Mini Server Recommendations Please

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muppet

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#52250 2-Dec-2009 20:47

Hi There!

We're back in New Zealand (yay!) but are living in a very small apartment (boo!) for the next couple of months. Space is limited, so I can't have my regular desktop PC server.

Does anyone have any suggestions (cheap as please!) for a really small PC? I'm after something the size of your average broadband router, but something I can run linux on. Mostly I want to plug in our 1TB Hard Disk that we stream our media off etc.

I'm after something small with about a gig of memory. Don't really care about CPU speed, long as it'll boot Linux and run Samba and Squid.

Any suggestions of what and where to get one?

Thanks!

Tim

Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

OOOHHHH HYPERFIBRE!

davidcole

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#278875 2-Dec-2009 21:43

Hm probably not what you're after but ther are some small shuttle based Acer Windows Home Servers around with a 1TB drive

http://ascent.co.nz/productspecification.aspx?ItemID=380045

As short of building something with a mini itx or getting something like an eee box I think your linux options are limited.

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muppet

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#278893 2-Dec-2009 23:11

Thanks davidcole! Probably a little bit more of a beast than I need though.

Once we get a house however...

Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

OOOHHHH HYPERFIBRE!

sideshow

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#278894 2-Dec-2009 23:16

Not cheap but slick little apple servers http://www.apple.com/nz/macmini/server/ :)

muppet

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#278895 2-Dec-2009 23:18

sideshow: Not cheap but slick little apple servers?http://www.apple.com/nz/macmini/server/?:)

You're not wrong about not cheap! I have an aversion to Mac OSX. I swear, every time I touch it I get that spinning colour wheel and whatever thing I've touched locks up.

I just want Linux in console mode only - It's going to be headless.

Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

OOOHHHH HYPERFIBRE!

foobar

186 posts

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#278922 3-Dec-2009 06:36

Hello!

Have you thought about a cheap, little Eee PC? There are some cheap ones available on Trademe.

It can run with the lid closed, and once you have the Ubuntu Netbook Remix installed (or similar) it gives you a full fledged Linux system. Being a netbook, it has the built-in advantage of a battery backup, of course, so it doesn't just crash in case of a power outage. You can save yourself the money for a UPS.

The size of those is about the size of a broadband router. The fact that it can flip up a screen is helpful in case you need to trouble shoot network problems that prevent you from remotely logging in.

Pretty useful little devices, those.

The blog: foobar on computers, software and the rest of the world: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/foobar

muppet

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#278925 3-Dec-2009 07:00

foobar: That's a really good idea and I'm not sure why I didn't think of it already.

Thanks, I think that's what I'll do!

Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

OOOHHHH HYPERFIBRE!

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foobar

186 posts

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#278932 3-Dec-2009 08:07

muppet: foobar: That's a really good idea and I'm not sure why I didn't think of it already.

Thanks, I think that's what I'll do!

Wonderful! Glad I could be of help.

The blog: foobar on computers, software and the rest of the world: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/foobar

davidcole

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#278934 3-Dec-2009 08:16

/me goes and sulks in the corner after suggesting eee box as well

getting something like an eee box

foobar

186 posts

Master Geek

#278935 3-Dec-2009 08:34

davidcole: /me goes and sulks in the corner after suggesting eee box as well

getting something like an eee box

Indeed, you did suggest that as well, I just noticed. But I had to go back to your comment and re-read it to see the reference to the eee pc. I think your pointer to the Acer box just was too prominent.

About the Acer: That would be a nice system if (a) it would run Linux and (b) it wouldn't be hopelessly overpriced in New Zealand. In the US it's US$ 399, in New Zealand it's $939? With today's exchange rate, US$ 399 is just NZ$ 554. Almost NZ$ 400 extra? For what?

And even if we take the highest exchange rate over the last 12 months (around 2:1), we would still have only NZ$ 800. This should never, ever cost $NZ 939.

The blog: foobar on computers, software and the rest of the world: http://www.geekzone.co.nz/foobar

davidcole

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#278940 3-Dec-2009 09:02

foobar:
davidcole: /me goes and sulks in the corner after suggesting eee box as well

getting something like an eee box

Indeed, you did suggest that as well, I just noticed. But I had to go back to your comment and re-read it to see the reference to the eee pc. I think your pointer to the Acer box just was too prominent.

About the Acer: That would be a nice system if (a) it would run Linux and (b) it wouldn't be hopelessly overpriced in New Zealand. In the US it's US$ 399, in New Zealand it's $939? With today's exchange rate, US$ 399 is just NZ$ 554. Almost NZ$ 400 extra? For what?

And even if we take the highest exchange rate over the last 12 months (around 2:1), we would still have only NZ$ 800. This should never, ever cost $NZ 939.

Yes maybe it was a bit obscure. I guess the main advantage (to me) is that it's WHS and not linux (I prefer windows that is all).

I suspect you could build a WHS for cheaper - and have done with an mATX board and an existing case/psu etc.

Also can't think of any other small boxes suitable for use an a linux server, maybe an old 2nd hand laptop might be up to the task as well.