Configurare Sistem de operare

How to install and configure TrueNAS

TrueNAS is an open-source NAS (Network Attached Storage) operating system based on FreeBSD (TrueNAS CORE) or Linux (TrueNAS SCALE). It provides file sharing, data protection, and virtualization features for home or enterprise storage.

  • TrueNAS CORE: Best for traditional NAS (FreeBSD based)

  • TrueNAS SCALE: Supports Docker, Kubernetes, virtualization (Linux based).

Step 1: Download and Prepare Installation Media

  1. Visit https://www.truenas.com/download/

  2. Choose TrueNAS CORE or TrueNAS SCALE

  3. Download the .iso file

  4. Use a tool like Rufus or balenaEtcher to create a bootable USB stick from the ISO.

Step 2: Install TrueNAS

Boot from USB:

  1. Plug in the bootable USB to the target machine

  2. Boot and enter the BIOS/UEFI to set the USB as the first boot device

  3. Reboot to launch the installer.

Installation Steps:

  1. Select Install/Upgrade

  2. Choose the boot device (e.g., USB or SSD – note: it will be wiped)

  3. Set a root password

  4. After installation, remove the USB installer

  5. Reboot into TrueNAS.

Step 3: Access the Web UI

Once TrueNAS boots:

  1. The console will show an IP address (e.g., http://192.168.1.100)

  2. Open a browser on a device on the same network

  3. Visit the displayed IP

  4. Log in with root and the password you created.

Step 4: Initial Configuration

1. Set Timezone and Hostname

  • Go to System > General

  • Set your hostname and timezone.

2. Create Storage Pool (ZFS)

  • Go to Storage > Pools > Add

  • Choose Create new pool

  • Add disks and configure RAID level (e.g., RAIDZ1, mirror)

  • Name the pool and click Create.

3. Create a Dataset (Optional)

  • Inside the pool, create datasets for different shares (e.g., media, backups).

Step 5: Set Up Network Shares

Option A: SMB (Windows/macOS)

  1. Go to Sharing > Windows (SMB) Shares > Add

  2. Select the dataset path

  3. Name your share

  4. Enable the share and save

  5. Go to Services > SMB, enable and start it.

Option B: NFS (Linux)

  1. Go to Sharing > Unix (NFS) Shares > Add

  2. Choose the dataset path and set permissions

  3. Enable NFS service.

Step 6: User and Permissions

  1. Go to Accounts > Users > Add.

  2. Create users with their home directories and shell (if needed).

  3. Assign users to datasets with proper permissions under Storage > Pools > Permissions.

Optional: Enable Additional Features

  • Apps (TrueNAS SCALE only):

    • Go to Apps > Launch Docker containers like Plex, Nextcloud, etc.

  • Snapshots:

    • Enable ZFS snapshots for versioned backups

  • Replication:

    • Set up data replication to another system

  • Alerts:

    • Configure email alerts under System > Alert Settings.

[mai mult...]

How to create a Proxmox cluster

Once you have all the nodes ready, access them in a web browser, and log in to the Proxmox VE web GUI. I connected to my first Proxmox server (pmox-host1). Click the Datacenter option at the top, choose Cluster, and then click the Create Cluster button.

Create Cluster option in Proxmox VE web interface

Give a unique name to your Proxmox cluster, and select a link for the cluster network. I will keep the default link (0) selected. It is a good idea to choose a network link that isn’t used for other high-traffic needs, such as network storage.

Create a cluster in Proxmox VE

You can click the Add button to add a failover link if multiple network links are available on your node. Click the Create button, and you will see a task viewer window showing the status of cluster creation.

Viewing cluster creation progress in Proxmox VE

Your Proxmox cluster has now been created.

Add nodes to the cluster

When adding nodes to your Proxmox cluster, make sure no VM or container is running on the node. When you add a node to the cluster, it will inherit the cluster configuration, which will overwrite all current local configurations. If you have an important VM or container running, you can create a backup, remove it, and import it later after joining the cluster.

To join a node to the cluster, you need to copy some information from the first node where you created the cluster. To do that, navigate to Datacenter > Cluster and then click the Join Information button, as shown in the screenshot.

Viewing the join information for a cluster in Proxmox VE

Click the Copy Information button to copy the cluster join information to your clipboard.

Copying the join information for a cluster in Proxmox VE

Now, connect the other Proxmox node that you want to join to the cluster. Navigate to Datacenter > Cluster, and click the Join Cluster button, as shown below:

Join Cluster option in Proxmox VE

In the Information box, paste the join information, type the root password of the first node, and click the Join button.

Add a node to the Proxmox cluster

The second node will now be added to the Proxmox cluster. As soon as the node is added to the cluster, the server certificate is changed, so you need to reload the page and log in again to the Proxmox VE web interface. The screenshot below shows that our proxmox-lab cluster now has two nodes: pmox-host1 and pmox-host2.

Viewing the cluster information in Proxmox VE

The information about cluster nodes is listed under the Cluster option. In addition, any shared storage that is attached to the first node is automatically attached to the new node.

Once you have a Proxmox cluster up and running, you can start migrating your VMs or containers when needed, as shown in the screenshot below:

Performing live VM migration in a Proxmox cluster

The migration is pretty fast, particularly when you’re using shared storage (e.g., NAS or Ceph), so your VM will experience little to no downtime at all. The cool feature you get with a Proxmox cluster is that you can still migrate your VM (or container), even if you’re using local storage. Of course, it takes longer to migrate, but it works.

Problem with a 2-node cluster

It is entirely possible to set up a Proxmox cluster with just two nodes, as we did above. However, as mentioned earlier, the Proxmox cluster depends on quorum votes. For a quorum to exist in a cluster, the majority of nodes need to be online. With just two nodes in a cluster, both get an equal number of votes, so when either node goes down, the quorum will be lost, and the Proxmox cluster switches to read-only mode. As a result, the cluster will stop functioning as expected. This makes server maintenance hard in a two-node cluster setup.

To deal with such a situation, there are two options:

  1. Manually set the expected votes to 1 by running the pvecm expected 1 command. This command changes the expected votes temporarily, which revert after restart. But it will help maintain the quorum so that your Proxmox cluster can continue to work with just a single node while you perform maintenance on the other node.
  2. Alternatively, you could set up a corosync-qdevice in Raspberry Pi or Docker and use it as a tiebreaker for quorum votes when one of two Proxmox nodes is down. The purpose of qdevice is to vote for the active node to maintain a quorum when there are just two nodes (or an even number) in the Proxmox cluster. The use of qdevice is not recommended when there are an odd number of nodes, as it could hurt cluster stability.

Considering the above situation, it is clear that it is a good idea to have at least three nodes in a Proxmox cluster, particularly in a production environment. Furthermore, you will be able to use the additional features, such as high availability, when there are three or more nodes in the cluster.

[mai mult...]

Demonstration of “strobelight” technology

With the phasing out of monitors and televisions using cathode ray tube technology, a void was created for users who wanted the ability to clearly see objects or text moving on the screen, being able to distinguish information even at high speeds. Fortunately, for at least 10 years a (partial, but very good) replacement has been developed, namely by implementing “strobe lights” that can turn off and on again 60 times per second (or more often). Next, we will see how this phenomenon can be observed demonstratively on any device with a screen.

[mai mult...]

Disfunctionalitati si solutii pentru miscarea imperfecta a cursorului mouseului

Daca observam ca miscarile mouse-ului nu ne mai reflecta asteptarile (corespondenta aproximativa de raport 1 la 1 intre miscarea fizica si rezultatul mutarii cursorului pe ecran), putem incerca sa investigam o serie de parametrii pentru remedierea acestora (presupunand ca mouse-ul a fost proiectat corespunzator si nu prezinta defecte din fabrica sau in urma transportarii).

[mai mult...]

Linux Mint Installation and Configuration Guide

Step 1: Download Linux Mint ISO

  1. Go to: https://linuxmint.com/download.php

  2. Choose a desktop environment:

    • Cinnamon: Modern and full-featured (default)

    • MATE: Lightweight and traditional

    • Xfce: Ultra-lightweight.

  3. Pick a download mirror (closest to your region).

  4. Download the 64-bit ISO unless you’re using very old hardware.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB

On Windows:

  1. Download Rufus: https://rufus.ie

  2. Insert USB drive

  3. Open Rufus:

    • Select USB device

    • Select downloaded ISO

    • File system: FAT32

    • Click Start.

  4. Wait for completion.

On macOS/Linux:

  1. Download Etcher: https://etcher.io

  2. Open Etcher

  3. Select ISO file and USB device

  4. Click Flash.

Step 3: Boot Into Linux Mint

  1. Reboot your computer

  2. Enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually pressing F2, F10, F12, or DEL during boot)

  3. Set the USB drive as the first boot option

  4. Save and reboot. Mint will load into live mode.

Step 4: Install Linux Mint

  1. From the live session, double-click “Install Linux Mint”.

  2. Select:

    • Language

    • Keyboard layout

    • Connect to Wi-Fi (optional but recommended)

  3. Choose Installation Type:

    • Erase disk and install Mint (Use only if you want to delete all existing data).

    • Install alongside (dual boot with Windows).

    • Something else (manual partitioning).

  4. Set:

    • Time zone

    • User account name and password

  5. Click Install Now, then Continue to confirm disk changes.

  6. After installation, click Restart Now and remove the USB drive when prompted.

Step 5: Post-Install Configuration

System Update

  1. Open the Update Manager

  2. Click Refresh, then Install Updates.

Customize Appearance

  • Right-click the desktop → Change Desktop Background

  • System Settings → Themes → Choose or download new themes.

Install Additional Software

Use the Software Manager or run in Terminal:

bash
sudo apt install <package-name>

Popular packages:

  • VLC: sudo apt install vlc

  • GIMP: sudo apt install gimp

  • Steam: sudo apt install steam

Enable Driver Support

  • Menu → Driver Manager

  • Install recommended drivers for GPU, Wi-Fi, etc.

Enable Firewall

bash
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

Optional: Enable Flatpak or Snap Support

Flatpak (enabled by default in Mint):

bash
flatpak install flathub com.spotify.Client

Snap (needs to be enabled manually):

bash
sudo rm /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd

Maintenance Tips

  • Update regularly: Use the Update Manager

  • Create backups: Use Timeshift (pre-installed)

  • Clean up unused packages:

    bash
    sudo apt autoremove
[mai mult...]

Arch Linux Installation & Configuration Guide

1. Boot into Arch ISO

  1. Boot from USB and select the Arch Linux option

  2. Confirm internet connection:

    bash
    ping archlinux.org

2. Set Keyboard Layout (if needed)

bash
loadkeys us # or your layout, e.g., de, fr, etc.

3. Update System Clock

bash
timedatectl set-ntp true

4. Partition the Disk

Use fdisk or cfdisk (UEFI example):

bash
cfdisk /dev/sdX

Create:

  • EFI System Partition (e.g. 512M, type: EFI System)

  • Linux filesystem partition

5. Format Partitions

bash
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdX1 # EFI
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX2 # Root

6. Mount Partitions

bash
mount /dev/sdX2 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/boot

7. Install Base System

bash
pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware nano

8. Generate fstab

bash
genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

9. Chroot into New System

bash
arch-chroot /mnt

10. Set Timezone

bash
ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc

11. Localization

Uncomment your locale in /etc/locale.gen, e.g., en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8, then:

bash
locale-gen
echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf

12. Set Hostname and Hosts File

bash
echo "myhostname" > /etc/hostname

Edit /etc/hosts:

plaintext
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1 localhost
127.0.1.1 myhostname.localdomain myhostname

13. Set Root Password

bash
passwd

14. Install Bootloader (Systemd-boot for UEFI)

bash
bootctl install

Create loader config:

bash
nano /boot/loader/loader.conf
ini
default arch
timeout 3
console-mode max
editor no

Create entry:

bash
nano /boot/loader/entries/arch.conf
ini
title Arch Linux
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options root=PARTUUID=xxxxxx rw

Get PARTUUID:

bash
blkid /dev/sdX2

15. Enable Networking

bash
pacman -S networkmanager
systemctl enable NetworkManager

16. Add a User

bash
useradd -mG wheel yourusername
passwd yourusername

Enable sudo for wheel group:

bash
EDITOR=nano visudo
# Uncomment: %wheel ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL

17. Install Essential Packages

bash
pacman -S base-devel git curl

18. Install a Desktop Environment (Optional)

Example: GNOME

bash
pacman -S gnome gdm gnome-tweaks
systemctl enable gdm

Or KDE:

bash
pacman -S plasma kde-applications sddm
systemctl enable sddm

Or XFCE:

bash
pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
systemctl enable lightdm

19. Exit, Unmount, and Reboot

bash
exit
umount -R /mnt
reboot

Remove installation media when rebooting.

[mai mult...]