Hi everyone!
Just got into self hosting my media, by making a media server using a laptop and plex.
I am wondering, on the laptop I am using Ubuntu server, and I made it so that I can close the screen without it turning off.

Now my questions:

  1. I turn the laptop(server) off at night, but it’s running all day, should I keep it plugged into the wall, or not? And if I am leaving my house, should I plug it out and keep it running?
  2. I don’t have much storage on the laptop rn, 210gb, but since I use it only for 16bit 44kHz music, so far it’ll do, but I am wondering, would it be fine to run my external hard drive (My Passport by WD) pretty much all day over USB 3.0, would it work well, and would it be safe for the external drive?
  3. Since I am turning off the server at night, how much worse would it be just running it 24/7?
  • spottyPotty@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Depending on your laptop’s battery management system, keeping the laptop constantly connected to your charger could damage the battery and severely reduce its capacity. That happened to 2 batteries on my Dell xps 13

    • Joyfulsinner@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Very true, I’ve had several older laptops that this happened with as well. My current laptop will charge to 80% if it’s plugged in for too long.

      • spottyPotty@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        I was thinking of creating a power management module myself that would have had a raspberry pi receiving periodic battery level readings and controlling a relay accordingly but the battery on the laptop was already messed up.

        I don’t know whether it’s possible to recondition a messed up battery by managing the charge cycles.