”. These are two different folders.

    If we install a mod on a Linux system, we have a chance of ending up with two folders only differentiated by capital and small letters. This is a problem because even though WINE and Proton can run Windows programs on Linux Systems, they cannot control how files are saved and arranged in storage.

    (more…)

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