Tool for managing home servers System for operating home-based servers Software solution for local server management
Tool for managing home servers System for operating home-based servers Software solution for local server management
Hello! This is your first post here—exciting to start building a home server. You're comfortable with Windows and curious about Linux, which is great. Your goals include running a fileserver, Plex, and HomeAssistant, and possibly exploring more projects later.
I’ve read about options like Proxmox, TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault, standalone Windows, or Ubuntu. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let me know if you’d like a quick comparison to help you decide what fits your needs best.
Feel free to ask for more details or guidance as you go along—happy experimenting!
I typically install and operate VMs using Windows directly through HyperV. Group policy appeals to me more than switching to Linux. For IT professionals, VMWare ESXi stands out as the standard choice, making it worthwhile to familiarize yourself with it. Besides that, Proxmox offers strong control plus features like ZFS and enterprise tools. I haven’t used TrueNAS much. If it resembles FreeNAS, I wouldn’t suggest it for Hypervisors. As a NAS running apps and VMs, it should suffice. EDIT: No matter your path, any VM support lets you try Linux and similar environments. With Proxmox, you’ll need extra steps to get Windows VMs up and running, as drivers must be installed first.
I recently configured a Plex Server with Linus, just like you didn’t know much about it at first. There are many online guides for getting it ready. After completing this, I also set up two Minecraft servers and have them backing up to my Plex Server using Deja Dup, which comes built into Ubuntu. Regarding Home Assistant, I’m still learning how to use it.
You're exploring alternatives to your current setup. Many users switch to more modern solutions like NFS or cloud-based services for improved performance.
Linux or Windows can handle all your needs. Just keep in mind: a 'server' needs long-term reliability. You don’t want to make mistakes while setting it up. If you’re familiar with Windows, try using it on it and let it stay in the background without issues. If you’re new to Linux, start with a very affordable machine, install it, and learn there—so your main operations remain unaffected.
You can run Proxmox on a single machine to host a Windows VM alongside Linux experiments. That setup works well for stable testing. Thanks for the helpful suggestion!