Ubuntu 16.04 home server and LVM-Cache

So I wanted to rebuild my home server (Mac Mini) which has a 128GB SSD and 1TB 5400 rpm drive.

I first started with information from the lvmcache manpage and a blogpost.
http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/wily/man7/lvmcache.7.html
https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/using-lvms-new-cache-feature/

Doing some planning and setting up LVM during the 16.04 server install I had a final configuration of :
lvm> pvscan
  PV /dev/sdb2   VG System          lvm2 [922.20 GiB / 0    free]
  PV /dev/sda3                      lvm2 [117.38 GiB]
  Total: 2 [1.02 TiB] / in use: 1 [922.20 GiB] / in no VG: 1 [117.38 GiB]
lvm> pvs
  PV         VG     Fmt  Attr PSize   PFree
  /dev/sda3         lvm2 ---  117.38g 117.38g
  /dev/sdb2  System lvm2 a--  922.20g      0
lvm> vgs
  VG     #PV #LV #SN Attr   VSize   VFree
  System   1   1   0 wz--n- 922.20g    0

I did this with a manual configuration as follows
sda (SSD)
sda1 = 1GB /boot
sda2 = 1GB EFI partition
sda3 = remaining space set as LVM

sdb (HDD)
sdb1 = 10gb swap
sdb2 = LVM

I then used the installers lvm tool to create the lvm needed
1 group that was only on the lvm disk from sdb2 this was then my root (/) partition

I then installed the system as normal. then i used Richard WM Jones article (https://rwmj.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/using-lvms-new-cache-feature/) to enable lvmcache. this was just about perfect until reboot.

The part I missed is that lvmcache relies on dm-raid and its caching and they need to be part of the kernel and not a kernel module if you are using it as your main system partiton. (see http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/173704/booting-from-an-lvm-cached-volume and http://scyu.logdown.com/posts/519001-ubuntu-lvmcache-setup)

So I start over with a clean install and rebuild as I had before, this time making sure to have dmraid and the related tools installed and built into my kernel (apt install dmraid thin-provisioning-tools specifically) and a full upgrade to get everything in place.

After doing that and the apt upgrade-all and making sure I followed the steps in http://scyu.logdown.com/posts/519001-ubuntu-lvmcache-setup to create the needed files I now have a fully functioning ssd cached home server.

And there is a noticeable difference in boot and general utilization from the 5400rpm drive to the lvmached disk.

Linux remote Access Tools

There are 3 tools depending on what you want to do.

The first is pretty obvious to most people who run a Linux server, Being putty. it is the nicer of ssh clients i have used, and enables many of the features that a native ssh client has to offer.

Next is WinSCP This allows for a very nice and clean interface for SSH based transfers of files. all you need is an ssh login and open port. far more secure than having FTP open.

Then finally there is XMing what it does is drops an Xwindow Renderer on your desktop, when combined with putty gives you a full remote control of applications running on your home or work Linux machine with far more security and availability than anything i have seen so far.

These three tools are an amazing combination of tools. for remote administration and use of your Linux Server or Desktop

Note this does not change the security benefits or weaknesses of having Xwindows installed on a server, however for a project machine this is very useful. and can allow you to use resources that normally wouldn't be available.