Share your NAS FreeBSD based distribution (for FreeBSD users) or NAS service directly on FreeBSD experience

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sidetone

For FreeBSD users, share your experience of FreeBSD based NAS distributions. In addition, share your experiences using FreeBSD directly for NAS services or for dedicated NAS. Welcome are comparisons of NAS services on FreeBSD to XigmaNAS and past uses of FreeNAS or TrueNAS. Also, share experiences of transitioning from FreeNAS or TrueNAS to XigmaNAS or FreeBSD.

We're aware of TrueNAS Core going into maintenance mode, but still TrueNAS Core or past FreeNAS use is open to discussion. On to XigmaNAS use in comparison to other NAS distributions based on FreeBSD or NAS directory on FreeBSD.

XigmaNAS started out as a part of the original FreeNAS in 2005. iXSystems stewarded FreeNAS in 2009, and owned the naming rights to FreeNAS in 2011. XigmaNAS previously became NAS4Free due to that, until 2018 when it has its current name. XigmaNAS continued to use the Monowall/FreeBSD framework. Also to mention, XigmaNAS may have had experimental ARM architecture support. Sponsors of XigmaNAS are JetStream and Aspen Systems. TrueNAS based on FreeBSD had the spotlight due to its impressive resume of clients, but since they've put their FreeBSD based version in maintenance mode, it may be time for XigmaNAS to get the spotlight. As a reference to some information about XigmaNAS: https://www.xigmanas.com/wiki/

Share your FreeBSD NAS based distribution experience compared to a NAS directly on FreeBSD. Also, share your experience, if you've switched from TrueNAS Core to XigmaNAS or FreeBSD. Related:
Thread plan-and-best-practices-to-migrate-from-truenas-core-to-pure-freebsd.93128
 
I’m still using CORE. Extremely happy with it. One thing lacks, and that is sound support, which I need for some icecast streaming.

I’m using an Ubuntu VM running on TrueNAS CORE for that.

It’s been a solid platform (CORE) for me and I’ve grown to absolutely love jails for running any type of software I need.

I’ve tried XigmaNAS but found it lacking greatly in some things. One example is the WEBUI somehow doesn’t recognize when I add a pool or do any kind of cli work. This makes it quite hectic to work with.

FreeBSD has become my OS of choice.
 
I run standard FreeBSD and use it as a NAS while also hosting a multitude of other services in Jails. ZFS, NFSv4 ACLs, and Jails are incredible and are what keep me using FreeBSD.

I started by installing TrueNAS CORE in a VM, setting up the SMB shares and ACLs how I wanted, then dropping to the command line and inspecting what the TrueNAS middleware did with the Samba configuration, ZFS properties, and filesystem permissions/ACLs to learn how they did it in TrueNAS. I then trashed the VM and used that knowledge to set up my server with standard FreeBSD.

I have never used any NAS distribution, instead turning to vanilla setups since I like setting things up exactly how I want it, without extras I don't need, and with a smaller and more understandable and maintainable "surface area". It also means that if something breaks, I have a better understanding of how the pieces in my setup fit together and can thus troubleshoot and fix it more easily. In addition, it's one less vendor to rely on - I get updates faster, and a reduced chance of a vendor discontinuing a product or moving in a direction that I don't like. I like being closer to upstream in this way.

I have run Linux before, but just didn't get along with the Linux way of doing containers, and POSIX draft ACLs absolutely suck. I really like ZFS but don't feel comfortable with using it on Linux due to it being a second-class citizen.

FreeBSD has been the least problematic, least annoying, most pleasant NAS (and other services) server experience I have had. I love it.
 
sidetone said:
For FreeBSD users, share your experience of FreeBSD based NAS distributions.
Click to expand...
In the past I used Mini-ITX boxes for NAS purposes with plain FreeBSD:
- https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/silent-fanless-freebsd-server-redundant-backup/

Later moved to even more cheap and power efficient small Dell WYSE 3030 LT appliances:
- https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/silent-fanless-dell-wyse-3030-lt-freebsd-server/

... and later even added some tiny UPS options for that:
- https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2024/02/11/tiny-ups-for-tiny-nas-reloaded/


sidetone said:
We're aware of TrueNAS Core going into maintenance mode, but still TrueNAS Core or past FreeNAS use is open to discussion. On to XigmaNAS use in comparison to other NAS distributions based on FreeBSD or NAS directory on FreeBSD.
Click to expand...
Wait with important NAS-changing decisions for first ISO of zVault - https://zvault.io/
 
Husky said:
I started by installing TrueNAS CORE in a VM...
I then trashed the VM and used that knowledge to set up my server with standard FreeBSD.
Click to expand...
Husky said:
I have never used any NAS distribution, instead turning to vanilla setups since I like setting things up exactly how I want it,
Click to expand...
Using TrueNAS Core in a VM is using a FreeBSD based NAS distribution, even if that was for temporary use for learning and within a VM. Then you used that information for your own NAS setup on FreeBSD. That's actually a great example.

TrueNAS Core and XigmaNAS are NAS distributions based on FreeBSD.
 
For my home server I have been running FreeBSD since 10.3, I'd say almost 8 years and I learned how to set up samba, netatalk, ZFS, jails, nfs, nginx reverse proxy and much more stuff. A few years ago when I did some upgrades I thought about switching to TrueNAS but I stayed with plain FreeBSD. It has been a very pleasant experience so far. I have no reason to switch. For a production system I am not sure if I would want to go with a machine like this, then maybe I would want a GUI and professional support, enterprise hardware etc. I haven't seen this announcement for TrueNAS Core. Will they continue selling hardware coupled with Core?
vermaden said:
Click to expand...
I'll keep an eye on this and maybe try XigmaNAS in a VM too like I did with TrueNAS.
 
sidetone said:
TrueNAS Core and XigmaNAS are NAS distributions based on FreeBSD.
Click to expand...

Previews of TrueNAS CORE 13.3 became available around eighteen days ago, the most recent .tar file bears yesterday's date. IIUC the 24th April FreeBSD patch for 13.3-RELEASE has been in the TrueNAS 13.3 codebase since 2nd April. CORE 13.3-RELEASE scheduled for June, when I last checked.

XigmaNAS 13.1.0.5 series Coming Soon.
 
I’m going to retract what I said about XigmaNAS. I was just missing some important steps, namely the synchronize option under ZFS management. Once I hit that, my pools came up and everything.

With TrueNAS CORE going away, I will move to XigmaNAS unless someone forks CORE.
 
victort said:
… forks CORE.
Click to expand...

vermaden said:
Wait with important NAS-changing decisions for first ISO of zVault - https://zvault.io/
Click to expand...

Whilst the website repo was updated last week:

1717740090886.png


– the most recent commit was in March 2024, a correction to grammar.

I guess, the dating (above) in this case relates to the most recent change to an issue or PR.


Postscript: I struck through the name (above) with assumption that it might change – thanks vermaden for noting that use of zVault began (for something else) in 2017.

Maybe not a problem, in that as of December 2018, "zSilver, zGold and zVault have been upgraded to Razer Gold and Silver". I guess, Razer™ decided that names beginning with z were unappealing in those contexts.
 

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I’ve been testing it for a couple weeks now. Things seem to all work without issue except for one thing.

The noVNC integration does not automatically update the display for VMs. Which means that to use a VM one needs to constantly refresh the page and hope the clicks are in the right place.

I opened a ticket but (surprise surprise) it was immediately closed because they don’t support VMs and jails on CORE.

But they are open to PRs and upstream fixes. I’m just not sure where the actual problem lies.
 
bgavin said:
I run the last v12 of XigmaNAS embedded boot from usb with six drives as Z2, otherwise box stock.

Entirely happy in every aspect.
I mull over a stripped 14.1 with only Samba and the latest ZFS.

I am reluctant to move away from v12 because it all works so well.
Click to expand...
How do you find backups? I enjoy TrueNAS’ ZFS replication. But it looks as if it’s not there in xigma.
 
Any news on the zvault project? I have a XogmaNAS server up and running and am considering moving my main server over to it.

But I’d hate to have to do that, then have to come back to CORE.

13.3 apparently goes EOL in December according to the new release schedule.
 
victort said:
… 13.3 apparently goes EOL in December …
Click to expand...

That's FreeBSD Security Officer support for FreeBSD.

iXsystems, Inc. support for TrueNAS CORE 13.3 will not end at the same time.

FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE was supported from 2021-04-13 until 2022-08-31. TrueNAS CORE 13.0-RELEASE was more than a year later (2022-05-10), 13.0-U6.2 is not end of life … and so on.
 
My new NAS config:

vermaden.wordpress.com

Perfect NAS Solution

One of my favorite measures for hardware is the ‘price/performance ratio’ – to do as much as possible but for as less resources as possible. Hardware Not so long ago I switched to…
vermaden.wordpress.com vermaden.wordpress.com
 
Cath O'Deray said:
That's FreeBSD Security Officer support for FreeBSD.

iXsystems, Inc. support for TrueNAS CORE 13.3 will not end at the same time.

FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE was supported from 2021-04-13 until 2022-08-31. TrueNAS CORE 13.0-RELEASE was more than a year later (2022-05-10), 13.0-U6.2 is not end of life … and so on.
Click to expand...
It’s the jails I’m more interested in. 13.3 jails will only supported until December.

I’d run stock BSD, but I prefer the GUi for snapshot tasks and replication, and overall management.
 
I’m on the 13.3 BETA right now.

13.4 and 13.5 jails should run ok on a 13.3 host.

There was an issue though when trying to run 13.3 jails on a 13.0 host. Something about the rc daemon.
 
It’s not what’s advised per se. IX has no opinion about it as they don’t support jails and VMs on CORE. It’s standard as I understand that you can run a higher point release on a lower point release host. You can run any 13.x jail on any 13.x host.

But the main release version must stay the same.
 
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