[CS-FSLUG] Networking with Apples

[Nathan T.]

Hi everyone.

One of these days there's a project I would like to do, it would have to
wait until I get a stable job, but as soon as I graduate high school that's
the plan for a few years. Now this project is not really unique, it's
something I've seen done before on a site displaying mini-itx computers and
I had thought of it before, but seeing someone do it already gave me a
clearer idea of what I wanted to do. Basically what I would like to do is
get a printer cart from a store, build some extra shelves into it and modify
those so I can fit a UPS, wired and wireless router, mini-itx based system
with a raid array of hard drives (so it won't really be that small, but
still smaller than a full blown computer) and a printer. The computer itself
will serve as a file and print server and it should all go together into a
nice modified printer cart with easy access to some cat5 plugs on the back
(the router) and shouldn't need to have anything more than a power cable
sticking out from it.

Now this isn't something I'm going to do any time soon, but it's very quiet
in the list right now and I need something to keep my mind busy until
Christmas so I figured now was as good a time as any to start thinking about
this. The problem I have is what operating system to use. If I were to go
with a Linux distribution it would have to be fairly easy to set up, I know
my way around the command line well enough, but would rather have a
graphical setup tool for everything, I also would rather avoid any
distribution which I don't think gives KDE enough attention since imo that
is THE desktop for Linux and I really don't like Gnome. Windows is out of
the question, it's problematic and unreliable and I'd far sooner entrust my
expensive ink/toner and files to my cat's litter box before I would trust
Windows with them. The last viable alternative I see is Mac OS X, a Mac mini
is more expensive than your average mini-itx home server by a long shot, but
on the other hand Mac OS X should be well suited to this task shouldn't it?

I look forward to some input on this.
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