Author Topic: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network  (Read 2814 times)

abiconsulting

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Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« on: February 03, 2013, 04:37:33 pm »
I'm trying to test Zentyal 3.0.11 on my home network as a simple file server. Later I'd like to enable and configure more services, but for now that's it. I keep getting errors saying I have to configure DNS and give the box an IP address, but I did that at initial setup - or so I thought. I found other posts mentioning something similar, and many said they had to "assign static IPs" and what-not, but none walked through that I could find.

I'm running this off an old desktop machine with a single NIC. I'll just use my router as the DHCP server, etc. But, I guess I need someone to hold my hand through the configuration please. I've read for hours in the documentation, forums, and through Google searches to no avail. I'm not network wiz, so maybe my problem is all related to lack of understanding. Here's what I think I know:

I have a DSL modem connected to my TP-Link wireless router. I then have that connected to an unmanaged switch. I'm using my router as the DHCP server.

My router lists the LAN info as
IP: 192.168.1.1
Netmask: 255.255.255.0

WAN
IP Address:   192.168.0.3    Dynamic IP
Subnet Mask:   255.255.255.0   
Default Gateway:   192.168.0.1    
DNS Server:   192.168.0.1 , 68.94.156.1

I wonder if some of that should be set differently. The TP Link is assigning addresses in the 192.168.1.2/199 range. I'll narrow this and assign some items static IPs as I go (printer and Zentyal server will be reserved and assigned static)

So, what should I be doing? If someone could send me a tutorial for setting up a small home network with a file server like this that would be great, but I haven't been able to find one. Must be searching the wrong terms.

Thanks!

Sam Graf

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2013, 07:23:19 pm »
Let me start out by giving you my opinion of Zentyal as a simple file server, knowing that your longer term goal is to add services. As of Zentyal 3.0, there really is no good way to think of Zentyal as a simple file server. You'll notice that Zentyal no longer has a file sharing only module. It's not designed to serve that purpose.

The result is that you very well could find yourself facing a setup that is more complicated that you expected. With file sharing now tied to domain services, Zentyal has become a little less friendly for NAS-type purposes.

Another result will be that not many of us are likely to be doing simple file sharing from a Zentyal 3 server, so our hand-holding skills for that purpose are likely not going to be too impressive. But, let's see if we can sort it out.

You're fine starting out with a single NIC. I would configure that as an internal interface, I think, since it doesn't connect to a WAN. Zentyal will be just another machine on your network for now.

What happens next I'm not sure about. Since you (presumably) want your file server to be easy to find, the simple way is to give the internal interface a static address that's consistent with your DHCP address scheme and server. You'll always know where to find your files with a static address. But if the file sharing/domain module depends on the DNS module (I'm not near my server so cannot look, but I think it does), then you have the option of referring to your file server by host name or address. Your choice.

So I suggest either starting from scratch and treating your single NIC as an internal interface during initial configuration or starting with that change to the existing configuration and see what Zentyal asks of you. We can sort out any complications as they arise. :)

half_life

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2013, 02:18:44 am »
I would probably suggest setting this up as a 2.2 install and migrating up to 3.0 when full gateway is required.  Just my 2 cents.  As Sam pointed out 3.0 is an "all-in" sort of solution rather than a la carte solution.   Alternatively,  setting up a virtual machine with something like turnkey linux (turnkeylinux.org) file server might address the requirements in this use case.

christian

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2013, 07:15:29 am »
Debate is somewhat truncated.
As Sam and half_life wrote, if you only need file server, Zentyazl 3.0 is perhaps not the best choice (FYI, I'm running Zentyal but my main file servers are OpenMediaVault relying on Zentyal LDAP for account management)

What makes your question difficult is your wilingness to, later, add more services. What does it mean? what kind of service? with server offering only one single NIC, you will not add gateway related services (e.g. firewall). Thus I would start thinking about these services first  :-[

My second remark is about your set up:
- could you explain further what you error lessage is?
if Zentyal is configured with static IP and DNS is fully configured, it should work isn't it? (except if there is something with 3.0 that I don't remember)

half_life

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2013, 01:10:16 am »
He is talking about the error you get if you attempt to activate the samba module and you don't have dns fully configured for domain services.

christian

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2013, 06:47:18 am »
Sure but is there anything, with Zentyal 3.0, preventing to define the unique NIC as internal and fully configure DNS so that Samba 4 can be installed ? I'm a bit confused with this  :-[

Sam Graf

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2013, 01:59:54 pm »
Sure but is there anything, with Zentyal 3.0, preventing to define the unique NIC as internal and fully configure DNS so that Samba 4 can be installed?

I don't think so, but I've never done it so I'm unsure about the extent of the DNS configuration. It would be pretty straightforward under 2.2, and maybe it is under 3.0 as well; I'm just not sure what Samba expects.

My thought was that maybe if the NIC was configured correctly during intial setup and if Samba and its dependencies were installed together, Zentyal magic would make it just work. :)

half_life

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2013, 05:43:20 am »
It can be done don't get me wrong.  I just feel taking on setting up a full domain controller to serve up a few files and nothing else is a little overkill.  Unless something has changed in the interim the Zentyal machine will have to be the first dns server of any windows machine that wants to join the domain.  That is the only real caveat that I can think of.

christian

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2013, 05:58:06 am »
I fully share but don't you feel that Windows DC is overkill too here?
I mean that simple file server should fit.

half_life

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2013, 02:18:34 pm »
Complexities hidden behind the turnkey linux method wouldn't be too bad.  Set up Freenas?  Sort of like bringing the dump truck to empty the cat box.  Media Vault?  Easier but still too many moving pieces to achieve a simple task.  Fact of the matter is that Zentyal is moving away from the home hobbyist market.  If they intend to keep that segment of the market it would require more extensive how-to documents.  I use Zentyal at my house (3.0 now) but then again I have been using linux almost since there was a linux. 

christian

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2013, 02:55:27 pm »
Is OMV really that complex ?
I'm using it and I'm quite happy with it. Easy and reliable.
When it comes to share files and folders and compare to Zentyal, OMV fits better my own needs. One could see the need of additional server as a drawback. To me this is instead an added value as my data are not stored on my internet gateway (here Zentyal).
OMV benefits from Zentyal accounts and groups management and offers more flexibility both in term of protocol (NFS and rsync) and shares configuration (at least compared to Zentyal V2.2, I'm not using V3.0)

Sam Graf

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2013, 03:21:23 pm »
Is OMV really that complex ?

I would say yes if the goal is simple file sharing. A consumer NAS device is simpler yet accomplishes the goal of simple file sharing. For example, in reading the OMV forums, I can see that people are puzzled about how to do something basic like back up their file server (it's not at all clear that it can even be done in a typical way, IMHO, but that's a discussion for a different forum). I think a consumer NAS device is going to be easier to figure out.

That said, if I were setting up a home file server on an spare XP-era computer or something like that, I think OMV is a good option to Zentyal for just file sharing. It may be more complex and obscure than a consumer NAS, but it still seems to me a better choice (relying on Zentyal 2.2 as a simple file server is at best a short-term strategy, it seems to me).

jbahillo

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2013, 07:14:31 pm »
I would like to just remind you that although Zentyal 3 creates a domain, there is no need for a workstation to be joined to it. If you just use a workstation being in a WORKGROUP, instead of in a domain, you would use samba as a single file server

;)

half_life

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Re: Zentyal 3 as File Server, but not gateway, for home network
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2013, 08:06:45 pm »
Thanks Jbahillo,  duly noted.  After my final post last night it struck me that we completely forgot about the original poster and began debating.     To him:

You will need to finish setting up your DNS as per the how-to for Zentyal 3 file sharing.  I am at work right now.  I will add a link when I am at home.  After that things should begin working for you.