[ghart999]

Hi all. I am currently running unraid as a media server (well more like file server that I stream to xbmc clients).

I would like to be able to utilize the same PC as an XBMC client as well. Lastly, I want a solution where I can DL torrents to the same machine via some type of web-based interface.

I am about to need a third drive for media and I'd just prefer to avoid buying the $70 unraid license.

So can I basically set up ubuntu onto this PC (3-core AMD, 8GB ram, SATA card, etc.) to act as a file server in a raid fashion? I'd basically want to spread 3 3TB drives as a single share with the fastest performance possible. I am not so concerned with unraid's parity drive feature as I have a redundant backup NAS now.

Then I would want to be able to run the standard xbmc client on it. Should I be able to use a standard MCE remote and usb IR receiver? Haven't done anything with Linux and XBMC yet.

Lastly, I'd like to be able to DL torrents directly to the same machine via a web interface from my laptop.

Is all this possible?

Is there anything special I need to be aware of?

Can I run ubuntu from a USB drive with decent performance or do I really need to make a small partition on one of the 3TB drives?

Thanks all. I appreciate it.

Gregg

---

One more. Assuming this is all feasible, do I want to install XBMCbuntu as the all in one shot or should I install ubunbtu first and get the file shares set up and then install XBMC for Linux?

[Jönke]

Works fine with Openelec too

[nickr]

I would install xbmcbuntu then set up the rest over ssh. (Ie logging in from another computer) . If you don't want raid for data security, try mhddfs.

Oh and an ssd for the operating system, keep it as separate as possible from your data.

[DrDaxxy]

The setup you're looking to do is a pretty common one.

If you don't care about data redundancy, you can use RAID0 - it combines drives of equal size with improved performance, with the full size of your drives available (unlike unRAID or other RAID levels where you lose storage capacity in favor of redundancy) - but a single drive failure will most likely cause you to lose all data on them, so you better do regular backups.

You don't *need* an SSD, you should be able to run from a flash drive just fine.

Since you're not familiar with Linux, you might consider just running Windows instead. I'm not sure about how you can use drive arrays with it (or whether that's possible at all), or whether you can boot it from a flash drive, but XBMC and a torrent client with a web interface will definitely run on it.

[DEcosse]

..... Haven't done anything with Linux and XBMC yet.

... Since you're not familiar with Linux, you might consider just running Windows instead....

Load Cinnamon desktop over Ubuntu - much more user friendly & extremely intuitive for a Windows-user than Unity.
(or just go directly with LinuxMint 16 which already has the latest Cinnamon desktop)

[ghart999]

Awesome. Thanks all. Really appreciate it. Will do the ubuntu via flashdrive and see how it goes. I'd like to have the gui interface and get raid0 set up first and then add the xbmc.

[nickr]

Start with ubuntu minimal or server then.

Use an LTS version, basically that is 12.04 until 14.04 is released in April.

I forgot about answering the torrent question - I use rtorrent over ssh and using screen to maintain the session when I log out. Worked well for me over many years. rtorrent is very low impact system wise, except when it hashes the torrent at the end of the download. Eve then I don't find it intrudes too much.

[ghart999]

Awesome. Thank you Nick.