Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices are very useful, but getting one will cost more than the money I would like to spend–between buying the unit itself and the actual drives to insert. Not only that, but it really won’t function as the storage destination I intend to use it as since it lacks an OS. Some sell with a GUI interactive system, but nothing beats a command-line interaction when requiring power. I need control and power…Linux anyone?

Server

I would like to be able to access the server via SSH and SFTP (which is something you don’t really get with a regular NAS) and it should act as my main storage destination, specifically an HFS+ drive serving as the Time Machine backup location for my Macs on my network. Attaching additional USB drives, and being able to remotely mount them on my computers, will allow me to have instantaneous access to backups and extra storage on a “remote” (yet local) location. No more plugging in the laptop to the drive. Just connect and sync.

I will attempt to configure this server-like device using a Raspberry Pi® model B unit.

Raspberry Pi®

A Raspberry Pi®-Raspberry Pi is a Trademark of the Raspberry Pi Foundation– is practically a very small and simple (yet powerful) mini computer. Started by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, it’s software is based of a Linux Debian distribution, “Raspbian” -other OSs available-mostly Linux based- which is great and perfect for this project!

A Linux based OS provides me the flexibility, control, and power of Linux utilities via command-line access. Significantly, it gives me the ability to access the unit remotely on my wireless network, allowing me to execute commands, mount drives, and see all the stored information through the Terminal.

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Be on the look out for updates on this project. Hopefully there aren’t that many hurdles. I know the biggest one is going to be adding the ability of recognizing HFS+ drives and keeping the unit awake (for some reason the Raspberry Pi® goes to sleep).