[POLL] Should Lime Technology make unRAID CentOS 64-Bit Edition?

[grumpybutfun]

Should Lime Technology make unRAID CentOS 64-Bit Edition?

 

unRAID running on CentOS 6.5 with KVM, Webmin, Monitorix, XBMC, and a bunch of other services and file systems.

 

 

NOTE: A Desktop GUI, XBMC and all the other apps are OPTIONIAL and similar to a plugin. You would have decide you want it and then install it via the Package Manager. For the sake of the thread and making my life easier, I installed a Desktop GUI so I can show you more things at once rather than a command line / WebGUI. EVERYTHING you see running in the picture(s) above / below and a Desktop GUI... It still takes up less than 1GB of Memory.

 

What we know so far...

 

"I do think the idea of an 'unRaid package' is long overdue."

 

"we are adjusting business plans to accommodate this."

 

"I just ask for a little more patience."

 

Priorities / Possible Release Schedule...

 

"Publish 5.0.5 - this has a couple minor fixes."

 

"Publish 5.1-beta1 - this is 5.0.5 with latest 'webGui' integrated."

 

"Push this 'webGui' onto github as 'webGui-master'."

 

"Publish 6.1-beta1 - this is 64-bit unRaid with numerous updates including 'webGui-master' and virtualization support"

 

"Idea is webGui will run on both platforms."

 

NOTE: Lime Technology has not provided an ETA for any of the above. I am not privy to anything or wouldn't begin to guess what the ETA is.

 

The purpose of this Poll / Thread...

 

1. Show "Proof of Concept" that unRAID does indeed work in CentOS and works well.

 

2. Lime Technology is currently reviewing and adjusting their business plans to possible make this become a reality so this thread / poll / "Proof of Concept" is a way for us to show our interest, desire for unRAID CentOS Edition or oppose it.

 

3. It also gives me / others a chance to answer many of the questions you have and centralize everything that has been spread across multiple threads.

 

4. I also can provide additional pictures, tests, etc. upon request and update the first few posts with them.

 

[grumpybutfun]

unRAID CentOS Edition with LVM capability along with Samba / NFS Shares in the unRAID WebGUI plus the /user/mnt folder

 

unRAID CentOS Edition with EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, Reiser, BTRFS, JFS, XFS, GFS2, OCFS2, VFAT, NTFS, HFS, HFS+, iSCSI, AoE, NFS3/4, 9P (VirtFS), SquashFS, UFS, Ceph, etc.

 

unRAID CentOS Edition with KVM, XBMC, Drive Usage Anaysler and starting 2 separate Preclears

 

Tough Crowd... I waited 4 or 5 hours to see if anyone would noticed that one of my Hard Drives has errors (First Picture in this thread). Apparently due to the small size of the pictures you must of missed it or you want my Development Server to crash and lose my data. Not sure which one it is yet. Anyway... Glad CentOS popped up a notification on my Desktop, Emailed me and as you see below when I log into Webmin, it too lets me know.

 

There are several other screens / tests / reports / etc. from within Webmin and the programs / tools included in CentOS that I do not show below.

 

NOTE: No Red Ball, no notification or warning when booting into unRAID "bare metal".

 

Here is what it looks like from Webmin...

 

NOTE: I have many more screenshots to add. I will show you various VMs running, unRAID running on the Host with some hard drives and another unRAID running in a VM with a different set of hard drives at the same time, a nVidia GT430 passed through in a VM with Video Hardware Acceleration, performance numbers, etc.

 

However, I need to show you from Arch Linux since CentOS 6.5 is old and it would take me FOREVER to compile all the correct drivers, libvirt, QEMU, etc. This will not be an issue in CentOS 7.0 since it's a MAJOR overhaul / upgrade. The Red Hat 7.0 Beta (which CentOS is a 100% clone of is still too buggy)

 

Let me get a bulk of the CentOS questions out of the way and I will add the unRAID Arch Linux ones which will give you an idea of performance.

[grumpybutfun]

Updating unRAID CentOS Edition via a WebGUI

 

NOTE: Look at the bottom to see how easy it is to set a schedule when it looks for updates. You can also tell it to email you depending on what the updates are and even have them install automatically.

 

 

Install Packages in unRAID CentOS Edition via a WebGUI

 

 

Start, Stop Services and Enable Services / Apps to start Automatically at boot via a WebGUI

 

[johnodon]

I think you know my vote. 

 

Nice summary!

[Kryspy]

I voted yes although I'd need a compelling reason to come back like BTRFS.

 

Kryspy

[Korny]

I'm voting maybe only because I wouldn't intend to use CentOS but if this opens up possible development to other distros I would highly support it.

[dheg]

This looks promising  ;D

[ironicbadger]

I think this summary is excellent. It does indeed open the door to other distros upon request, but CentOS had more than double any other OS on a previous thread so it seems like that is where the groundswell of support is.

 

That said, until systemd is rolled in with 7.0 soon I personally will be sticking with an arch based approach I think.

 

Let's try keep this thread civil please people.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[grumpybutfun]

I'm voting maybe only because I wouldn't intend to use CentOS but if this opens up possible development to other distros I would highly support it.

 

Which Linux Distro did you prefer?

[ironicbadger]

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=31196

 

This thread might help you see what others want OS wise, it was a spin off of the antichrist thread..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[unevent]

Can you up the rez on those screenshots?  I'm having trouble seeing what it is you are showing and they become badly pixelated when zooming.  Thanks.

[Korny]

I'm voting maybe only because I wouldn't intend to use CentOS but if this opens up possible development to other distros I would highly support it.

 

Which Linux Distro did you prefer?

Ideally I'd love some eventual developement to a Ubuntu LTS, possibly 14.04 simply because I could simply add it to a mythbuntu setup and have a box that I know will be kept current for 5 years.  A will be honest though, prefer ubuntu simply because I know it best  and large community support

[grumpybutfun]

Ideally I'd love some eventual developement to a Ubuntu LTS, possibly 14.04 simply because I could simply add it to a mythbuntu setup and have a box that I know will be kept current for 5 years.  A will be honest though, prefer ubuntu simply because I know it best  and large community support

 

Thanks for sharing. My thoughts without getting to technical...

 

1. You can install MythTV in CentOS (pretty much any Linux Distro) or a VM. It could be a frontend, backend or both on either the Host or VM.

 

2. Ubuntu is not considered a Linux Server Distro and I suspect most people here want to run a Linux Server Distro. Ubuntu Server could be a good choice / alternative.

 

Linux Server Distros

 

Debian, openSUSE, RHEL (CentOS / Scientific Linux are 100% Clones of Red Hat), Slackware, Ubuntu Server, Oracle Linux, Cloudlinux, etc.

[archedraft]

If you made unRAID run on centOS would you then be able to use the package manager with using a VM? My understanding is that all one would have to do is go to the command line and type "apt-get" (or whatever centOS uses) and then it would get the programs?

[grumpybutfun]

If you made unRAID run on centOS would you then be able to use the package manager with using a VM?

 

Did you mean without a VM? If so, then the answer is yes.

 

My understanding is that all one would have to do is go to the command line and type "apt-get" (or whatever centOS uses) and then it would get the programs?

 

Yes, assuming the program that you want to install is in a CentOS repository (there are a bunch of them and Lime Technology could create their own where all the plugins we use now are in it).

 

In CentOS, Fedora, RHEL, etc. the command is "yum install".

 

Personally, I think the yum package manager is more robust than the one Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, etc. use ("apt-get").

 

Examples of what you can do in Yum...

 

The search option checks the names, descriptions, summaries and listed package maintainers of all of the available packages to find those that match. For example, to search for all packages that relate to mysql, type:

 

yum search mysql

 

The provides function checks both the files included in the packages and the functions that the software provides. To search for all packages that include files called libcrypto, type:

 

yum provides libcrypto

 

Let's say you loaded a program and it gives you the following error when you try to run it:

 

Missing libncurses.so.5

 

You could use yum to find out what package you need to install:

 

yum provides libncurses.so.5

 

unRAID lib64 # yum provides libncurses.so.5
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, refresh-packagekit, security
Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
* Webmin: download.webmin.com
* base: mirror.teklinks.com
* elrepo: mirror.symnds.com
* epel: mirror.us.leaseweb.net
* extras: mirror.trouble-free.net
* rpmfusion-free-updates: mirror.us.leaseweb.net
* rpmfusion-nonfree-updates: mirror.us.leaseweb.net
* updates: dallas.tx.mirror.xygenhosting.com
ncurses-libs-5.7-3.20090208.el6.i686 : Ncurses libraries
Repo        : base
Matched from:
Other       : libncurses.so.5

 

Use ‘yum provides’ if you like to know which package a particular file belongs to. For example, if you like to know the name of the package that has the /etc/sysconfig/nfs file, do the following.

 

yum provides /etc/sysconfig/nfs

 

I hope that Lime Technology is taking things like a Package Manager into account in their Business Planning. I know that support is one of their Top Priorities and I believe a Package Manager will help with this. Due to the fact Slackware doesn't have a Package Manager and due to 10,000+ Threads / Posts related to Plugins / No Package Manager... A Linux Distro with a Package Manager is something I hope they really take a long / hard look at and consider possibly changing Linux Distros in the future.

[archedraft]

Yes I did mean without. It would be amazing to be able to install plugins with install yum.  I am assuming that if I wanted to run a VM with centOS my CPU and motherboard would need VT-d?

[grumpybutfun]

Yes I did mean without. It would be amazing to be able to install plugins with install yum.  I am assuming that if I wanted to run a VM with centOS my CPU and motherboard would need VT-d?

 

If you aren't passing through PCI Devices like Hard Drives or Video Cards... No you do not need to worry about vt-d, amd-v and iommu.

 

We jump through a lot of hoops, spend a lot of money to get very specific Hardware so we can run unRAID in a VM with the drives passed through. The reason most of us go through all that trouble is so we can run various software on our Servers where the plugin is flaky or one doesn't exist.

 

I had a bunch of VMs even when I was running unRAID on Arch Linux. Eventually I got bored with it and just loaded all the software on the Host (along with unRAID) itself and got rid of those VMs. Only reason I have VMs now is for a few XBMC (where I pass through Video Cards) that play on various TVs throughout my house.

[hernandito]

Eventually I got bored with it and just loaded all the software on the Host (along with unRAID) itself and got rid of those VMs. Only reason I have VMs now is for a few XBMC (where I pass through Video Cards) that play on various TVs throughout my house.

 

Grumpy I would LOVE to see a guide on how to set this up....  I would even be interested in seeing this separate from unRAID, if the CentOS unRAID takes a while to materialize. This has possibilities to the broader XBMC community...

 

 

[grumpybutfun]

Grumpy I would LOVE to see a guide on how to set this up.... 

 

I cannot do that. Tom hasn't given his approval for using emhttp or decided if he wanted to create a subforum with it's own section where it can be properly supported.

 

According to his last message he has more to say on this... Hopefully we will hear what that is soon.

 

I would even be interested in seeing this separate from unRAID, if the CentOS unRAID takes a while to materialize.

 

Hopefully if enough users say yes and provide positive feedback, Lime Technology will commit a lot of resources to development so we can see this happen more quickly than it took for 5.0 to be released.

 

This has possibilities to the broader XBMC community...

 

According to what Tom said in the other thread, 75% or more of his customers in the last 5 years or so learned about unRAID in the various XBMC, Plex, openELEC, etc. forums / blogs / sites.

 

However, based on previous threads and the PASSION that people had that opposes this endeavor... I'm not sure which customer base Lime Technology is pursuing or if he is going after both. I would think the "innovators" outweigh the "appliance only / no separate unRAID versions whatsoever" crowd.... but I could be wrong.

 

Guess we all will find out soon enough.

[meep]

Grumpy I would LOVE to see a guide on how to set this up.... 

 

I cannot do that. Tom hasn't given his approval for using emhttp or decided if he wanted to create a subforum with it's own section where it can be properly supported.

 

 

Grumpy

 

I think what hernandito was asking there was a guide for setting up VMs with GPU passthrough for running multiple HTPCs as you describe. This is completely separate from anything to do with unRAID.

 

I'd be interested in this as well.

 

I'm currently fighting with Manjaro & Xen, aiming to do the same thing.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[grumpybutfun]

I think what hernandito was asking there was a guide for setting up VMs with GPU passthrough for running multiple HTPCs as you describe. This is completely separate from anything to do with unRAID.

 

If you look at the XenServer thread... I post several links to several guides including the one below.

 

This is the best guide out there:

 

Linux Mint - HOW-TO make dual-boot obsolete using XEN VGA passthrough

[hernandito]

 

Grumpy

 

I think what hernandito was asking there was a guide for setting up VMs with GPU passthrough for running multiple HTPCs as you describe. This is completely separate from anything to do with unRAID.

 

I'd be interested in this as well.

 

I'm currently fighting with Manjaro & Xen, aiming to do the same thing.

 

Cheers

 

Peter

 

Thank you meep... this is exactly what I meant... and I know its does not really belong in the uNRAID forum... One I could try it and see the benefits... and actually be doing VM stuff so if/when CentOS unRAID comes out, we would be ready to rock and roll.

 

I am sure this guide would belong in a separate blog ...

 

Grumpy all I can say is that I am very grateful for the guidance and for inspiring us to look farther.

 

Thanks

 

H.

 

EDIT... I will take a look... thanks!

[grumpybutfun]

Grumpy all I can say is that I am very grateful for the guidance and for inspiring us to look farther.

 

My Pleasure.

 

Everyone can thank for Johnodon (Pink is his favorite color) for this one...

 

Installing and configuring Ubuntu Server 13.10 Saucy Salamander with Xen Cloud Platform (dom0) and an Ubuntu 13.10 guest (domU)

 

Citrix turned over their source code for XenServer (and their tools) over to the Linux Foundation middle of last year. The Linux Foundation has finally gotten XAPI/XCP "caught up" and working in some Link Distros. Right now it's Debian, Ubuntu, etc. and CentOS should be out anyday.

 

What does that mean?

 

You can use XenCenter or OpenXenCenter and manage Xen on a Linux Distro.

 

 

Installing and configuring Ubuntu Server 13.10 Saucy Salamander with Xen Cloud Platform (dom0) and an Ubuntu 13.10 guest (domU)

 

I have not tried it yet but John had some success. I will let him comment on that.

[WeeboTech]

Nice job.  About those errors in the hard drive, What kind of errors were they?

[grumpybutfun]

Nice job.  About those errors in the hard drive, What kind of errors were they?

 

I don't know yet. My GF put me on computer restriction for the night or she threatened to leave me for lionelhutz.

 

I am running Linux Kernel 3.12.6 and probably more up to date hdd and smartctl tools is my guess as to why unRAID "bare metal" doesn't see anything. I will try to figure out why and check versions once I get off restriction.