Suggestions for homelab startup. What to do, how, and will it be fun?

[iBL]

Hello again everyone, 

 

So I posted some time ago about the computer I put together and I have decided to go full on and start building a homelab.  Here is the server build list;

• CPU : AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Mobo: Asrock x570 phantom gaming 4
• Ram: Timetec Hynix IC 32 Gig (4x8Gig) DDR4 2666MHzPC4-21300 ECC 1Rx8.
• GPU: EVGA GTX 1060 6GB I had laying around.
• Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro PH-ES614PC_BK Full Tower
  I've removed the 3 5.25 inch drive bay covers and installed a hard drive cage 5.25" to 5X 3.5 stainless steel with fan space added fan here and 2 more on top of case for more air flow out.
• HDD: 6x WD Red Plus 4TiB drives. 
• 1 TB NVME Gen 4 to be used as web hosting storage 
• 120 Gig ssd for the OS (though, I may use the NVME drive as OS, and this drive for a small cache disk???)

The idea is to use the rig as a base, before I put in a rack and start mounting specialized servers for their roles in the homelab.  So I am open to suggestions as I am quite new to this modern day homelab, I've built a bouwolf cluster, in my younger years to do mundane tasks, but I like to learn .. so here I am, asking for advice.   

 

I want to run a NAS, for sure, zfs is a must.  

I want to run a plex server, for sure.

I absolutely must be able to host webapps and services (Apache2 works)  This is most important.   I've take steps to get business class internet service with a static IP,  my modem is in bridged mode and paired with my own router/switch. And despite all odds, I now have hairpin nat working so I can access hosted sites by domain name and not mess with LAN Ip's and ports etc.    I have some Raspberry Pi 4's I could use as a DNS or reverse DNS and maybe Pi Hole.   

I would like to run all of it on linux,  I am leaning towards Pop_OS!, cause I like the cosmic desktop, and I know, I can run headless, but come on, it just looks good.   But I'm open to OS suggestions.   And most importantly, I really need some advice in getting this all to work.  I have tried Ubuntu server distro, and it recently updated, the update destroyed my samba shares, and apcache hosted sites.   for some reason, ftp connections wont limit to the path in the conf file for each user and their site, keeps sending them to their /home/ folder, not their /www/html/ folder as it did before the update.

 

This has been a learning experience and I am loving linux again, but I am old, and it's been FAR too long since I have messed with Linux (not Linus), hell Red Hat was a baby then.  lol.    So suggestions, anyone?   Love and appreciate all of you.  

 

 

Thanks in advance, 

iBL.

 

Edit:::

Messed with LINUX, not Linus, he's safe. 

LLTstore.com for underwear.

Just saying.

[iBL]

ooops