what to use for FTP/file server...

[Uhlix]

Well i have gone trough the process of setting up vsftpd and configureing it the way i wanted, now it is time to trash that system and start all over on a box that will be a dedicated 24/7 file server for my local network and also people outside.

There wont be a whole lot of traffic, but i dont really want the server to come to a grinding halt if i have 3 or 4 people uploading/downloading at the same time. I dont really have alot of cash to spend which is why im asking for advice on what would be a good solid build for around $100-$120. I will be running this on a DSL line so i am limited by speed there.

What is the main component i should focus on to be good and stable, with decent speeds.

ofcourse i know the basic answers, i just want your opionin of what would be good, i have a bad habbit of going overboard and really dont want to spend more then what is needed.

[Dog-One]

If you're talking hardware, I'd say an old pentium II machine with about 128 megs of memory (use only text mode). Load a minimal install of FC3 and then just add the basic packages you need from there. Can't say about disk space not knowing your requirements. I would probably spend a little extra time on the firewall and the traffic shaping to keep the transfers running smooth. Do shutdown all services not in use. If it's a machine that you want to just run all the time and don't want to mess with much, you may want to use some sort of watchdog that will reboot should a power blip hang the machine. I do recommend an UPS regardless.

That's what I do if it were me anyway. :)

[Uhlix]

yea thats what i was thinking like a P2 450, i think a buddy of mine has one sitting around he wont miss much. Gonna be interesting doing the firewall trough command line, i used firestarter on my last set up, but everything else was done trough a terminal. Guess i could configure everything with xwindows then just run it in text mode after im done. Prolly have two drives, a super small drive for the OS and a 160ish gig drive for storage, that should hold me off for a while.

Thanks for tip, will read up about watchdog.