Video Card Needed?

[we7313]

I know that you can run your FREENAS headless, but do you at least need a video card to install the freenas OS?

My build would be:
Supermicro X10SL7-F Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Crucial CT2KIT102472BD160B 16GB (2x8GB) ECC RAM

Thanks.

 

[danb35]

The X10SL7 has onboard video, so nothing additional is going to be needed there.

More generally, you would need video of some sort to install the OS on the USB stick (or SSD, or other boot device), but you don't have to do that installation on the machine you're going to use as your FreeNAS server. There's nothing stopping you from unplugging that USB stick from one machine (i.e., one that has video) and plugging it into another without a monitor. The only potential problem would be in determining the IP address of your server, but there are a number of other ways to do that.

 

[pirateghost]

That board also has ipmi. Why the hell would you ever hook up a monitor to it?

 

[danb35]

Because IPMI requires using the Java iKVM viewer, which is an annoying POS (perhaps more so than average if you're using a Mac).

 

[pirateghost]

Works great for me on my linux boxes. I can't live without ipmi.

If you think the Java implementation is bad, have you ever dealt with Dell iDRACs? Ugh.

 

[JDCynical]

I've not tried the >= X10 series on my hack, but my X9 boards that run my VMWare hosts and the current M35TQB IMPI add-on card work. Yes, the java KVM thing sucks, but what would be worse, that or some flash thing like what VMWare uses?

Personally, I wish companies would look at what Proxmox is doing and use that.

If you think the Java implementation is bad, have you ever dealt with Dell iDRACs? Ugh.

Never mind me, I'll be in a fetal position under my desk now thanks to this memory.

 

[we7313]

The X10SL7 has onboard video, so nothing additional is going to be needed there.

More generally, you would need video of some sort to install the OS on the USB stick (or SSD, or other boot device), but you don't have to do that installation on the machine you're going to use as your FreeNAS server. There's nothing stopping you from unplugging that USB stick from one machine (i.e., one that has video) and plugging it into another without a monitor. The only potential problem would be in determining the IP address of your server, but there are a number of other ways to do that.

To Clarify:
If I want to do the usb install on the hardware listed above, I would need a separate video card or would not?
I understand I can install on the usb from another machine, but how would I get the IP to access the server if I could not see the server on initial boot up?
Total noob here, just trying to get what I need to get started...

 

[pirateghost]

To Clarify:
If I want to do the usb install on the hardware listed above, I would need a separate video card or would not?
I understand I can install on the usb from another machine, but how would I get the IP to access the server if I could not see the server on initial boot up?
Total noob here, just trying to get what I need to get started...

The board HAS a video card but it also has IPMI. You can remotely manage the entire system from bootup, bios, and even the install all over the network. There is no need to plug in anything but a network cable and power....

You need to learn the badassery that is IPMI

 

[danb35]

If I want to do the usb install on the hardware listed above, I would need a separate video card or would not?

No. Your question was clear, and I thought my answer was as well--the X10SL7-F has onboard video (what part of that answer was unclear, or what part of your question did that answer miss?). And if you didn't believe me, the product page on Newegg that you linked to says so as well, in the Specifications section. It isn't especially good onboard video, but it doesn't need to be--you're building a server, not a gaming machine or CAD workstation.

how would I get the IP to access the server if I could not see the server on initial boot up?

Through the DHCP leases screen of your router, or through an app like Fing on your smartphone, to give two examples. I'm not sure if FreeNAS is using mDNS; you may simply be able to browse to freenas (or freenas.local), in which case you wouldn't even need to know the IP.

@pirateghost is addressing a somewhat orthogonal issue, which is that you don't need to attach a keyboard and monitor to your FreeNAS box at all--via IPMI, which that motherboard supports, you can do it all over the network. IPMI also lets you attach media (like .ISOs) remotely, so you don't even need to burn the FreeNAS ISO to a CD/USB stick to install it.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

you may simply be able to browse to freenas (or freenas.local)

Correct, this works on a Zeroconf client, i.e. most non-Windows OSes.