From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Sat Sep 13 15:03:47 2003
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A8BAE16A4BF
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:03:47 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from tmgcon.com (tmgcon.com [128.121.216.20])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 35CA543FEC
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sat, 13 Sep 2003 15:03:47 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from gentoo@tmgcon.com)
Received: from gentoo (210-54-91-244.dialup.xtra.co.nz [210.54.91.244])
	(authenticated bits=0)
	by tmgcon.com (8.12.9/8.12.6) with ESMTP id h8DM3h2t040085
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Sat, 13 Sep 2003 23:03:45 +0100 (BST)
From: Tom Munro Glass <gentoo@tmgcon.com>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 10:03:50 +1200
User-Agent: KMail/1.5.2
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
  charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Disposition: inline
Message-Id: <200309141003.50653.gentoo@tmgcon.com>
Subject: Newbie needs advice for software raid
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 22:03:47 -0000

I'm considering buying a Dell PowerEdge 1600SC with 3 SCSI drives (no hardw=
are=20
raid) for use as a file, print, database, email/groupware and intranet=20
server. I'm also considering whether to use Linux or FreeBSD - I have some=
=20
experience with both but have never used software raid on either. I feel th=
at=20
=46reeBSD would be a more stable and secure OS for a server.

=46rom my research so far, it seems that I can use Vinum to set up software=
 RAID=20
5, but that the root partition can not be RAID 5 and that there are other=20
complexities with using Vinum on the root partition.

I would welcome suggestions for how to set up the disk partitions and Vinum=
=20
for this type of server. Also, should I be looking at FreeBSD 5.1 or would=
=20
4.8 be a safer bet at this stage?

Thanks in advance,

Tom Munro Glass