XigmaNAS

Hi all,

This is my first posting of any kind at a NAS forum.

As you know, XP will soon be dead in the water, and I have been entertaining ideas about turning my old XP computer into a NAS device. For the past few days, I have been following this tutorial as a guide of sorts...

http://www.anotherwindowsblog.com/2012/ ... twork.html

I have been trying to make a demo NAS configuration on a 16GB USB flash drive using install options 1 or 2. The installation and configuration seems to easy enough, but after signing in to the web interface, I cannot seem to duplicate Simon's example of Creating Directories.

His example is: [admin] Directory: /mnt/Storage.
Mine example looks something like: Storage/Directory, and there is nothing in the Directory folder.

Another problem I can't seem to solve is how to increase the storage partition size. It defaults to about 8MB for some reason.

I'm an old shoe with Windows operating systems, but the learning curve with NAS4Free seems rather steep at the moment. Is this software more suited for people with IT degrees, or was it made with the casual user in mind?

Regards.

missing a few steps

after getting to the GUI
for a single storage drive
1] install the drive DISKS>MANAGEMENT>+[add]
2] format disk ufs [same drop down]
3] mount the drive [same drop down]

now the disk should show on the status page

then set up share SERVICES>CIFS/SMB both tabs

restart
then from the client computer explore the network, find and map the drive

some errors:

rustyfender wrote:Another problem I can't seem to solve is how to increase the storage partition size. It defaults to about 8MB for some reason.

perhaps do you mean boot partition size?, data size is only limited by size of your data disk, boot size is limited by defaul to 384MB in 9.1.0.1.xxx version of Nas4Free and to 1024MB for 9.2.0.1.xxx ( only on embede install), on full install you can select any size for the boot partition.

perhaps more info are wellcome: http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=playground:sug

http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=faq:0041

raulfg3 wrote:some errors:

rustyfender wrote:Another problem I can't seem to solve is how to increase the storage partition size. It defaults to about 8MB for some reason.

perhaps do you mean boot partition size?, data size is only limited by size of your data disk, boot size is limited by defaul to 384MB in 9.1.0.1.xxx version of Nas4Free and to 1024MB for 9.2.0.1.xxx ( only on embede install), on full install you can select any size for the boot partition.

perhaps more info are wellcome: http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=playground:sug

http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=faq:0041

I finally figured out that the NAS OS is installed on partition 1, but the Storage folder I created on partition 2 is only 8 MB in size. There are no parameters to set the size of this folder that I can see unless I am looking in the wrong place.


Thanks for the guide links, but some of the information is rather vague, in that it does not break down components such as Groups and Users into more definable terms. I would have never gotten this far without Simon's tutorial, but I had problems at the start of the second page concerning Users & Groups.

Basically, all I am interested in is a place to store Acronis images (and maybe a few other files) of C drive on a NAS machine. I don't really need a lot of folders with the exception of a Public folder and a folder or partition for me. At the moment, I don't need to access a NAS from the web (but I may add that option later on if I can figure out how to protect the NAS in Windows-like fashion), and a RAID array is useless since I have only one IDE harddrive.

I have no IT degree, although I do have an Associates degree in CNC programming, AutoCAD, and various other machine shop software.

Has anyone considered making a tutorial in dummy-like fashion for NAS beginners?

I'm lost.

If I choose installation choice 1, the USB drive is set for all OS. Which is OK, but even after I add another USB drive for storage, and format it in UFS, it (the storage drive) will not mount.

If I choose installation choice 2, the USB drive allots 24MB for the OS, and then creates a second (much larger) partition in UFS format for data storage. The DOS instructions from the NAS drive tell me to mount it as follows...

Use the following parameters:
Disk da1, Partition 2, Partition type MBR, File system UFS
DO NOT format the drive da1! The data partition has already been formatted for you as part of the installation!


Everything works like clockwork using choice number 2, but after I create a Group (Public) and a User (me), I cannot find the folder hierarchy (in Advanced: File Manager) containing the .mnt folder. All I can see is Directory: Home >> Storage

I have followed Simon's instructions as well as I know how, but I just cannot recreate his example. Am I making this too hard?

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armandh, after reviewing your instructions, I can see Nas4free in the Windows 7 network, but there is nothing (no folders) to access. Suggestions?

if you explore the network and see the NAS4Free clicking on it should display the storage drive
IF [at the GUI] you have the correct path in the share tab under CFIS/SMB [to the storage displayed at the bottom of the status page]
here, in the share tab, the icon just right of the "type in" line will drop down the path to click.

the first time is hard for a noob
it took me several tries while following an old U-tube how to video
the second time you are no longer a noob and it is much easier. [a 15 minute job]

I'll keep trying, although I have gone over this many times already.

For what it's worth, I did manage to access the storage drive from Windows Network, and I copied a 50MB file over to it, so that tells me that I have more storage room than I previously thought. After closing out of the storage folder, I tried to access it again, but I got a message saying that this folder is not accessible, or you may not have permissions.

I'll be glad to view that video, armandh, if you can remember the link location.

Bear with me. I'll figure this out eventually, and I appreciate everyone's input.

EDIT: Here's a basic video tutorial link if anyone wants to view it. It helps some, but it doesn't address my Groups & Folders issue...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... v6gWhVy_Hc

Solved.

My problem stemmed from using the wrong sign-in credentials at Advanced: File Manager.

I was using my User name listed under Users & Groups instead of the administrator's credentials (admin / nas4free) to gain access to the Advanced: File Manager folder tree.

Everything seems to be clicking as it should, now, from what I can tell.

I advise everyone reading this to visit Simon's great NAS4Free tutorial if you are just getting started in network attached storage.

Where are the thread tools to mark my thread as resolved?

edit your first post, and add [SOLVED] to title.

Thank you.