Hi all
I am looking into solutions for setting up a server for local music files; but here's the thing: I don't want to consider a NAS drive. Why? Well I have some experience with NASs and I feel that they are essentially very underpowered units which take up space and have very limited versatility (unless, of course, you are prepared to spend mega-bucks for a powerful model - and I'm not). I have the following solutions which go from very crude to somewhat more sophisticated - I would appreciate some thoughts on them.
I am looking into solutions for setting up a server for local music files; but here's the thing: I don't want to consider a NAS drive. Why? Well I have some experience with NASs and I feel that they are essentially very underpowered units which take up space and have very limited versatility (unless, of course, you are prepared to spend mega-bucks for a powerful model - and I'm not). I have the following solutions which go from very crude to somewhat more sophisticated - I would appreciate some thoughts on them.
- Simply sharing a networked music folder on my Windows 10 laptop (keeping the machine from sleeping to prevent disconnection and far away enough to mitigate fan noise). This one is a crude solution - but it's simplicity will surely work without hitch?
- Simply installing specialist audio UPNP server software (MinimServer, Asset, other suggestions welcome) on the Windows laptop and stream to PiCorePlayer. I actually already have this solution up and running; but I would be interested in your thoughts as there may be glaring issues which are not apparent to me.
- Turning a Raspberry Pi into a cheap NAS drive to serve music - is this possible? My thinking here is that the cost would be so low (compared to a standard NAS) so as to make the solution attractive and other functions (like Roon Core) can be undertaken on my Windows laptop.
- Use an Intel NUC or other small PC to function as a NAS. Unlike an actual NAS, my thinking here is that the NUC is versatile enough to be used for other functions too. For instance, whilst at the moment I'm somewhat undecided, I may wish to use the NUC as a Roon Core device and music file server (the NUC would give me such an option, a NAS wouldn't). Just a couple of queries on a NUC/small PC setup:
- Would using a Linux OS be preferable to installing Windows on a NUC? I'm not versed in Linux so I acknowledge that I would be on a steep learning curve here. Is serving music over the network using a NUC with Linux OS reasonably straight forward?
- Is there a way of controlling a NUC with Linux heedlessly, so over remote desktop or something so avoiding the need for a monitor and keyboard to be always connected?
- NUC running Roon ROCK - this is probably the "best" solution but it does turn the NUC into a single-purpose device.