I'm planning to buy a second-hand office machine soon to turn it into a NAS (Network-Attached Storage). I've heard people often run NAS without a desktop environment (DE). Is it just for power savings, or are there other reasons? I'd love to have a DE for tinkering purposes. What distributions do you all recommend for this kind of setup, and do you have any tips for remote access from my primary computer? Thanks in advance!
4 Answers
Most users go for no desktop environment on their NAS because it's typically managed remotely. I recommend checking out OpenMediaVault; it's very popular and works as a Debian-based system with a web interface for all your NAS settings. You can easily manage it from your regular desktop or laptop.
While it's not impossible to have a DE, NAS systems usually work best with specific OS options like BSD. Ideally, you want it to be stable and low-maintenance so you can focus on other projects. If you're looking to tinker, consider playing around with virtual machines in KVM or LXC instead!
If you're starting out, Ubuntu Server is beginner-friendly and a great choice. Most server distributions don't come with a DE by default since you're expected to manage it remotely via SSH. If you still want a DE, go for a lightweight one like Xfce after installation.
I set up my NAS using Ubuntu LTS on an old laptop. I connect it with a SATA HDD through a USB adapter. It's quite straightforward, and it's been running smoothly for me.
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