I thought I'd have a go at creating a media server from an old PC I've got laying around. Anyone else had a go at doing this? What OS and software did you use?

I have built my own out of spares I had around. I used the FreeNAS OS as there are lots of plugins to run media servers. I run plex on it and it works very well.

You might find this useful, and have a read of the FreeeNAS website and documentation.

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/07/23/how-to-build-a-nas-box/1

Another vote for nas4free. We use a hp microserver with nas4free which serves out "media" via it's built in dnla server to our samsung smart tv.

The only issue is that it doesn't auto update the database, however I have cron (inbuilt scheduler) scripts that auto update every night and a web button that does it on demand.

Happy to share the scripts if you need them.

I run my main desktop as a media server (as well as a normal pc).

Runs Win 8.1 and then serviio as the media server.

I have no need for a front end application as my extenders are an xbox 360 and a PS3.

Just another method to throw into the mix

Edited 16 August, 201411 yr by djswivel

I have FreeNAS running. I have two drives installed and mounted. I have been able to set permissions for writing to one of the volumes but the other volume is behaving strangely. I edit the permissions, save, and go back in and the changes haven't saved.

What did you install FreeNAS to? The drive that you put the system on can't be used for storage. 

Freenas is running on a USB stick (I think), and I have two drives installed.

 

I have the permissions working now, and my bluray player can see the server, but I'm buggered if I can see how you add videos to the minidlna server.

Freenas is running on a USB stick (I think), and I have two drives installed.

 

I have the permissions working now, and my bluray player can see the server, but I'm buggered if I can see how you add videos to the minidlna server.

While configuring the minidlna plugin you select where it will store the minidlna media data, you then need to go to the minidlna jail and link where your video files are and the media folder in minidlna. The process is similar to initalily setting up Plex http://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/tutorial-how-to-install-plex-in-a-jail.19412/

I've now installed Plexmedia plugin and have the same issue with permissions. I've allocated the source and destinations for the share, but I can't set permissions so that the client can write to it.

What user are you using to connect to the server to write to it?

Nas4free uses nix users and file privs so you may need to setup the users and privs on the base os.

Utterly hacked off now with FreeNAS. Can't get this PC to boot from the Ubuntu server image on USB, which is how I came to be using FreeNAS.

 

Seriously thinking of just putting Windows on it.......or giving up totally.

Utterly hacked off now with FreeNAS. Can't get this PC to boot from the Ubuntu server image on USB, which is how I came to be using FreeNAS.

 

Seriously thinking of just putting Windows on it.......or giving up totally.

 

I've just picked up on you using freenas not nas4free (the original team forked it and created nas4free whilst a company took over freenas).  What version are you using 7 or 8? 

 

Also when you say the privs is this to write to a cifs/smb share or something else?

 

If you have a free windows license and you PC is capable windows makes a pretty good media server as there's loads of software that will run on it, especailly if you have an apple tv / xbox etc.

Just run linux for the OS and use the server as NAS

In the end I just used Ubuntu workstation and Plex media server.

Plex Media server is fantastic, once its setup and working. Once setup correctly you can access your music anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection, I've listened to music in Spain and France whilst streaming from my home in Dorset, watched BBC iPlayer in spain all through Plex media server and the PLEX home theatre application on my laptop and iphone.

 

I'm a lifetime plexpass subscriber which adds even more features, like backing up my phone photos directly to the server, subtitles, cloud sync and more.

Is iPlayer a plugin for Plex? How do you integrate that into it?

 

Do you have to be a paid member to be able to stream content from outside your home network?

iplayer is a plugin. use the web console and select channels down the left side, then install channels, you do not need to be a subscriber for any of this to work. Just create a free plex account, configure the server with the plex account username and password. Plex media server will configure everything, then download the paid for plex app and enter the same username and password.

 

You can also use a web browser to access you media by going to http://plex.tv/web/app and logging in with your username and password.