this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2025
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Oh no need to sell me on Linux, I'm a fan of Linux Mint and Ubuntu, but my current laptop is an Apple M2 Pro, so if I can keep using that as my daily driver, I think I will. I'm most interested in more of a file sharing server type of service perhaps. Some way I could decouple from Google Drive for file storage is probably a good entry spot I'd think. I have an Ubuntu laptop with a dead battery I've not turned on in years I could repurpose as a server I'd think. It started it's life as an MSI "gaming" Windows laptop, so it should have enough horsepower to be a file server if I knew what software to use and how to safely configure it and what software to use on my other devices to safely access it.
Have you tried just using a fileshare if it's just your other devices? You can VPN into a cheap Edge Router Lite and be able to access it remotely. I think you'll need a Dynamic DNS subscription for most residential locations. Your ISP may let you set a static one. May.
You'd need to secure the VPN, but it is a pretty solid setup. You can even get the Edge Router to act as a firewall or split up the network so you can only VPN into a specific segment of your network. It sounds complicated, but it's not too bad. A whole lot of I can guide you through it if that's what you want.
Tailscale may be easier from a setup perspective. I've never done a deep dive into the company and I'm more of a "do it myself" kinda guy, but I did like it when I tried it out for a while. It was definitely easy and effective. There's also HeadScale and NetMaker, but I don't have personal experience I can speak from on either. I wouldn't mind learning if you want to try it.
Tailscale does sound pretty cool, and could be an option. It sounds super easy to setup which I like. I have Comcast as my service provider, so I'd have to see what they offer DNS and Static IP addresses.
I have not looked at what all my fileshare options are but doing a bit of digging it sounds like maybe I should look at Samba and see if that would work. They don't mention mobile device support, but it is free open source software, which I love. I wonder if having a Samba service just for local network file sharing is a security issue. I would assume it is not, but I could be wrong. I'm willing to bet I'd need to be cautious with the configuration of Samba.