Linux NAS distros?

What about an Airport Extreme + USB hub + External enclosure(s)? Or is that too simple a set up? I was looking at this, with the pending MBP purchase in January, as a simple way of storage and sharing vs. building a NAS box. Granted, it's not an ideal RAID setup. But with 1TB externals being normal these days and all my RAW files backed up to DVD.......

Would the external drives be accessible on the Airport remotely, as in from the web - not wifi.

Oh and sorry for the thread drift/hijack.

 

Using the wonders of hdparm I have ascertained that it is the IDE controller on the Asus Terminator system that I was using that was the issue, the EXACT same hard drive on a different system has no throughput issues what so ever.

Oddly the Asus doesn't seem to have the issue under XP (or didn't last time I checked) so its kinda odd.
Also I learnt that accidentally bridging the wrong pins on the front panel out is a quick way to stop a system working, I managed to slip with my screwdriver while attempting to hit the reset pins, shorted something, sparks, system powered down and wouldn't power up again.
I will check on it soon though and if it's dead well, I guess that's a fitting end to it's life.

The ram and PCI cards still seem to work and the CPU cooler is salvageable which is always good

Now though for this mATX I'll have to make a custom enclosure which will probably involve me building it as part of my desk.

 

That probably would work well enough for me, especially as I've already got all of the equipment aside from the enclosures (well, I've got one). Works pretty well for the most part. Print sharing works fine, and file sharing seems to work all right as well (I'll have to benchmark it as I've only really accessed it over wireless). Perhaps format a Drobo to HFS+ and stick that on? A very quick test gave me pretty poor performance over a gigabit wired connection, but that really seems to hold true for anything that's not decent-spec hardware (apparently network writes take a surprising amount of horsepower). In the range of 1-2MBps I'd say.

TBH, if you're going to go that route, I'd just use a Mac Mini. Given that the APE is almost $200, it's not that much more expensive given the extra features especially if you want to make it double as an AppleTV-esque media center or even a general-use machine. I think you'd see FAR better performance on disk writes, and setting up web access is trivially easy (wide-area Bonjour never seemed to work right for me; opening up a couple ports on the router and ticking a couple boxes in the sharing preference pane, using a dyndns.com name if need be is REALLY easy). I already VNC/SSH/SFTP into my MBP from the road all the time, and can access mounted network shares just as easily (cd /Volumes/DriveName).

Actually, even for PC users, that wouldn't be too bad of an option if they're considering one of those $600++ dedicated NAS RAID boxes. Maybe a little more work to set up (maybe - it is insanely easy, and some dedicated NAS boxes can be quite fiddly from what I hear), but you should end up with a ton more flexibility and hypothetically it'll be a lot better performance too. If nothing else, it does both Samba and AFP for local stuff, SSH/SCP/SFTP and FTP, and you can VNC in from the road quite easily. And RAID is really damn easy to set up (it's not hardware RAID, but it's about five seconds worth of work and the performance gain over SW RAID isn't worth it for this kind of application)

 

So, the CF -> IDE adaptor arrived and I now have Debian 4.0 installed however I have a slight issue at boot.
I KNOW that it's down to my CF card not supporting DMA (stupid cheap crap) and I cant disable it in my bios.

Basically boot takes forever and I get the following error (the IDE Timeouts):

Code:

Kernel command line: root=/dev/hda1 ro ide=nodma
Local APIC disabled by BIOS -- you can enable it with "lapic"
mapped APIC to ffffd000 (013f2000)
Enabling fast FPU save and restore... done.
Enabling unmasked SIMD FPU exception support... done.
Initializing CPU#0
PID hash table entries: 2048 (order: 11, 8192 bytes)
Console: colour VGA+ 80x25
Dentry cache hash table entries: 65536 (order: 6, 262144 bytes)
Inode-cache hash table entries: 32768 (order: 5, 131072 bytes)
Memory: 504272k/516032k available (1499k kernel code, 11276k reserved, 599k data, 256k init, 0k highmem)
Checking if this processor honours the WP bit even in supervisor mode... Ok.
Calibrating delay using timer specific routine.. 2592.05 BogoMIPS (lpj=5184112)
Security Framework v1.0.0 initialized
SELinux:  Disabled at boot.
Capability LSM initialized
Mount-cache hash table entries: 512
CPU: After generic identify, caps: 0383f9ff c1c3f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
CPU: After vendor identify, caps: 0383f9ff c1c3f9ff 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
CPU: L1 I Cache: 64K (64 bytes/line), D cache 64K (64 bytes/line)
CPU: L2 Cache: 64K (64 bytes/line)
CPU: After all inits, caps: 0383f9ff c1c3f9ff 00000000 00000420 00000000 00000000 00000000
Compat vDSO mapped to ffffe000.
CPU: AMD Duron(tm) Processor stepping 01
Checking 'hlt' instruction... OK.
ACPI: Core revision 20060707
ACPI: setting ELCR to 0200 (from 0c00)
checking if image is initramfs... it is
Freeing initrd memory: 4222k freed
NET: Registered protocol family 16
EISA bus registered
ACPI: bus type pci registered
PCI: PCI BIOS revision 2.10 entry at 0xfdb01, last bus=1
PCI: Using configuration type 1
Setting up standard PCI resources
ACPI: Interpreter enabled
ACPI: Using PIC for interrupt routing
ACPI: PCI Root Bridge [PCI0] (0000:00)
PCI: Probing PCI hardware (bus 00)
Uncovering SIS18 that hid as a SIS503 (compatible=0)
Enabling SiS 96x SMBus.
Boot video device is 0000:01:00.0
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Routing Table [\_SB_.PCI0._PRT]
ACPI: Power Resource [URP1] (off)
ACPI: Power Resource [URP2] (off)
ACPI: Power Resource [FDDP] (off)
ACPI: Power Resource [LPTP] (off)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKA] (IRQs 3 4 5 7 10 11 12 14 15) *0, disabled.
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKB] (IRQs 3 4 5 7 10 11 12 14 15) *0, disabled.
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKC] (IRQs 3 4 5 7 10 *11 12 14 15)
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKD] (IRQs 3 4 5 7 *10 11 12 14 15)
Linux Plug and Play Support v0.97 (c) Adam Belay
pnp: PnP ACPI init
pnp: PnP ACPI: found 8 devices
PnPBIOS: Disabled by ACPI PNP
PCI: Using ACPI for IRQ routing
PCI: If a device doesn't work, try "pci=routeirq".  If it helps, post a report
PCI: Ignore bogus resource 6 [0:0] of 0000:01:00.0
PCI: Bridge: 0000:00:02.0
  IO window: 9000-9fff
  MEM window: cfd00000-cfdfffff
  PREFETCH window: bfb00000-cfbfffff
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:02.0 to 64
NET: Registered protocol family 2
IP route cache hash table entries: 4096 (order: 2, 16384 bytes)
TCP established hash table entries: 16384 (order: 4, 65536 bytes)
TCP bind hash table entries: 8192 (order: 3, 32768 bytes)
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 16384 bind 8192)
TCP reno registered
audit: initializing netlink socket (disabled)
audit(1197908809.956:1): initialized
VFS: Disk quotas dquot_6.5.1
Dquot-cache hash table entries: 1024 (order 0, 4096 bytes)
Initializing Cryptographic API
io scheduler noop registered
io scheduler anticipatory registered
io scheduler deadline registered
io scheduler cfq registered (default)
isapnp: Scanning for PnP cards...
isapnp: No Plug & Play device found
Serial: 8250/16550 driver $Revision: 1.90 $ 4 ports, IRQ sharing enabled
serial8250: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
00:06: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A
RAMDISK driver initialized: 16 RAM disks of 8192K size 1024 blocksize
PNP: PS/2 Controller [PNP0303:PS2K] at 0x60,0x64 irq 1
PNP: PS/2 controller doesn't have AUX irq; using default 12
serio: i8042 KBD port at 0x60,0x64 irq 1
mice: PS/2 mouse device common for all mice
EISA: Probing bus 0 at eisa.0
Cannot allocate resource for EISA slot 5
EISA: Detected 0 cards.
TCP bic registered
NET: Registered protocol family 1
NET: Registered protocol family 17
NET: Registered protocol family 8
NET: Registered protocol family 20
Using IPI Shortcut mode
ACPI: (supports S0 S1 S4 S5)
Freeing unused kernel memory: 256k freed
Time: tsc clocksource has been installed.
input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /class/input/input0
ACPI: CPU0 (power states: C1[C1] C2[C2])
ACPI: Processor [CPU1] (supports 8 throttling states)
Uniform Multi-Platform E-IDE driver Revision: 7.00alpha2
ide: Assuming 33MHz system bus speed for PIO modes; override with idebus=xx
SIS5513: IDE controller at PCI slot 0000:00:00.1
SIS5513: chipset revision 208
SIS5513: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
SIS5513: SiS730 ATA 100 (1st gen) controller
    ide0: BM-DMA at 0xff00-0xff07, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:DMA
    ide1: BM-DMA at 0xff08-0xff0f, BIOS settings: hdc:DMA, hdd:DMA
Probing IDE interface ide0...
usbcore: registered new driver usbfs
usbcore: registered new driver hub
SCSI subsystem initialized
ohci_hcd: 2005 April 22 USB 1.1 'Open' Host Controller (OHCI) Driver (PCI)
libata version 2.00 loaded.
sis900.c: v1.08.10 Apr. 2 2006
hda: PRCF1002, CFA DISK drive
Time: acpi_pm clocksource has been installed.
ide0 at 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6 on irq 14
Probing IDE interface ide1...
hdc: Samsung CD-RW/DVD-ROM SN-308B, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
ide1 at 0x170-0x177,0x376 on irq 15
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKD] enabled at IRQ 10
PCI: setting IRQ 10 as level-triggered
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:01.2[D] -> Link [LNKD] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
ohci_hcd 0000:00:01.2: OHCI Host Controller
ohci_hcd 0000:00:01.2: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 1
ohci_hcd 0000:00:01.2: irq 10, io mem 0xcfff9000
hda: max request size: 128KiB
hda: 2031120 sectors (1039 MB) w/0KiB Cache, CHS=2015/16/63, UDMA(33)
 hda:<6>usb usb1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 1-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 1-0:1.0: 3 ports detected
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:01.3[D] -> Link [LNKD] -> GSI 10 (level, low) -> IRQ 10
ohci_hcd 0000:00:01.3: OHCI Host Controller
ohci_hcd 0000:00:01.3: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 2
ohci_hcd 0000:00:01.3: irq 10, io mem 0xcfffa000
usb usb2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
hub 2-0:1.0: USB hub found
hub 2-0:1.0: 3 ports detected
sata_sil 0000:00:0b.0: version 2.0
ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LNKC] enabled at IRQ 11
PCI: setting IRQ 11 as level-triggered
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:0b.0[A] -> Link [LNKC] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
ata1: SATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0xE0014C80 ctl 0xE0014C8A bmdma 0xE0014C00 irq 11
ata2: SATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0xE0014CC0 ctl 0xE0014CCA bmdma 0xE0014C08 irq 11
ata3: SATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0xE0014E80 ctl 0xE0014E8A bmdma 0xE0014E00 irq 11
ata4: SATA max UDMA/100 cmd 0xE0014EC0 ctl 0xE0014ECA bmdma 0xE0014E08 irq 11
scsi0 : sata_sil
ata1: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310)
ata1.00: ATA-8, max UDMA7, 976773168 sectors: LBA48 NCQ (depth 0/32)
ata1.00: ata1: dev 0 multi count 16
ata1.00: configured for UDMA/100
scsi1 : sata_sil
ata2: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 310)
scsi2 : sata_sil
ata3: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 310)
scsi3 : sata_sil
ata4: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 310)
  Vendor: ATA       Model: SAMSUNG HD501LJ   Rev: CR10
  Type:   Direct-Access                      ANSI SCSI revision: 05
ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:00:01.1[C] -> Link [LNKC] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
0000:00:01.1: Realtek RTL8201 PHY transceiver found at address 1.
0000:00:01.1: Using transceiver found at address 1 as default
eth0: SiS 900 PCI Fast Ethernet at 0xc800, IRQ 11, 00:d0:09:fd:5c:fe.
SCSI device sda: 976773168 512-byte hdwr sectors (500108 MB)
sda: Write Protect is off
sda: Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
SCSI device sda: drive cache: write back
SCSI device sda: 976773168 512-byte hdwr sectors (500108 MB)
sda: Write Protect is off
sda: Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00
SCSI device sda: drive cache: write back
 sda: sda1
sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi disk sda
hda: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x61
hda: DMA timeout error
hda: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
 hda1
hdc: ATAPI 24X DVD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 2048kB Cache, DMA
Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.20
hda: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x61
hda: DMA timeout error
hda: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x61
hda: DMA timeout error
hda: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x61
hda: DMA timeout error
hda: dma timeout error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
hda: status error: status=0x58 { DriveReady SeekComplete DataRequest }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hda: drive not ready for command
kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
Linux agpgart interface v0.101 (c) Dave Jones
agpgart: Detected SiS 730 chipset
agpgart: AGP aperture is 64M @ 0xd0000000
input: PC Speaker as /class/input/input1
Real Time Clock Driver v1.12ac
pci_hotplug: PCI Hot Plug PCI Core version: 0.5
shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
parport: PnPBIOS parport detected.
parport0: PC-style at 0x378, irq 7 [PCSPP,TRISTATE]
EXT3 FS on hda1, internal journal
loop: loaded (max 8 devices)
device-mapper: ioctl: 4.7.0-ioctl (2006-06-24) initialised: dm-devel@redhat.com
kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3 FS on sda1, internal journal
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode.
ACPI: Power Button (FF) [PWRF]
ACPI: Power Button (CM) [PWBX]
ACPI: Sleep Button (CM) [SLPB]
eth0: Media Link On 100mbps full-duplex 
NET: Registered protocol family 5
Installing knfsd (copyright (C) 1996 okir@monad.swb.de).
NFSD: Using /var/lib/nfs/v4recovery as the NFSv4 state recovery directory
NFSD: starting 90-second grace period

As you can see I've tried to start with ide=nodma but it doesn't seem to resolve it, apparently this seems to happen to many people with Deb4.0 but I cant for the life of me find a resolution to the issue.

I guess the question here is:
Has anyone else had the same issue? If so how did you fix it.. if not.. Glider.. HEEEEEELP! (pls kthx, ecookie for you and all that stuff)

 

Just having a quick google round and some are suggesting its the kernel version being older. Try running Lenny (deb testing) it has a newer kernel and that should work. Failing that try finding a card with DMA, they are quite rare it seems and of course no one advertises the fact. My crucial card works fine but it cost a lot more than the cheap cards which don't seem to.

 

With Gentoo it's not that hard, but I never tried in on Debian...

This might help: http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=52

 

What he's doing should work it just doesn't. That is very old, 2.6.8, i would try and get a better card personally dma is quite useful.

 

A little deeper googling reveals that there is something about "auto-configure PCI IDE UDMA something-doohdah" not being selected in the kernel which can help resolve the issue. I may just wind up getting a different card though as it would be nice to have the extra speed and lack of having to re-compile (I'm lazy) though it will mean re-installing all over again.

The other next question, is how can I hide a share to all users and have it only visible to one (like the home directories)?

 

Take of copy of the card and just copy it back to the new card when your done, all you'll need to do is setup grub. The first time you do, it can be tricky but its ultimately a worth while exercise.