From Newsgroup: uk.comp.homebuilt


I have been playing with setting up a server for my home network on and
off for a couple of years now and I finally have one set up that I can
access from the various computers and device on the network, it started on
one of my Gen8 boxes running Windows 10 but currently runs on an HP Z230
with a Xeon processor (also Win 10). Network performance hasn't changed
but it's more responsive when carrying out admin tasks. It holds files
used centrally and all my media which is fed to an NVidia Shield TV Pro
which runs Kodi.

I want to re-case the server but the Z230 is a bit proprietary so I have
"won" a Lenovo TS140 on eBay which I know I can re-case since I did one a while back and have a power adaptor and front panel diagram for.

I would appreciate some advice on the OS without starting an advocacy war,
I use a Mac Mini, Loads of Android Devices, a Linux box and several
Windows 10 PCs so am happy to go with whatever seems appropriate.

The TS140 comes with a COA for Windows Server 2012 R2. I think that might
be fun for a few days but will then become tedious so I am inclined to
ignore it unless anybody suggests otherwise.

That narrows it down to Windows 10 or Linux (my Linux box has Linux Mint
xfce which I like).

Windows has the advantage that I am more familiar with it. Linux has the advantage that the one box would be able to run Braserio for iso file production and act as a server.

Anybody willing to chuck in any objective ideas while I wait for Royal
Mail to move the TS140 from one end of the UK to the other?
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
If it's not broken, mess around with it until it is
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From Newsgroup: uk.comp.homebuilt

On 15/05/2026 12:49, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I would appreciate some advice on the OS without starting an advocacy
war, I use a Mac Mini, Loads of Android Devices, a Linux box and several Windows 10 PCs so am happy to go with whatever seems appropriate.

It really all depends on what you want to DO with the box, and what
software you plan to use to achieve that.

Given that you're probably not going to run Android on it or turn it
into a Hackintosh that realistically leaves you with Windows or Linux
(or one of the Unixes).

You seem happiest with Windows, so if the software exists to do what you
want that it probably the easiest path. The software almost certainly
does exist on Linux - probably at no financial cost - but may be less polished.

The TS140 comes with a COA for Windows Server 2012 R2. I think that
might be fun for a few days but will then become tedious so I am
inclined to ignore it unless anybody suggests otherwise.

Don't do that! That's SO out of date that even the malware that exploits
it is out of support. :-)

That narrows it down to Windows 10 or Linux (my Linux box has Linux
Mint xfce which I like).

If this is to be a server, I'd run it without a GUI desktop. Probably
even run it headless and manage it through SSH. No need to burden it
with a GUI layer that will almost never be used. Running it headless
means you can shut it away in an attic or garage where it can do its
stuff without getting in the way.

Windows has the advantage that I am more familiar with it. Linux
has the advantage that the one box would be able to run Braserio
for iso file production and act as a server.

"Brasero"

Brasero is a GUI tool so you couldn't use that without a GUI desktop
(you could run it on a headless system with a GUI via VNC). You can
build iso files on Linux without a GUI, though - Brasero is just a GUI front-end for cdrtools and others.

... but if you're proposing to burn these iso files to CD/DVD you don't
really want the burner to be in the attic or garage I mentioned above
where you can't get at it.

As I said: It depends what you want to do.
--
Cheers,
Daniel.
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From Newsgroup: uk.comp.homebuilt

On 15/05/2026 13:19, Daniel James wrote:

That narrows it down to Windows 10 or Linux (my Linux box has Linux
Mint xfce which I like).

If this is to be a server, I'd run it without a GUI desktop. Probably
even run it headless and manage it through SSH. No need to burden it
with a GUI layer that will almost never be used. Running it headless
means you can shut it away in an attic or garage where it can do its
stuff without getting in the way.

Linux is /possibly/ more secure (for now) than windows. But regardless
if you're using linux elsewhere, then save some maintenance headaches
and put the same OS on the server - and if it's public-facing, make sure
it's locked down and the firewall is configured properly.

FWIW I used to run freebsd as a main server, but stopped because of lack
of h/w support for the pi5 I wanted to use. Ironically though, I now use
a micro celeron box running the same (Mint) linux as my desktop - in
fact, I imaged my desktop then modded to get it up and running. I try to
keep the software roughly in synch. The single OS has been much easier
to manage. It runs headless, but if absolutely necessary I start up a
full gui under vnc (which uses far too much memory for normal use).
--
Mike Scott
Harlow, England
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From Newsgroup: uk.comp.homebuilt

On 15/05/2026 12:49, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I have been playing with setting up a server for my home network on and
off for a couple of years now and I finally have one set up that I can access from the various computers and device on the network, it started
on one of my Gen8 boxes running Windows 10 but currently runs on an HP
Z230 with a Xeon processor (also Win 10). Network performance hasn't
changed but it's more responsive when carrying out admin tasks. It holds files used centrally and all my media which is fed to an NVidia Shield
TV Pro which runs Kodi.

I want to re-case the server but the Z230 is a bit proprietary so I have "won" a Lenovo TS140 on eBay which I know I can re-case since I did one
a while back and have a power adaptor and front panel diagram for.

Proxmox VE.
--
Adrian C
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