Up Next: Fixing my File Server

[overclockedmind]

This is the guy that I assigned a static IP to, then I was screwed when the router wouldn't change subnets, so I wanted a manual IP. Was considering "DHCP with a static IP."

Got it wired up with stuff (had to buy some of that, thus my comment on the other thread) and sda2 (one of the two hard drives, and a boot volume) is full of I/O errors, that I don't think it's gonna make it past.

... sigh. Booting LM and trying to a) copy the stuff from the server to the NTSC volume on another drive (this is another partition.) If I can't, that drive is hosed, and I get an NTFS copy of the last backup I made. Not great, but PITA.

If that will work (I'll fsck the volume containing the actual server info, that's another test.)

If nothing else, it's about to be not-redundant, LMAO.

Of course I'll check cabling and whatnot first, but it's hitting grub and Xubuntu boot menu... so I think we're losing a drive.

More to follow.

[overclockedmind]

Yeah, I'm getting kicked out of even a boot from USB because of errors on sda and sda2.

Gonna have to unplug one drive just to get this thing to boot.

Bleh.

[overclockedmind]

Don't mind me if you hear any screaming... this is one of those boards that's too dang smart for its own good... ie, a server board, not just a workstation board.

Re-flashing key with a different utility after a wipe (hpusb wipe/Ventoy) so I can try about 8 million (lol) ISOs. Had been using balenaEtcher.
Meanwhile the board said something to the effect of "if you want to run Unix, you need to specify that in the BIOS..."

Yeah, board, I might try that... also tried waiting approximately forever to see if it was gonna timeout on me and give up trying to... whatever has got it hanging.

Whee, cleaning USB ports is fun... (I've been here before, no ports will be harmed in the making of this film)

[overclockedmind]

It won't.

It won't boot from usb (which is sorta nuts) with this new key, either. And if it turned on that Unix crap... God only knows.

It will not boot from USB with no SATA devices.

... I'm working at it, but hey, honestly I may be burning an optical disk at this point.

Let's have a competition... what's the cheapest USB empty 3.5" SATA drive case I can get away with, reliably?

Why? The Macbook Air or Windows 10 might be doing this job for me, assuming all else fails. I'm thinking Best Buy. Something in-store that they can ship to me, that I can do ONE drive swap with should I need to get "the other hard drive" involved.

Does anyone know how to get Xubuntu initramfs to fsck all of the disks, ALL of them, and not quit?

Meanwhile, I'm off to... try flipping some BIOS settings around.

[overclockedmind]

And, I would consider PXE or optical booting this thing. From Windows. No Ethernet on the MBA. and right now I can't find the spindle of optical disks I have.

Here's out of left field: PXE booting from Windows via a Ubuntu-on-Windows install? Either in it, or out of it, though I'd prefer I don't have to live boot an OS to... live boot an OS. lol.

Running out of ideas.

[overclockedmind]

Edit: It's sitting here fscking itself madly. I quit that though, I can't see enough at the moment.

I guess... Walmart might work? I'm not liking their selection much. Amazon, if it comes to it.

Edit: Trying a different USB key, just in case...

[overclockedmind]

Different USB worked. Isolate, man, isolate.

I'm a bit rusty, but I have been doing this stuff half my life (I'm in my 40s.)

At least I'm "in."

[overclockedmind]

Welp, that one's over, for awhile. Guess I still have it?

BTW, if a http request is made, my router locks up. Fun, eh?

I got the stuff copying to an external drive, and I'm copying the newest version to the oldest as I type. So, that's uh, backed up three times...

Screw this stuff for now, LOL.

[overclockedmind]

Welp, that one's over, for awhile. Guess I still have it?

BTW, if a http request is made, my router locks up. Fun, eh?

I got the stuff copying to an external drive, and I'm copying the newest version over the oldest as I type. So, that's uh, backed up three times...

Screw this stuff for now, LOL.

[tperry2x]

Sounds like fun. If this kind of thing you find "fun", that is... - sounds like the sort of thing I get up to most of the time behind the scenes.

The thing with the BIOS and the USB keys, might be down to secure boot. Without seeing the BIOS setup, it's hard to say - but I wouldn't chuck those USB keys out yet as they might just not be configured for secure boot. Otherwise perfectly fine.

Linux mint is perfectly fine, and you'll find there's a huge support community as it's a popular distro - plus being Ubuntu-based, there's usually a way to achieve what you want... (sometimes too many conflicting ways to do the same thing, if anything). It might not be the most lightweight OS out there, but I'm sure it'll seem nice and quick compared to Ventura or Windows 11.

[FourthWorld]

For file serving and syncing, have you considered Nextcloud?

On Ubuntu-based systems like System 76's PopOS, Snap is available.

I've found using the Snap deployment of Nextcloud has almost eliminated most system-level maintenance. Installation, backup, even migration of Snap packages is usually just a one-liner.

[overclockedmind]

Sounds like fun. If this kind of thing you find "fun", that is... - sounds like the sort of thing I get up to most of the time behind the scenes.

The thing with the BIOS and the USB keys, might be down to secure boot. Without seeing the BIOS setup, it's hard to say - but I wouldn't chuck those USB keys out yet as they might just not be configured for secure boot. Otherwise perfectly fine.

Linux mint is perfectly fine, and you'll find there's a huge support community as it's a popular distro - plus being Ubuntu-based, there's usually a way to achieve what you want... (sometimes too many conflicting ways to do the same thing, if anything). It might not be the most lightweight OS out there, but I'm sure it'll seem nice and quick compared to Ventura or Windows 11.

I do find it fun. A bit exhausting, maybe, but fun for certain. When I worked for a company (instead of for myself which was the lion's share of my time) the boss thought I could wear five hats, going on-site to our sweetheart customers, being the resident ACMT, while also wrenching and servicing the area's out-of-warranty Macs as well, while doing deliveries location to location when I got off work. I was working unpaid overtime like mad and the boss knew this; he had cameras everywhere. Every night I would give up, knowing "I wasn't clearing the backlogs tonight" and clocking out.

Then they moved me to running a location by myself, without the second "network tech" who would have been doing that sweetheart work both virtually and physically. It became ALL on ME. When I asked about what I was to do with the customers Apple was setting a time limit on, and all the in-store work I had to do (they were closing the shop to send me to sweethearts) I was told to lie to them.

I immediately responded with "here's what I'll do: I'll forward them to you, and YOU can lie to them. I don't do that and am disgusted by the thought and complexity of keeping track of a bunch of lies."

As you can imagine, this didn't last long. I was seriously genetically predestined to panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder anyway. I was getting sick every single day on the way to work. My anxiety went through the roof, which I had, but had managed to that point. I burnt out so hard that I created a crater when I gave that job up. And honestly? It never really got better.

Thus... I'm disabled. Just had a panic attack this morning, which is wearing off. Don't ask how many I have a day, a week... you don't wanna know.

-------------

But to flip this bright-side for a second, I'm alive, and I get to enjoy most of my time tinkering, like working at this file server business. And helping with the OXT project(s.) It's my story... there's ups and downs, but yes, I enjoy life. Being able to do that aside from the panic... good stuff, good stuff indeed.

Sorry, I know I went deep here, but I figured I'd have it "out there." And plus, it's cathartic to write about. Not to mention, it's my story and I probably need to save it somewhere locally now, so I don't have to re-tell it, LOL.

I do enjoy tinkering. Machines will not master me, basically, is the mindset. Put some Final Fantasy boss music on and let's do this.

[overclockedmind]

Man, is NTFS fragmentation ever a Thing.

Does anyone know a modern replacement for like, say LAN Messenger? I want to use it to talk on the LAN, but more importantly, I want to see a dude named "Server" and be able to know his IP address from it. That would REALLY help me, here.

[overclockedmind]

T-Mobile's AP is doing everything it can to try and stop me from having a file server set up. When... it would save them outbound traffic.

Soo stupid.

[richmond62]

Never even try to question the daftnesses of service providers: mainly because our understanding of the word 'service' will always be at the odds of theirs.

[overclockedmind]

Never even try to question the daftnesses of service providers: mainly because our understanding of the word 'service' will always be at the odds of theirs.

Indeed. I can't see the machine via a hostname ping. And I know exactly why... the IP of the machine does not show in the router's admin page, either.

Just... infuriating.

[FourthWorld]

T-Mobile's AP is doing everything it can to try and stop me from having a file server set up.

Is this T-Mobile's 5G home internet?

[overclockedmind]

T-Mobile's AP is doing everything it can to try and stop me from having a file server set up.

Is this T-Mobile's 5G home internet?

Unfortunately...

[FourthWorld]

I also use T-Mobile 5G. Good value, but the Carrier-Grade NAT that drives their network prevents me from using my lovely 2U server for anything outside my LAN.

I've become okay with this, given how cheap VPSes have become.

[overclockedmind]

I also use T-Mobile 5G. Good value, but the Carrier-Grade NAT that drives their network prevents me from using my lovely 2U server for anything outside my LAN.

I've become okay with this, given how cheap VPSes have become.

Exactly. There's a workaround; ya just gotta find it, and be ready for it.
In that regard, do you know if it will accept DHCP with a static IP, within its subnet? I'm thinking 192.168.x.250 for the file server, but it may throw a fit if I declare a static IP even within its subnet. Ideas at all?