Linux to the rescue, with optimization! [story]

This is my second post in linuxmasterrace, and is more serious in the benefits of having used Linux than my last post.

So, a little over a year ago I had decided to set up a Plex server for my parents so they could stream movies to their Chromecast. Initially I thought this would be an easy, non-demanding task that I could have any computer do. This was not the case.

My first choice was my 2006 iMac, with an upgraded Core 2 Duo @ 2.26GHz, running OS X 10.6.8. Once I had Plex set up and loading movies from the internal HDD, my parents quickly discovered it was not powerful enough. Most movies were buffering frequently, and even becoming unresponsive at times. Keep in mind, these weren't even high resolution movies. These were DVD quality, or at most 720p Blu-ray. This would not do, but I didn't have any more powerful computers at my disposal to turn into a dedicated Plex server.

So, I decide to put Arch Linux to the test. I want a server that runs Plex and only Plex. I grab a mostly-built computer I had laying around. Core 2 Duo @ 2.2GHz w/ 3GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM. So I put in a crappy 20GB HDD from my Xbox 360 and load Arch Linux onto it. I set a password for the root account, enable sshd, and unplugged it.

I then add a 500GB HDD and a gigabit NIC since I had one available. I plug it into the power, and LAN. Desktop Environments are for the weak, and glutenous. So I SSH in from my main Linux box and load Plex up from the AUR. Enable it, start it, and access it from the web interface. I then add a couple of movies for testing. 1080p Blu-ray rip, 720p Blu-ray rip, and a DVD quality. I SFTP them over, and add them to the server database and go upstairs for the test.

Lo and behold, it's working flawlessly. All the movies played without hesitation. So I put it on probation, expecting it to start having issues fairly quickly. But it's now been used every weekend for about a year without skipping a beat, using movies of various quality. Mostly 1080p Blu-ray rips now though. ;)

And that's my story of how Arch Linux saved the day, and made my spare parts server work perfectly.

Submitted by Quade321 | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016