Server OS options

[TennesseeRes]

So I've been looking at creating a home server for certain documents and I've also been thinking about switching to Linux as my main OS. Does any one here have experience with using the Linux Ubuntu Server OS and how compatible with microsoft it is until I fully dive into Linux?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Is this mostly a nas?

 

If you use samba on linux, it will work fine with windows clients.

 

How about something like freenas or unraid?

[TennesseeRes]

I haven't done a lot of research into freenas I thought I had to pay for unraid and as I am currently tight on funds I'm trying to be as cost efficient and possible and is Samba on Linux another distribution on Linux or an overall program used in continuance with Linux?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, TennesseeRes said:

I haven't done a lot of research into freenas I thought I had to pay for unraid and as I am currently tight on funds I'm trying to be as cost efficient and possible and is Samba on Linux another distribution on Linux or an overall program used in continuance with Linux?

samba is a program that does windows fireshares in linux, basically every nas uses it.

 

Id give freenas a shot.

 

What hardware do you have?

[Applefreak]

You don't need to use Ubuntu server, unless you need lower latency and system load like on a remote webserver. A normal Ubuntu installation will be fine and setting up file shares is not that difficult to learn.

I am running a thing called openmediavault for my NAS with ZFS2 and currently 8 WD RE drives on an old AMD FX processor. It does work well enough but it does not come with a desktop gui, just a web gui and of course SSH console access. For a beginner a normal Ubuntu Desktop installation would be ideal. Alternatively you could use Linux Mint with Mate desktop as well. 

[TennesseeRes]

right now I'm still gathering parts it's going to be a small server mostly for pet projects. I am trying to use hardware that I've acquired from broken PC's that also helped me build my main rig.

 

 

[Windows7ge]

The only issue you might run into with compatibility is SMB versions. Sometimes you might experience a hickup where it gives you an error without opening the share because both sides don't negotiate what SMB protocol to use properly. Other than that it works without real issue.

 

As others are suggesting you can use an OS that comes with a convenient WebUI for ease of use but if you would really like to explore GNU/Linux and what the server distros are all about I have a tutorial that could get you started with a file server.