Unraid has Changed my Perspective on Geekness Forever (Just in Time)

[poofyhairguy]

Unraid has literally changed my life. We all know the good technical reasons why Unraid rocks, so I will skip that. For me the magic of Unraid is it finally taught me a new perspective that grew my geekiness so I am prepared to be the best geek I can be into the next stage of my life:

 

 

 

I personally had a real problem buying Unraid at first. Not because it "should be free because its Linux" or "its too much" or anything like that.

 

I had a problem because its based on Slackware.

 

I don't know how much overall Linux experience there is in this community, but I am an intermediate Linux user (since 2003 on my desktop or laptop) and I really have always disliked Slackware. To get programs to work that I often use (MythTV Backend, Air Video Server, XBMC, Mediatomb, etc.) in Slackware, ones that I can get working in Ubuntu in like 5 minutes, I would have to learn things about Linux that I purposefully avoiding learning back in 2004 by switching to Debian/Ubuntu. I know that Slackware is server oriented, not desktop oriented, but it probably has the worst package management system this side of Linux From Scratch.

 

Which is fine. It is what it is for good reason. And that is why I have avoided Slackware for years with good reason. I know the community here has done a great job beating some extra tasks out of the custom Slackware that is Unraid, but compared to apt-get anything its just not worth it. Even though I respect Pat for all he has done for the overall Linux community over the years, the honest truth is no independents like him can keep up with the Shuttleworths, Debians, Red Hats and Novells of the world.

 

If Unraid was on Ubuntu I would have bought two licences day one. And that is exactly where I would have gone wrong.

 

Because what ended up happening is that I avoided Unraid for two years, "trusting" my data to a Ubuntu RAID 5 server that did all my programs like I thought I wanted. Then one day the smart report told me that basically my cheap RAID 5 server was killing my disks (by running them all the time) and that I need to move on.

 

So I tried Unraid on the server. And something amazing happened.

 

A few benchmarks showed me a SMB read speed faster than I have ever tweaked Ubuntu or OSX to do. In a single moment I realized that I was an idiot, and that having one box to do data and only data completely spruced up by a guy who makes a living working of what is basically a custom distro designed to serve data is way better than anything I could hack together.

 

In fact, by being based on Slackware, Unraid pretty much ENSURES that I won't play the role of Linux Hacker and mess up my Unraid box because I won't mess with it. Its cheaper for me (after subtracting cost of labor) to just buy another box to run Ubuntu on the same network as my Unraid box to do all the things that I want my server to do besides serve. I pay for wind power so the extra computer only hits my pocketbook, not the environment.

 

The reason why this matters so much to me now is because I am getting married in three weeks. In the two years I have lived with my fiance she has not liked my old server because often whenever she wanted to do something simple (like watch a show on my XBMC frontend in our livingroom) I had the server off the network to add some cool new program that streamed something new to my iPhone.

 

In my new setup I can tinker all I want to on the Ubuntu box, and she can still watch Desperate Housewives when she wants to with a guarantee that I won't break it. Unraid has preemptively saved me tons of marital strife.

 

Since this realization I have bought two Unraid licensees and I plan to build both into servers (already working on the first one). I feel extremely grateful to be taught this lesson by Limetech and I really appreciate the epiphany.

 

Thank you Unraid.

[Joe L.]

Unraid has literally changed my life.

<snip>

The reason why this matters so much to me now is because I am getting married in three weeks. In the two years I have lived with my fiance she has not liked my old server because often whenever she wanted to do something simple (like watch a show on my XBMC frontend in our livingroom) I had the server off the network to add some cool new program that streamed something new to my iPhone.

 

In my new setup I can tinker all I want to on the Ubuntu box, and she can still watch Desperate Housewives when she wants to with a guarantee that I won't break it. Unraid has preemptively saved me tons of marital strife.

You'll know the marriage will last when your new wife asks you to add  a LAN connection in the bedroom so she can watch her favorite programs and listen to her favorite music on the media player attached to the bedroom TV. 

 

Believe it or not, it happened exactly that way in my house.

(I've had my unRAID server for nearly 5 years, and have been married for 36)

 

You'll need the two servers so you can keep at least one on-line 24/7 if you decide to tinker. 

 

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.

 

Joe L.

[poofyhairguy]

 

Thank you very much for the congratulations.

 

As far as a bedroom HTPC goes I have already gotten the request   In fact my plan is to make that one beefed up (use my Q6600) so it can be my Mythtv/Air Video/EyeTV/Etc. server along with being a HTPC. That kinda then solves all my problems without adding another computer to the lineup I wasn't going to get originally- just shifting the tasks.

 

As far as building two Unraid servers: I'm on it.

 

Currently I am building a 10 drive 7200 RPM 1.5tb server in a Antec 300 that is basically a RMA rebuild of my old dying server with better parts (so it will be full as soon as I get replacement drives back). Alongside it I am building a 16-20 Drive 1.5/2TB 5400 RPM server in an Antec 1200. I plan on putting a post about them with pics as soon as the 10 drive one is full.

[kizer]

You know you've made it when your on MonoPrice ordering Sata cables and your wife is intrested in helping you choose colors. Happened today and I was floored.

 

Congrats on the marriage as well. Keep em happy and they let us geek all we want.

[BRiT]

I wouldn't go with the plan of moving the Q6600 into the bedroom, especially if it's an older model. You really don't want any additional noises (fans/drives) at all in the bedroom. I'd be surprised if the wife/wife-to-be doesn't nag about the noise.

[Blofeld]

Le geek, c'est chic!

My non-geeky, fashion-trendy girlfriend is fully supportive of my geekiness, too, since it allows her to pick'n'choose what she wants to watch at any time...I mean, to be encouraged to go an build your own server, by a girl whom you don't expect it of...that's a supreme combination of geek lovin'! 

Anyway, congrats on the marriage, well put, the whole thing, and geek on!

[neilt0]

I wouldn't go with the plan of moving the Q6600 into the bedroom, especially if it's an older model. You really don't want any additional noises (fans/drives) at all in the bedroom. I'd be surprised if the wife/wife-to-be doesn't nag about the noise.

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking also. Get a Popcorn Hour C-200. No fan, no noise.

 

I'm more impressed that she wanted to marry the Poofy Hair Guy.. 

[WeeboTech]

I wouldn't go with the plan of moving the Q6600 into the bedroom, especially if it's an older model. You really don't want any additional noises (fans/drives) at all in the bedroom. I'd be surprised if the wife/wife-to-be doesn't nag about the noise.

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking also. Get a Popcorn Hour C-200. No fan, no noise.

 

I'm more impressed that she wanted to marry the Poofy Hair Guy.. 

 

You could also consider one of the lil nettop's, add in an SSD and XBMC.

My ASROCK is so quiet I don't know it's on.

 

 

[kizer]

I have the AsRock ION 330 and its super quite. You can sometimes here the little fan, but with any Audio at all on it easy masks the sound and you really have to be listening for the fan to hear it.

[PhilH]

My wife is the same. She would have a LAN connection in every room if I put them in. She loves being able to watch her shows in whichever room she's in.

 

I mentioned that I needed to buy another drive or two & she said for me to get the 2 TB's so she would have enough room for her movies... 

 

Gotta love the wife who loves electronics..

[bubbaQ]

I am a big believer in single-purpose devices.

 

First thing I did when I started with a Fortune 500 manufacturing company 20 years ago, was to make downtime nonexistent to users and save money doing it.

 

The plan was to get them away from monolythic servers (SCO Unix) trying to do everything, mix-n-match desktops, and high-dollar server hardware like HP.

 

Get rid of Unix as a file server, and leave it as a dedicated database-only platform, use Novell for file servers, and multiple smaller single-purpose servers for other functions.

 

Use standalone hardware print servers, and get print serving off the servers.

 

Get rid of mixed desktops and get all stable identical systems, buy a truckload at a time and build universal images and locked down desktops.  No unauthorized or user-installed software.

 

No more high-dollar server h/w with expensive hot-swap drives (unsupported by the OS anyway), ECC memory, and proprietary parts.  All servers had to use generic off-the-shelf parts.  Each site has a test server for IT to test and play with, that in an emergency can replace a failed production server.

 

UPS on everything, including hubs and switches.  Replace all batteries every 3 years.

 

After implementation, we spent less on servers, more on desktops, and reduced IT staff by 50%.  After-hours call was a breeze -- about 1 call a week instead of 6 every night.

 

My rule of thumb was that if you had 2 single-purpose servers with uptime of 180 days, they could be candidates for sharing the same hardware and reducing server count.  I use the same rule at home.  unRAID,  NzbGet, logging, and a couple of other things that are stable, need to run 7/24, and not subject to tweaking.... they live together in one box.  Torrents live on the Popcorn hour.  I have two test servers for everything else and for playing with.

[poofyhairguy]

Thank you for the congratulations everyone!

 

As far as the Quad in the bedroom, my girl actually said "I would like a little more ambient noise in there because it would help me sleep." I kid you not. I am really excited about getting married now.

 

In truth I bet the quad will be more silent than my ION system (as I hate ambient noise because I will fill it with 120mm fans. One thing I am really learning about while building my new Unraid server is case cooling.