Accessing a NAS from multiple OS'es

I

incredadamible

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 2, 2016
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Hi everybody...

I want to set up a NAS/file server with some older components I have sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Problem is I have a mix of various Mac's (running Mavericks and El Capitan) and PC's (running Windows 7 and 10) and I need a system that can allow access from all the comptuers to all the files. Primarily it will be a backup/storage drive, but would also be nice if I could use it as a Plex/media server.

Greatly appreciate if someone can point me in the right direction...
 
Samba is your friend. I successfully run CentOS with Samba in similar scenarios you describe - old computer parts + mix of Win Mac and Lx desktops/laptops.
 
Thanks for the replies! I've played around with Linux (Ubuntu and Mint) a while ago, but didn't have much success connecting from my other computers...I will definitely try Samba, that could be the missing link.
 
Literally any prebuilt NAS or OS will work for you. Everything supports SMB (standard Windows file sharing).
 
Help me understand the 4 HD NAS.

Do I have to run RAID 1 or can I just dupe the HD's with backup software?

ie: if one drive fails, can I pull the good drive & throw it in an external USB dock and use it?

This article did not make that clear...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_RAID_levels#RAID_1:

RAID 1 consists of an exact copy (or mirror) of a set of data on two or more disks; a classic RAID 1 mirrored pair contains two disks. This configuration offers no parity, striping, or spanning of disk space across multiple disks, since the data is mirrored on all disks belonging to the array, and the array can only be as big as the smallest member disk. This layout is useful when read performance or reliability is more important than write performance or the resulting data storage capacity.[14][15]

The array will continue to operate so long as at least one member drive is operational.[16]
 
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Do I have to run RAID 1 or can I just dupe the HD's with backup software?
Click to expand...

Depends on the NAS. Most these days are linux or android devices running linux software raid. These will generally be easy to recover. Stick the drive in any pc and boot off of any recent linux live usb stick. Also for a 4 drive NAS you probably are not running raid1. Your choices are probably raid 10 or raid5.

With that said this question is somewhat off topic from the original question. Perhaps you should start your own discussion.
 
talk2troy said:
I would love to know what you end up doing... I am considering the same thing.
Click to expand...

I realize this is a bit of a late reply...

I had an extra copy of Windows 10, so I ended up trying that before really diving down the Linux rabbit hole. It works...and all I needed to do was share the drives I wanted on the "server" then map them on each system and voila! I have read/write access to the "server" from my Mac Mini, Macbook Pro, and my two Windows PC's. All computers can access the same files.
 
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