====== Linux_Alternatives_to_Windows_Home_Server_Features ======

===== Computer Backup =====
==== [[http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/info.html|BackupPC]] (**[[BackupPC|Guide]]**) ====
  * File-level storage pooling vs cluster-level in WHS.
  * Supports Linux and Windows machines.
  * Copies over SMB/rsync, thus will require whole HDD to be shared in order to back up the entire disk (alternatively only directories that need backing up can be shared).
  * Web interface to view logs, configuration, current status, and can also be used to initiate or cancel backups, and to browse backed up files and restore them.
  * Restoration can be done either over SMB or with a downloaded ZIP/Tar file.
  * Emails can be sent if a machine hasn't been backed up in a while.

===== Expandable Storage Pool (Drive Extender) =====
==== [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_Volume_Manager_(Linux)|LVM]] ([[Logical Volume Manager|Guide]]) ====
  * Can add/remove physical volumes from a logical volume online.
  * Can stripe the whole or part of a volume across physical volumes similarly to RAID 0.
  * Can mirror the whole or part of a volume across physical volumes similarly to RAID 1.
  * Can move logical volumes between physical volumes.
  * Can create read-only snapshots of logical volumes.
  * Can create read-write snapshots of logical volumes.

===== Shadow Copies (Volume Snapshot Service) =====
==== [[http://www.wlug.org.nz/SambaShadowCopyHowto|LVM + Samba]] ====
  * Snapshots taken at scheduled times.

===== Windows-Specific Testing =====
==== VMware Server ([[VMware Server on Ubuntu|Guide]]) ====
  * Can use VMware Server along with various Windows ISOs from MSDN-AA to do any necessary Windows testing

===== File Sharing (SMB) =====
==== Multiple: ====
  * Samba for SMB/CIFS.
  * NFS for other Linux clients.
  * iSCSI maybe for illusion-of-local-disk on clients. (**[[iSCSI Enterprise Target|Guide]]**)
  * Apache + PHP for HTTP/HTTPS, giving remote file access.  Write my own or use pre-made software?

===== Media Streaming (UPnP AV Server) =====
==== MythTV ====
  * Seems overkill just to share media to Xbox etc.
==== uShare ====
  * Less overkill, if it works.  Xbox 360 is able to see the music, but not play it.

===== Power Management =====
  * Spin down disks?  How will LVM affect this?
    * ''hdparm'''s **-S** argument.  "-S 120" for 10 minutes, "-S 240" for 20 minutes.  Anything above that gets complicated, so read ''man hdparm''.
  * SpeedStep support?  cpufreq, but should be automatic.  cpufreq has this bad habit of not actually changing the CPU speed and leaving it at its minium, from what I can tell.

===== DVD Ripping =====
  * FairUse Wizard under a Windows VM shouldn't be much slower (can only make use of two cores anyway).
  * A GUI'd Linux app no doubt exists.
  * As (probably) does a CLI app, but that could very well be painful to use.
  * http://www.mrbass.org/linux/ubuntu/dvdshrink/
  * A ripper that can put more than 2 audio streams in a container would be nice for, e.g. SG-1's 200.  Also one that could extract more than 1 subtitle stream at once...

===== Other Considerations =====
  * Support audio output over coax S/PDIF.  So a music server could exist with web and/or (preferably) non-web remote control.
    * MPD? (**[[Pitchfork & MPD with PulseAudio|Guide]]**)
    * Volume mixing from desktop + Xbox?
    * Network streaming?  Using Windows machines as PulseAudio clients (audio sources) is really horrible currently.
  * Bluetooth support?  Not sure how far that could go, but could be interesting nonetheless.
    * Local internet access on phone?
    * Bluetooth media remote control for music player?
  * **4+GB RAM**. By [[Recompiling Ubuntu's Kernel|recompiling the kernel]], Physical Address Extension (PAE) can be enabled in the BIOS, allowing the operating system to address more than ~3GB RAM.  Window Server also supports this, but most drivers do not, causing endless BSODs.