Vibe

BRiT - Excellent point. It would be ideal to have a standard library that add-on developers would utilize (e.g. Drupal follows this model, as do many CMS apps). It could get rather messy if multiple library requirements are required in order to utilize the range of add-ons that will likely become available (they are popping up as we write ). How would one gain consensus/agreement for which direction to head?

With this post I understand your position much better - and agree 110%. I certainly don't like being force-fed what others deem necessary - especially if the perceived value is not up to snuff. My original comment was more of a "JS frameworks are not truly Evil" vs. a push to incorporate into stock unRAID. With this in mind I think having the default "template" with the capability to utilize a framework (or not) is ideal - for all users. All of the excellent "System Programmers" in the unRAID community have been monopolizing all the "fun" - it will be great to see what the UI Designers can come up with.

Ouch! I take it you're not fond of jQuery? My experience has lead me to a different conclusion. I use jQuery on many projects and find the ease of implementing usability features to be great - much better than attempting to rewrite the "JS wheel" from scratch. Debugging is much less painful when using Firefox modules such as the Web Developer toolbar and Firebug (Debugging in IE...ah...silly me...that doesn't work). As far as bloat - an additional 56K (v1.3.2 minified) is a minuscule addition to a website, and is inconsequential for an interface such as unRAID that is accessed over a private network. jQuery's extensibility through the use of plug-ins is also convenient - AND - a time saver for development projects. It also prevents a boat-load of coder-centric crap JS that is difficult to follow, update and build upon. However, coding basic functions that allow for some pretty fancy effects is probably the best feature. Let the framework pull the Oxcart - I just want to design enhancements. The extent of JS integration in unRAID (e.g. integration that would add "UI-Value") would be rather minimal (e.g. sliding layers, menus, possible drag/drop features, form customizations, layout enhancements etc). For unRAID this is simple UI development, not "make buildworld" - we only have a few "pages" to work with. While the choice of JS framework (MooTools, YUI, Dojo etc.) always provides a great opportunity for heated debate, the inclusion of some type of JS framework would be optimal. The separation of design (CSS, JS, HTML) from unRAID functionality would open doors for some great UI customizations. This was the goal of "modern" CSS coding for the web, why not follow the trend and implement a framework for a browser administered product like unRAID? While I have not had the opportunity to try unRAID 5.0-beta I definitely look forward to having the ability to enhance the "presentation." After working with 4.X and learning the extent of UI customization(s) available I look forward to what v5.0 will offer. Something basic like the inclusion of CSS ID and/or CLASS tags within the page elements (tables, menus, fieldsets etc) would definitely streamline the process. Integrating a JS framework (like jQuery ) would only complement the technical prowess of unRAID by adding to the overall "look-and-feel" and user experience. This is what UI design is all about - let's capitalize on the tools available.

Yes...interesting author comment:

Thank you for the reply Joe. I remember seeing a comparison chart in the forum/wiki for power usage during spin-up (various hard drives) but can't seem to find it now. I will keep the 3 amp/per drive in mind when my friend purchases his power supply. *Edit - Just found the post...page five of the PSU thread

I was looking at the Corsair 650W for a friend that we have built a Budget Box for (Budget Box #2 under by belt!). He plans on using this as a file/backup server for a small office environment (2-3 PC's). He also prefers to use all 7200 RPM hard drives (probably Western Digital Blacks) as he is not concerned with the power saving features of the Green Drives. I know the 20 Drive estimate in this thread takes into consideration Green Drives - However, would the Corsair 650W handle 15 x 7200RPM hard drives?

I have two D-Link DGS-2208's - and they have been great. As far as power cycling - I've never had to cycle either. I haven't tested with unRaid (yet), but with a Dell Latitude laptop (Windows XP) connected to a Dell SC440 (Running Ubuntu Server) I was getting anywhere from 55-62MB/s transfer speeds (faster to save over Ethernet than to my external USB hard drive). Another one to look out for is the TRENDnet TEG-S50G http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156250. These go on sale periodically at NewEgg - about two weeks ago a friend picked one up for around $18.00 shipped. While we haven't tested this yet (just built an unRaid server for him and are upgrading his workstation to Gigabit networking) - I can say that the build quality is excellent. Very solid metal case, nice Link/ACT lights/indicators. It may be worth it to read the reviews.

I like the idea of having two servers vs. one with a lot of drives - would give me a sense of security. What type of power supply are you using to handle the 7200 RPM drives?

I am extremely envious - 11tb+ of 7200RPM storage would definitely make me a "happy camper." Thanks again for your suggestions!

Thanks poofyhairguy - I certainly appreciate the suggestion. I will mention the Seagates to my friend as a good option. I think these along with unRaid will make a perfect solution for his needs. As far as the Seagates you recommend - are the Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM along these lines? (I see they are on sale at NewEgg until 8/25).

That's a rather uncomfortable thought knowing that your drive temp readings might be inaccurate . This past weekend I peaked the interest of another friend to look at unRaid as a file server/storage solution for his small (3 workstation) business. He's not so concerned about the low-power capabilities as he is in maximizing access times/disk transfers (e.g. prefers 7200 rpm drives as he won't be streaming with this box). We looked at a hard drive review from Xbit labs that suggested the Samsung F3 drives were good drives - low power with better speeds over the usual "green" drives. We were thinking about going this route for his build but may rethink this after learning about the temp sensor issues. With this in mind would an unRaid server using all WD Blacks be a logical solution? (I have two WD blacks - 1 parity + 1 data and am very pleased).

BRiT - that's very interesting, I didn't realize Samsung drives had issue with the temp sensors. Is this a problem across the full product line? I was looking at some F3 7200 drives - are these affected also?

That's very interesting information neilt0 - I have much to learn about remuxing into other formats. I haven't had the opportunity to work with Blu-ray yet - only my DVD collection which I am currently ripping into 1GB VOB files. My need for multiple streams will probably be at most three so I would think Samba will be able to handle this over my Gigabit network. However, once I do move onto Blu-ray I can see my strategy may have to be updated.

Thank you everyone for your replies - I definitely appreciate it! I didn't realize that hard drive manufacturers have standardized drive sizes (thanks bjp999 and Seven) - this is good information to know. I also ran across the HPA issue in the forum - however, not having a Gigabyte motherboard I was happy to realize that I would not encounter this problem. poofyhairguy - that is quite a collection you have going, I am impressed . I am curious - with the variety of drives that you have experience with have you developed a preference for brand/model?

Hello everyone, I watch the Good Deals! forum and would like purchase some additional hard drives (the low prices are very enticing). However, I am curious to know if I mix "same size" hard drives from different manufacturers, will there be potential for issues with new drives actually being larger in size than my current parity drive? For instance, I am running two WD Caviar Black 1TB drives (1 parity + 1 storage). If I choose to add additional 1TB data drives from Hitachi, Samsung or Seagate, is there a chance that a variance in size will exist? I see many members bumping their parity drive up to the next size (e.g. 1.5 TB for parity and 1TB for data drives) - is this the standard recommendation?

Thanks again for your time bubbaQ - this is very good information to know. Best wishes!

Thank you for your reply bubbaQ - this is definitely enlightening. I have read in the forum that NFS does not have the overhead that Samba does - but need to bring myself up to speed regarding the HTML possibility (I believe Twonky Media Server falls into this category - and llink as found in the Wiki). I see my friend an I have some reading/research to perform. I do know his network is wired gigabit so he won't need to do much work there. As far as server hardware, would there be any need for faster hard drives (7200) if he goes the NFS/HTML route? I would think the WD EADS/EARS would be sufficient - but he wants to make certain his investment is appropriate for his needs. Thank you again for your comments!

Hi Everyone, I am working with a good friend to help him build his first unRaid server. After my success with the Budget Box I convinced him that this was the route to go - he's definitely onboard. We got into a lengthy conversation regarding how many simultaneous multimedia streams a typical unRaid server could handle. He enlightened me about the Kaleidescape server products that claim 45 zone simultaneous DVD streams and 5 zone simultaneous Blu-ray streams - great for big $$$ but definitely not as rewarding/fun as unRaid . His goal is to have the ability to simultaneously stream video to six "zones" in his house: (1) Home Theater room, (3) Bedrooms (kids included) as well as any miscellaneous PC(s) that might be running. With the budget box I have been able to stream six DVD video streams to my old laptop (before taxing the system). However, I am not certain how well multiple Blu-ray rips would be handled. Does unRaid handle multiple Blu-ray rips effectively? Would faster hard drives (e.g. 7200 rpm vs Eco/Green drives) help his situation? He is not as concerned with the low-power capabilities of unRaid as he is with the ability to handle regular multiple streams. Thanks for any comments!

Hi Rajahal, If memory serves me correctly, I'm about 90% certain I did follow the steps as you have outlined initially. However, I did go back to try again and may have changed the order for successive attempts - possibly this caused my issue. However, once I read the forum post about how the boot order and/or priority setting may not "stick" (e.g. the flash drive being listed) I made the change and everything worked just fine. In my case, after making the change to AHCI, one of my Western Digital drives was listed as the first boot option as well as the first in boot priority. I totally agree about not adding complexity to the steps...I think letting users know that they must follow the order is perfect. If anyone runs into the same issue as me - it is now documented with this thread . As always - thanks for your help!

Hi Rajahal, The steps on the Wiki were perfect - very easy to follow and a great help . I'm just thinking that maybe adding something along the lines of the following may help others with the same motherboard (in case they ran into the same issue like Printingdude, kizer and myself):

I know what you mean kizer! At first I thought it had something to do with the ECC memory I was using and started making changes there - no luck. It never occurred to me to check my previous settings for boot order. This would definitely be great information to add to the Wiki - may help others using the same motherboard .

Problem Solved! I previously searched the forums and missed the thread regarding Rajahal's initial testing with the budget box. Printingdude posted his findings - after setting AHCI within the bios, it appears that the boot order can be rearranged http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=4496.15. Just checked and sure enough, my flash drive was not listed. A quick change to re-enable and all is working fine.

Finally got a photo of the error message using my cell phone . During the boot process a new screen appears (less then a second in duration): Bank interleave requested but not enabled Checking NVRAM.. I checked the memory settings under the Performance tab - and the Interleave setting is set for AUTO. I am using two sticks of 667 ECC 240 Pin 1GB memory. Any thoughts?

Hi everyone, Recently I have made the plunge and built the Budget Box (BIOSTAR A760G M2+, AMD Sempron 140 etc.) as listed in the Wiki. Everything has been working perfectly - I'm very pleased with the results. When I originally built the new server, I didn't make the recommended Bios changes (from the Wiki) - Rather, I just set it up to get unRaid up and running in order to migrate from a Dell SC-440 server. Today I decided to make the additional Bios changes and ran into a roadblock with regard to setting the On-Chip SATA Type to AHCI. Whenever I set this to ACHI, the system boots, a message is quickly displayed on the screen (too fast to read - and my digital camera is on the "fritz"), and eventually the hardware monitor page pops-up where the system remains until a reboot. In order to have unRaid fully load I currently have SATA configured for "IDE->AHCI" - which appears to work just fine. I'm sure there is something basic that I am overlooking - does anyone know if there is an additional step I am missing? (P.S. The drives were not formatted during the build of my budget box - they were simply migrated from another server). Thanks for any assistance anyone can provide!

Thank you for the link Stephen - I'm not sure how I missed that thread. Very good information - after reading it I realize I don't need the "Smart-UPS" functionality after all. The best part is I will be able to save some $$$ in the process! Best Regards!