What OS should I run?

General Discussions
1

Right now I have my media server on my gaming pc and I would like to separate them. I have parts in mind, mostly from a previous build, but I am not sure what OS I should use. I don’t want to use Windows because I don’t want to pay $100 for a license when there are Linux distros for free and also Linux would use less resources. What OS should I use? Right now this is what my build is looking like along with a 120gb ssd that I will use as a boot drive: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8zPpHh

2

The answer is simple.

Run the OS you have the most mastery of and comfortable with.

Running PMS on Linux isn’t for a Linux newbie, plain and simple. The entire filesystem and its conventions (permissions, etc) are orthogonal and foreign to how Windows works. It’s also many levels stricter with security because it’s a multi-user OS which can support multiple simultaneously active users and none can see the others without expressed permission from the admin. Look at all those cloud Linux servers. Nobody else can be touched unless the admin permits it.

3

@ChuckPA said:
The answer is simple.

Run the OS you have the most mastery of and comfortable with.

Running PMS on Linux isn’t for a Linux newbie, plain and simple. The entire filesystem and its conventions (permissions, etc) are orthogonal and foreign to how Windows works. It’s also many levels stricter with security because it’s a multi-user OS which can support multiple simultaneously active users and none can see the others without expressed permission from the admin. Look at all those cloud Linux servers. Nobody else can be touched unless the admin permits it.

See the OS that I am most familiar with is Windows. I do have some experience with UNIX but I know that that is slightly different. I want to try a version of Linux out for my server. Which do you think would be the easiest to get a hold of? I know Ubuntu is very common

4

If you’re going to learn, and have past experience with Unix, Ubuntu is your best shot. Don’t go with a variant (Lubuntu or Kubuntu), go with the main.
Don’t make your Linux system the production PMS system until you’ve learned and mastered the command line enough to make it all work from cold. Rebuilding (reinstall) from memory should be second nature.

The Linux Tips at the top of the Linux forum have a lot of useful info to help you get your feet wet again with system admin and permissions which are key points. They’re also part of the key differences between Linux and Unix.

I grew up in the BSD days (SunOS 4.x) and ATT SVR3. Stick to that old school thinking and Linux will fit more like an old glove than you realize albeit a bit 'snug with a little chafe` at first.

5

@ChuckPA said:
If you’re going to learn, and have past experience with Unix, Ubuntu is your best shot. Don’t go with a variant (Lubuntu or Kubuntu), go with the main.
Don’t make your Linux system the production PMS system until you’ve learned and mastered the command line enough to make it all work from cold. Rebuilding (reinstall) from memory should be second nature.

The Linux Tips at the top of the Linux forum have a lot of useful info to help you get your feet wet again with system admin and permissions which are key points. They’re also part of the key differences between Linux and Unix.

I grew up in the BSD days (SunOS 4.x) and ATT SVR3. Stick to that old school thinking and Linux will fit more like an old glove than you realize albeit a bit 'snug with a little chafe` at first.

Should I go with the normal desktop version of Ubuntu or go with the server version of the distro?

6

Server version (headless) is what I would recommend.

7

@per_PLEX_ed said:
Server version (headless) is what I would recommend.

I currently have a hard drive with movies and tv shows on it that I will be adding to my new server along with another hard drive and a ssd. How do I have it so no data is lost?

8

Ubuntu 18 has a new ‘minimal’ package option. It doesn’t load all the crap games and other stuff.
You have the desktop GUI (good for learning) with an otherwise lean “server” configuration… When done, unplug the HDMI and forget it.

IMHO, best of both worlds.

9

@cubsfan319 said:

@per_PLEX_ed said:
Server version (headless) is what I would recommend.

I currently have a hard drive with movies and tv shows on it that I will be adding to my new server along with another hard drive and a ssd. How do I have it so no data is lost?

Mount the disk as read-only. The only loss in single-disk configuration this way is actual disk failure. For full protection, set up a proper RAID