Microsoft's forward vision

By On July 3, 2010 · 6 Comments

I don’t get it.

Ubuntu can be a server or a user system but its certainly not a home server. I have no idea what happened to the ubuntu homeserver project but Microsoft have got the upper hand when it comes to servers in the home.

There is a large enough difference between a server in a home and server in a data centre. Microsoft understood this when they launched Windows Home Sever. They could have just re-bundled Windows Server but no they brought out a different cut of Windows Server focused on the home market. Its also different enough from a NAS (network attached storage device) due to its great range of Apps or Add-ons.

I’m not the only one to say this either.

“95% of the would-be “nixers” are completely stunned, at that point when the Ubuntu Server installation states that it has finished and all that’s offered to the user is a black screen and a prompt line. Users … basically scrap the whole thing, install Windows and use … solutions which lack raw power but come with an comprehensive interface”

Like all the others I’m pleased to see that you decided to continue this project. I’m a new NAS end user: i first bought a Synology DS410j, but i realized quickly that the processor was far too limited for me. So I made a 4 bay NAS by myself, counting on freenas. My problem is that i use linux a lot (I have a Mythtv server), but i don’t know FreeBSD at all. So the promise of a linux based NAS is a very good news. You can’t blame people to defend their chapel. Don’t listen to them, walk and see ! I assure you that i’ll be among the first switchers and the first donators because your work is useful, there’s no doubt about that.

The closes thing to Windows Home server on Ubuntu is maybe Freenas (which requires you to format all your drives into UFS for the best use, oh and its BSd based. Theres also Amahi which takes over too much of your system (it likes to control the dns, which is a pain if you got a good router).

So what makes a home server?

  • Low Minimum System Requirements
  • Simple Storage Space Management
  • Scalable Architecture
  • Cross-Platform Client Support
  • File/Data Server.
  • Backup/Restore
  • Printer Server
  • Network Functions
  • Remote Access from the Internet

Windows home server does all this really well, Ubuntu Server edition falls very short.

What else is out there? Because to be honest I’m very close to installing Windows Hone server on my home server.

Open Media Vault looks pretty good but its not quite mature enough yet.

Canonical really need to get moving with this stuff… Microsoft had the vision to kick this off, now its time for Linux to lead this area. Just like how Android is now stiring up the mobile world.

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  • https://launchpad.net/~popey popey

    I too have lamented http://www.workswithu.com/2008/09/30/ubuntu-not-a-small-business-server-replacement-yet/ the lack of a decent home server product based on Ubuntu. I had the intention of sponsoring the development of such a product back in 2007 and paid my own way to go to the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Sevilla with a view to discussing blueprints with the development team.

    At that UDS Canonical interviewed and then hired Soren Hansen – the guy behind the ‘Ubuntu Easy Business Server’ https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuEasyBusinessServer (not to be confused with the Ubuntu Home Server project you linked to) project. This looked like it could be a pretty good SoHo Server project covering all the functionality your average organisation or home might need. Indeed the specification on Launchpad was quite popular and garnered plenty of comments/contributions from interested parties.

    Soon after Soren started at Canonical it was decided to halt UEBS development. I found this disappointing and quite a shame given the high hopes many had for UEBS. Perhaps in the future someone else might pick up that ball and run with it again.

    At UDS the discussion of UEBS included talk of Ebox, and eventually it was decided to just pull in the Ebox platform project http://www.ebox-platform.com/ which had similar goals to UEBS, rather than develop something else from scratch.

    Ebox hasn’t been particularly well looked after in Ubuntu, indeed for one whole release it was uninstallable. https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ebox/+bug/255368

    The other easy admin tool is of course Webmin which is derided by many system admins and hasn’t been packaged in Ubuntu or upstream Debian for some time now.

    The Ubuntu Home Server project you linked to was (if I and archive.org recall) a community led project run by one Brett Alton who (according to his Ubuntu wiki page https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BrettAlton ) renamed the project to ‘Satega’ which now lives at http://www.satega.org/ .

    I agree that the Ubuntu Server falls short for home users, and that’s something people tend to say a lot to the server people. I’m not sure they’re interested in that segment of the market, which is why it will fall to community people to develop something like Satega to take on that role.

  • https://launchpad.net/~popey popey

    I too have lamented http://www.workswithu.com/2008/09/30/ubuntu-not… the lack of a decent home server product based on Ubuntu. I had the intention of sponsoring the development of such a product back in 2007 and paid my own way to go to the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Sevilla with a view to discussing blueprints with the development team.

    At that UDS Canonical interviewed and then hired Soren Hansen – the guy behind the 'Ubuntu Easy Business Server' https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuEasyBusinessServer (not to be confused with the Ubuntu Home Server project you linked to) project. This looked like it could be a pretty good SoHo Server project covering all the functionality your average organisation or home might need. Indeed the specification on Launchpad was quite popular and garnered plenty of comments/contributions from interested parties.

    Soon after Soren started at Canonical it was decided to halt UEBS development. I found this disappointing and quite a shame given the high hopes many had for UEBS. Perhaps in the future someone else might pick up that ball and run with it again.

    At UDS the discussion of UEBS included talk of Ebox, and eventually it was decided to just pull in the Ebox platform project http://www.ebox-platform.com/ which had similar goals to UEBS, rather than develop something else from scratch.

    Ebox hasn't been particularly well looked after in Ubuntu, indeed for one whole release it was uninstallable. https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/…

    The other easy admin tool is of course Webmin which is derided by many system admins and hasn't been packaged in Ubuntu or upstream Debian for some time now.

    The Ubuntu Home Server project you linked to was (if I and archive.org recall) a community led project run by one Brett Alton who (according to his Ubuntu wiki page https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BrettAlton ) renamed the project to 'Satega' which now lives at http://www.satega.org/ .

    I agree that the Ubuntu Server falls short for home users, and that's something people tend to say a lot to the server people. I'm not sure they're interested in that segment of the market, which is why it will fall to community people to develop something like Satega to take on that role.

  • http://www.cubicgarden.com/blojsom/blog/cubicgarden/ Ian Forrester

    Thanks Popey!

    Thanks for the links and the detailed comment.

    Satega looks very interesting I might even give it a try.

  • http://www.cubicgarden.com/blojsom/blog/cubicgarden/ Ian Forrester

    Thanks Popey!

    Thanks for the links and the detailed comment.

    Satega looks very interesting I might even give it a try.

  • http://twitter.com/matpolster matpolster

    I use ubuntu server and installed the desktop stuff. I run it on atom mini-itx motherboard. Most of the stuff you describe is in it – you might just need to use the command line. I also use dropbox with it to access stuff stored on it from the internet and as a backup.

    I use smb and rsync which probably covers most of your list. For scalability I can just add another disk.

    If you want a web interface you can install webmin.

    A server is a server – I do a lot on my server that I know would be painful to do on a windows server. Perhaps is does not give you a nice interface to do it but it is free and you can with a bit of research set it up exactly as you want it.

  • http://twitter.com/matpolster matpolster

    I use ubuntu server and installed the desktop stuff. I run it on atom mini-itx motherboard. Most of the stuff you describe is in it – you might just need to use the command line. I also use dropbox with it to access stuff stored on it from the internet and as a backup.

    I use smb and rsync which probably covers most of your list. For scalability I can just add another disk.

    If you want a web interface you can install webmin.

    A server is a server – I do a lot on my server that I know would be painful to do on a windows server. Perhaps is does not give you a nice interface to do it but it is free and you can with a bit of research set it up exactly as you want it.