Low powered Linux box with 2 drive bays

[Enquiries]

Hi.

Been watching your YouTube for a while now and seen a bunch of reviews, both of hardware and software, and for a casual user, that is great.

I'm running a small Ceph cluster at home and also talk a bit about it on my channel, so I want to have a heterogeneous environment with a lot of different Linux boxes with storage.

Is there a reason why you don't cover installing custom operating systems on NAS boxes? Brand loyalty? Or do you think that your audience is just not interested in you mentioning that, as an example: "This NAS device has this much internal drive space and allows you to replace the operating system."

Just curious. Keep up the great work.

Best regards
Daniel Persson

[ed]

Thanks for getting in touch. The main reason I do not cover custom OS installs on branded NAS hardware is simply that most viewers are not looking to replace the stock software. The majority want something that works out of the box, so deep dive content on flashing or rebuilding firmware attracts very little interest and often creates support headaches when people follow guides without fully understanding the risks. There is no brand loyalty angle. It is mainly about focusing on what most people actually use these systems for. I do cover custom OS installs on mini PCs, DIY boards and some open hardware, because those products are designed for flexibility and the audience expects to experiment with Linux and other platforms.

If your goal is a small low power box with two drive bays for Linux or Ceph nodes, a mini PC with a dual bay USB or SATA enclosure usually gives more freedom than a locked commercial NAS, and avoids the proprietary bootloaders many vendors use. Happy to help if you need suggestions.