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I have a fairly straightforward list of needs and wants from a server OS, and so far haven't found anything I'm truly happy with. I'm looking for:

  • An OS that will run on my x64 CPU, 4GB RAM, 120GB OS drive
  • A native, or highly supported, UPnP server
  • Native RAID5 software support (very important to me)
  • Generally "designed for server duty" (not looking for an auto-login desktop OS with a lot of things in the Startup folder)
  • The ability to grab torrents and files from Usenet (which may conflict with previous requirement, if a Windows OS -- I'm unsure)
  • Web configuration or some other happy bubbly interface
  • Email notification of problems
  • Installation from USB available

I have easy access to Microsoft software (MSDN sub), and I know my way around a Debian/Ubuntu box "well enough". The closer to turnkey the better, but I don't mind doing some configuration. In the interest of preventing flame wars, I will try ALL serious OS recommendations.

Right now, WHS2011 is out of the question because of the lack of RAID5 and the requirement of a 160GB OS drive.

edit: To clarify the torrent/newsgroup requirement: I realize this isn't an OS level thing, but most of the Windows solutions I'm familiar with require a desktop user to be logged in and don't run as a service.

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Would ZFS RAID-Z1 be ok instead of RAID 5? – sblair Jul 29 '11 at 1:38
Most clients can run as a service using srvany. deciphered.net/blog/2007/04/25/… – ta.speot.is Jul 29 '11 at 2:27
While we're at it, your MSDN subscription does not give you access to Microsoft software for your home server. – ta.speot.is Jul 29 '11 at 2:39
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closed as too localized by random♦ Jul 29 '11 at 1:30

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1 Answer

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Windows Server 2008 R2

  • An OS that will run on my x64 CPU, 4GB RAM, 120GB OS drive - check
  • A native, or highly supported, UPnP server - Windows Media Player has this out of the box (apparently) - just install the desktop experience component
  • Native RAID5 software support (very important to me) - check
  • Generally "designed for server duty" (not looking for an auto-login desktop OS with a lot of things in the Startup folder) - check
  • The ability to grab torrents and files from Usenet (which may conflict with previous requirement, if a Windows OS -- I'm unsure) - This isn't an operating system thing, get a good torrent client
  • Web configuration or some other happy bubbly interface - check, RDP
  • Email notification of problems - check, just set it up
  • Installation from USB available - check
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I clarified my torrent/newsgroup requirement in the original question, thanks for showing me it was somewhat flawed. – insta Jul 29 '11 at 1:26
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