Custom Use Case Scenario (Need a little server info)

[ProfessorMint]

In short, I have no clue how to google this or what to use.  I've never heard of anyone doing something like what I want/need and was wondering if any of the lovely smart folk on these forums knew better than I did.

Basically, I'm planning on (eventually) getting a small home server to store files and such, much like a NAS or Cloud.  However, what I was wondering was if there was a way to set it up to allow friends elsewhere in the world an account with their own set folders (possibly locked or passworded somehow?) that they can set up how they want and an easily laid out folder structure.  For example, something like this if it makes sense: (excuse the rushed MS Paint)

Spoiler

The server will probably most likely be used most for pictures and some videos, though ideally it would just be an open use whatever fits on the server kind of deal, giving everyone a little extra space to back up phones or what not if they don't have it.  I know this is possible, but I've never looked into stuff like this.  

The tricky part, however, is if I can I could also make a web server connected to this.  For example, having a pictures folder that you could browse as a gallery in Chrome under something like "homeserver.com/gallery/friend2/vacation2015" or something.  I realise I would probably have to design my own website and everything, or possibly just give everyone a subaddress without any real main hub page if that makes sense, but I'll get to that when it comes to it and I want to know if it's possible or not before I waste a few days searching for the best solution.

Thank you to anyone that drops their knowledge on the situation, I'm completely lost as of right now!

[ProfessorMint]

Thank you! This looks pretty close to what I was imagining, now I know it won't be wasted time planning it.

[Mikensan]

Setting up a web server is also pretty easy with content managers like wordpress or joomla - I'm sure there's a pre-configured template for showing all pictures in a specific folder. I would advice against FTP especially being open to the world... 

I used Owncloud - which a lot of NAS solutions have a plugin for, and it works as advertised. My only qualm was the 4gb file size limit (I think it was 4gb). 

[Mayaa]

2 hours ago, Mikensan said:

Setting up a web server is also pretty easy with content managers like wordpress or joomla - I'm sure there's a pre-configured template for showing all pictures in a specific folder. I would advice against FTP especially being open to the world... 

I used Owncloud - which a lot of NAS solutions have a plugin for, and it works as advertised. My only qualm was the 4gb file size limit (I think it was 4gb). 

 

Could you not increase the size limit in the config? or was there some sort of hard cap?

[brwainer]

1 hour ago, Mayaa said:

 

Could you not increase the size limit in the config? or was there some sort of hard cap?

4GB file size limit sounds familiar... like a drive formatted with FAT32. But that might be a limitation of OwnCloud too, I've never looked it up.

[Mikensan]

@Mayaa @brwainer - looks like 4gb is coming from my own memory of FAT32 as well, the limit for owncloud is apparently 2mb? I don't remember it being that small but that would explain why I stopped using it so quickly....

 

http://www.2daygeek.com/how-to-increase-upload-file-size-in-owncloud/#

 

[1823alex]

On 2/13/2016 at 8:13 PM, Mikensan said:

@Mayaa @brwainer - looks like 4gb is coming from my own memory of FAT32 as well, the limit for owncloud is apparently 2mb? I don't remember it being that small but that would explain why I stopped using it so quickly....

 

http://www.2daygeek.com/how-to-increase-upload-file-size-in-owncloud/#

 

I've uploaded 50+ megabye zip archives to my OwnCloud server without issue.

 

@ProfessorMint +1 for OwnCloud I run it as a jail on my FreeNAS box and it's pretty good, never had any issues with it so far.

[Cajs]

I run OwnCloud at my workplace and we regularly upload 1-10TB archives to sync between our local NAS and our external NAS. Never had any problems with filesizes. The 4GB issue sounds like an issue with FAT32.

 

I also use it at home, nothing as crazy as we do at work, but never had any filesize issues there either.