I need more details about what kind of server you want. What platform or technology should it use?
I need more details about what kind of server you want. What platform or technology should it use?
Problem highlights: SSDs are compact while movies are big, and streaming services are being slowed by our internet provider. The fix involves buying the shows I enjoy and saving them for laptop viewing. Please remember, I don’t want to ruin my operating systems either! Available gear includes a 2600 (K model, stock speeds), a P8P67 with 16GB RAM, plus two 3TB and one 250GB HDDs. OS is installed on a Netgear wireless router with four 4Gb ports. My laptop uses an 128GB SSD (details shown). Software options are Lubuntu 14LTS for desktop, stock firmware, Crunchbang 11. Steps: install Lubuntu, apply Nvidia driver, and test streaming. Solution: set up Lubuntu, ensure smooth playback on laptops. Note: Avoid searching online—Linux solutions exist, many versions available. I need a direct fix for this OS without breaking what’s already there. Windows compatibility would be nice too, but that’s optional now.**
Set up Plex on Lubuntu quickly. It’s straightforward and you’ll start streaming videos instantly.
I'm sorry you're finding this tricky to understand. You'd like to set up a server using Lubuntu 14LTS that can access movies stored on your laptop's HDD, which runs Crunchbang 11. It would be easier if everything worked smoothly. You mentioned wanting it to double as a general file server for downloads, music, documents, etc. You're also curious about connecting the HDD over the network—maybe it could work without much effort, just like using a local drive. Would you like me to suggest a simple setup that meets those needs?
It works nicely now. This approach makes more sense. I recommend setting up a VM (if Lubuntu supports it, which I haven’t tried yet) and using Amahi as the file server OS. It’s designed to be straightforward—once you install Plex Media Server, you can run it on it. Alternatively, you could install Plex directly inside Lubuntu, but then managing the file server would require working through Lubuntu rather than Amahi (which seems simpler). The VM might be the trickiest part with Amahi, but once that’s done, you won’t have to handle it again. On the other hand, using Lubuntu every time you need something would be more cumbersome. You could also share drives in Lubuntu using CIFS with cifs-util, so Plex would run on the server itself, accessible via any web browser. It’s quite user-friendly. Even a phone can access it, though the interface doesn’t scale well for small screens.
Just a reminder: Ubuntu capabilities match those of Xubuntu and Lubuntu. They share the same operating system but use different window managers. How much would it strain the system running Amahi in a virtual machine? With 16GB RAM, an i7 processor, 2 cores/threads, and 4GB RAM, could it handle something like 2 cores/threads and 4GB? My main worry is avoiding interference with other tasks—especially gaming (I mainly play ETS2). I’m hoping for a VT-d capable chip to get COD back through the VM. Would sharing the drive be feasible for my needs? The laptop has wireless speeds around 80Mbps, a solid processor and GPU support video work and word processing, but the 128GB SSD is limited. My idea is to stream the laptop over the network. Thanks for your help—I’ll update if I run into problems.
It seems like you're looking at a few different scenarios for performance. The requirements are quite modest—just 2GB RAM and one CPU core should suffice. Plex's transcoding might be the main bottleneck, but a single 1080p stream should work without major issues. If using a virtual machine, you can increase resources until it meets expectations. For gaming or heavy use, more than two cores with four GB would likely be better, though it probably wouldn't affect performance much beyond temperature concerns. Streaming to a tablet or phone isn't recommended, but sharing the drive over Wi-Fi should be fine if the laptop is the central device. The setup depends on whether the laptop runs Lubuntu and handles streaming alongside Amahi/Plex.
The system is operating on Lubuntu. The laptop runs crunchbang. The desktop is connected via a physical Ethernet port, while I have an unused one that could support double gigabit speeds if needed. I plan to begin with a setup featuring 2 cores (providing a core and HT thread) and around 2GB of RAM, though I intend to finalize the Plex installation first to test compatibility. It seems Amahi functions as a file server OS, so I might consider using a virtual machine to host it for sharing documents, photos, and media while Plex handles movies and music.
Amahi is a file server OS, which is why I recommended it. You inquired about this option in your message. It would be suitable. Nice work. Best of luck!