Free NAS OS for TM F4-423

[Vaulenst]

Hi all,

sorry for my english (Italy here).

I have a Terramaster F4-423, a 4 HD + 2 SSD bay NAS using TOS 5.1 os with 20GB of no-ecc ram (4gb + 16gb).
There is an internal USB port with the original TM pen drive connected to and another free usb external port.
It contains the following drives: 1TB SSD, 2TB HD, 3TB HD, 8TBHD, 18TB HD, all of them formatted in BTRFS.

I'm a very newbie with nas; I never set up a RAID and I roughly know what it is.
I set up every drive separately as a single drive with it's own storage pool.
I set up a couple of rsync scheduled backup of the shared folders I care more to an external drive.

I know I am renouncing to redoundancy and I have many fragmented shares, but it's ok to me: I have very little data I care of (photos and docs) and I want to use all the available space.
Also I love to be able to hot-extract a drive and connect it to an usb port of my pc accessing all the data it contains.

On this NAS I use:
- a web server supporting mysql and php
- dockers
- Plex
- Jellyfin
- qBittorrent
- Virtualbox

I am considering to replace the TOS operating system and I read some pages about and I went to the following possibilities:
1. TRUENAS SCALE
2. UNRAID
3. OPEN MEDIA VAULT

Truenas scale seems the best choice but it seems more difficult to understand, and I am a newbie; also it seems to me, as for what I understood, that I am stuck with ZFS and so I couldn't extract a drive and connect to a linux pc accessing it's data easily.
Also it seems to require ECC memory.
Also I couldn't understand if it's possible to keep all disks separated or I have to make some sort of raid.
Also seems a parity disk is needed, possibly the more sized one.

Unraid seems a better solution for me as it natively support docker and virtualization.
But it's not free and a lifetime license is expensive.
Also I still have not understood if I can keep all disk separated. The hot-swap with my pc seems possible as it supports the same file systems as TOS.
But it seems not have user GROUPS.

OMV seems ok, but maybe a little simple to do all the funcionalities I listed before; for example I don't know if it can provide a web server or some virtualization.

Any suggestion will be appreciate.

TY

[ed]

Given your situation with the Terramaster F4-423 and your current setup, here’s a breakdown of the NAS operating system options you’re considering:

1. TrueNAS SCALE
Pros:
Advanced Features: TrueNAS SCALE offers advanced features including ZFS, which provides robust data protection and advanced storage management.
Docker and Virtualization: It supports Docker containers and virtualization, so you can continue using services like Plex and Jellyfin.
Cons:
Complexity: TrueNAS SCALE can be complex for beginners, especially with ZFS. It requires a bit more technical know-how.
ECC Memory: While ECC memory is recommended for ZFS to prevent data corruption, it is not strictly required, but it's highly advisable for better reliability.
Drive Management: TrueNAS SCALE typically uses ZFS, which prefers drives to be part of a RAID-like pool. Managing drives as separate entities is less straightforward, and you might lose some flexibility with hot-swapping drives directly.
2. UnRAID
Pros:

Flexibility: UnRAID offers flexibility with drive management. You can keep drives separate and still use them for a storage array with parity. This aligns well with your preference for managing drives individually.
Docker and Virtualization: It has excellent support for Docker containers and virtual machines.
File System Compatibility: It supports multiple file systems, making it easier to connect drives to other systems.
Cons:

Cost: UnRAID is not free; you need to purchase a license. The cost can be a consideration, especially for a home setup.
User Groups: UnRAID’s user and group management is less advanced compared to some other systems, but it should meet basic needs.
3. OpenMediaVault (OMV)
Pros:

Simplicity: OMV is user-friendly and relatively easy to set up. It offers essential features without being too complex.
Flexibility: OMV supports plugins for additional features like web servers and virtualization, though it might require extra configuration.
Cons:

Advanced Features: OMV may lack some advanced features compared to TrueNAS SCALE or UnRAID. For example, its built-in support for virtualization and Docker is more limited and might require plugins or additional setup.
Recommendations
Given your needs:

If you’re looking for a balance of functionality and ease of use with good Docker and virtualization support, UnRAID seems like a suitable choice, despite the cost. It allows you to manage drives more flexibly and has good support for the features you need.
If you prefer a free solution and are comfortable with a bit more complexity, TrueNAS SCALE would be a robust option, especially if you’re open to using ZFS and don’t need to frequently swap drives.
If you prefer simplicity and a straightforward setup, OMV could work, but you may need to rely on plugins for full functionality.

[Vaulenst]

Given your situation <cut>

Ty for the exhaustive answer.

I think I will try them in some way before choosing one.

I decided to start with OMV: I created a VirtualBox virtual machine for it; I could configure a user, install some plugins and create some shares, and I am now configuring Jellifin as a docker.

It seems to me that this system needs quite a bit of work with configurations; for now I am finding my answers on the relative forum.

thanks again