Linux ripping / streaming and server set-up

Posted by: Julian H on 23 April 2011

I decided I want to do the job properly [and only once] so I have invested in an HP server for home with 3x2tb drives for storage and 1x250mb for the o/s etc.., The 3x2tb drives are to be run in RAID to allow for drive failure replaceability without data loss. The server will be used for my images as well as music.

My intention was to get MS Windows Home Server 2011, RipNAS and the free app to allow Time Machine to back up too [the whole house is MAC based so WHS would be the only MS product].

Before I do the above I have been running the machine with Ubuntu server. It seems to be running okay so wondered if this could be the long term solution [bearing in mind there is no other MS product in the house]. I have the following queries...

1] Is there an app for Linux that will allow Apple Time Machine to work?

2] Is there an app for Linux that will rip to both Apple Lossless [for my iPod] and WAV [for NDX and UQ] at the same time?

3] Do you think running Ubuntu server instead of WHS2011 would present any problems in an otherwise all Apple household?

Please bear in mind, I am a computer user, not expert so set up needs to be relatively straightforward and operationally slick/automated!

Thanks, Julian

Posted on: 23 April 2011 by Aleg

1. After some Googling the following quote:

HowTo: Make Ubuntu A Perfect Mac File Server And Time Machine Volume

2. You can use dBPoweramp on Linux using Wine (a Windows emulator for Linux). dBPoweramp can rip parallel to multple formats.

3. There are plenty audio / media servers for Linux out there. I consider mpd a very good one for audio only.

Please bear in mind, I am a computer user, not expert so set up needs to be relatively straightforward and operationally slick/automated!

I would be carefull before jumping onto Linux. It is fine if everything works straight out of the box, but otherwise you need to be pretty technicaly educated for debugging software problems on Linux. I have not been able to predict beforehand that a piece of software will operate without issues.

If you use Linux Server Editions, be aware that they by default they are without GUI and operate by command line or remote desktop. You can allways put a GUI Desktop on the server but than there is not much difference with using a Linux Destop Edition from the start (not completely true, it is a bit of a wide sweep ).

If you not comfortable with the technical side of computers and OS'es and esp. Linux I would hesitate to advise you to try Linux.

aleg

Posted on: 23 April 2011 by Tog

If you haven't tried it already - take a look at Vortexbox; a complete music server solution that sits on top of Linux (Fedora14) Vortexbox is currently at v1.8, mature and unless you use very odd hardware generally rock solid. I have now run numerous servers based on VB including. Vaio netbook running closed as a headless server..

You can download it for free and install it on your own hardware ( the HP would be great), buy from Vortexbox or go for the full enchilada at Sonore with a full audiophile server with professional dig out.

It rips to flac by default, will mirror to mp3 or alac, can be configured to rip to wav, has a built in ITunes server and with Bliss will manage your cover art. It has native Sonos, squeeze server support and will also rip / serve DVDs with Blu Ray support pending.

You can administer via any browser Nd the forums are very helpful.

So far my v1.8 servers have been rock solid with n-stream.

Tog

Posted on: 23 April 2011 by Julian H

Thanks Aleg and Tog. Very interesting and positive. I think I will investigate some more.

Aleg, I am using Ubuntu Server with a GUI already. I don't do "sitting around trying to make computers work" very well so I will try and if I don't get there fairly simply, I will move on. Last time I used an emulator I didn't have much luck [Ubuntu desktop and Photoshop] though but at the very least I'll be able to use Time Machine

Tog. I had no idea you could do Apple Lossless and WAV on Linux. Thats good news. I will try and investigate some more. Do you reckon Ubuntu Server is the right O/S to use or would something else be better?

Cheers, Julian

Posted on: 26 April 2011 by Tog

Julian Ubuntu is a fantastic Linux distro if you want a complete OS replacement and getting better and better with the latest versions. You can use Rythmnbox with UPnP extensions quite effectively.

For a UPnP server focussed solution I really do believe Vortexbox is hard to beat and development is equally as rapid. After two weeks in the sun I've come back to over 100 mb of updates and being Linux the update procedure is quick and painless. I use the default flac options to serve my Uniti using n-stream and it works brilliantly. I don't bother with the alac mirroring as the DAAP server transcodes to wav before delivering a stream to ITunes.

No fussing with protected shares or windows only desktop software.

Tog