I looked for this info but didn’t really see a thread about it, if there is one, a link is sufficient :)
I have a win 11 off-shelf mediocre pc for my Plex/jellyfin servers (basically nothing else on that pc; it also functions as a playback device, but it has all the libraries on it so does not matter at all how I access them) and fuck windows and stuff… it was a temporary replacement for my mobo-dead Ubuntu tower, but knowing more things than I did back then, I don’t want to ‘buntu either.
So I’m looking for a good stable distro with really good file management options; bulk rename with rules is a must even if it’s an additional program (built in to Ubuntu, very very nice utility for my exact use).
I’m thinking about trying pop, tbh mostly because I’ve heard of it and mostly good things, but idk if that’s good for the use case I have, and I do NOT want to distro-hop this specific computer. Whatever it gets has to be good enough to be a long-term stable choice (to the best of anyone’s knowledge), because I’m not going to change it later; that’s almost certainly too much work. I’ve tried a few Debian-based distros, and whatever Mint is (I do not like mint at all, please don’t suggest it) on a real old enterprise tower with 16 USB ports and 4gig ram (literally nothing, including antixlinux, runs well on it and I don’t really know why…). and plan to convert a laptop with touchscreen for gaming down the line, but this specific machine is not meant for change. Ever. That’s why it’s taken me 2 years to be willing to go back to Linux. Because change means a lot of work.
Skill level: meh? Not a total noob, learned how to split tunnel just to keep my server up while VPN was active back when that was necessary, and figured out how to solve most of the issues I had with it (fucking nvidia…). Prefer CLI for program management and GUI for everything else. Worked windows tech support dealing with sql and winservers for SaaS, but no official skills or training. Only used windows, Ubuntu, and antix for any significant time.
Bonus round: anyone who’s ever transferred Plex servers from win to Linux (insert flavor), is it actually possible to keep my collections and playlists and stuff? I haven’t really messed with my jelly stuff because nobody but me ever uses it, but Plex is sort of a thing for like a dozen people I know, as “home” users. The last time I went from windows to Linux, in 2019, nothing transferred other than the files… but my library is 30tb now, not 10, and has a lot more curation than it used to, so that’s a much bigger problem than it used to be.
Thanks for taking the time to interact! I appreciate the recommendation and I’ll look into it (because it’s not Debian and docker. Debian is great, I’m sure docker is fine… but I’m super disenchanted on docker after this thread if I’m being honest)
Is it a pi because it’s made to run on a raspberrypi/orangepi/bananpi sort of system?
That’s not a bad thing, just asking. I use my rpi for pihole, but I know the os is just a pretty Linux distro.
I hear a lot of people use rpi as a host for such things. It might work for me but I have shitty old hardware that also does the job.
What made you feel that way? (I’m not too familiar with docker much tbh and I’m thinking of hosting on a Pi just like you.)
Mostly just nobody having a simple os choice that doesn’t seemingly need docker.
I don’t want docker, I don’t need docker, everything has been running for over a decade without it and maybe that makes me old and shit but… so stupid to just “docker!!!”.
It’s way way overkill for my setup and needs and yet nearly all of the replies to my post require or strongly encourage it. Maybe someday I will learn it but this isn’t encouraging, at all. It makes me want to avoid using docker because if this is what happens when people start using it (they have zero other options) and I’m not into it.
The biggest advantage for docker in the “home lab” environment is to be able to try out an app, but if you decide you don’t like it, removal is simply deleting the container and the data folder. That’s it. No trace left.
Sadly you can’t say that for installed apps.
But I agree, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Seems DietPi will be right up your street and look after things exactly how you want, simply 😁
Originally it was for the Pi, but can also be installed on x64 PC systems, either UEFI or BIOS, so basically runs on anything. It does run great on a Pi, it’s biggest advantage being that it logs to RAM, which massively saves on SD card wear. It’s also the only current distro which works reliably on the original Pi 1 nowadays (if you still have those hanging around!)
And I get that everyone saying “Docker!” is a bit boring, but there is a reason for it - containerising everything does make it a lot easier to manage and migrate everything to another system or revert back a single component to a different version. And you just backup a config file and your data folder for each container and you can recreate your system so easily. If you install directly, you have to worry about databases, file paths, permissions… but as you said, there’s nothing wrong with just installing stuff. Especially if it’s only a few programs.
I run 26 docker containers. Installing all those on a system would be a mess…
I know it’s valuable, I do, it’s just not something I am interested in at this time. It’s on my to-do list, I’m just not there yet, and so it isn’t what I’m looking for right now :) it’s a lot of extra effort I have no real reason to put forth for the basic setup I have… and sure, keeping my settings would be nice, but really not worth the extra effort at this particular moment in time if I’m being honest.
Easier is relative… can I move it? Sure! Will I ever, though? I mean… even if I could, probably not… so I don’t really care to do legwork when it probably will never actually matter. If my server computer dies again, I mean it’s not like I have RAID backups or something… ima have to rebuild the lot either way. Again.
The only things I want to learn docker for are the rrs. Sonarr, radarr, overseer, etc. I don’t have them now, so no rush.
But yeah, I only have a rpi3b+ (iirc) and that’s so much overkill for a pihole… but I got it back when it was cheap for that specific use and now I regret not getting a zero or something really shit to run the pihole off. But I’ve heard people run Plex/jelly off like suuuuper simple server configs. That’s actually why I’m here and why the docker chant has been super disenchanting. Because I figured more than a handful of people would give some sort of option for just… lightweight stability.
Debian seems to be the main rec, and I’ve heard mixed things about that as a daily driver, (and I know server software is different… sometimes… for…………reasons? That probably don’t remotely apply to me…) but the fact that the rec comes almost exclusively with containerization concerns me tbh because that’s not the kind of setup I have right now… and I don’t think I need that…