Hey everyone! I just built a PC using some older parts I had and I'm eager to turn it into a home server. Here are the specs: Intel i5 3470, generic H61 motherboard, 8GB RAM (not sure if it's in dual channel), an HD 5450 (which I'll be swapping for a GTX 1650 soon), and a 120GB SSD with Ubuntu LTS 24.04 installed, along with a 500GB notebook HDD. My main goal is to learn more about Linux. I have another computer I use for gaming and other tasks, but I want to be able to access this Linux server from my main machine. What are the initial steps I should take to set this up? Thanks in advance!
1 Answer
You can do a lot more with that setup than just a simple home server! Consider turning it into a router/firewall setup. This would let you manage your home network effectively. You can set up things like:
- A personal firewall using linux (like iptables or OpenWRT)
- Pi-hole for ad blocking across your home networks
- A DHCP server for better control over your IP assignments
Getting SSH access set up is a great first step. Simply run `sudo apt install openssh-server`, and you can connect to it remotely from your main PC using `ssh username@server-ip`. This way, you can manage everything without needing a monitor!
Thanks a lot, Linux Wizard! Just a quick question, I initially installed a desktop version of Linux with a GUI. Do I need to switch to a server version, or can I keep using this one?