Why I prefer TrueNAS - I had a realisation, not necessarily the right one.

[Bikerchris]

Hello all,

I hope we're well today?

I've been on the forum quite a bit today, far more than usual, in part because I was obligated to watch a number of children's TV shows (phone discretely hidden).

It may simply be bad timing, but looking over the last 24 hours worth of posts in various topic areas, displays a large number of requests for a free lunch (those not wishing to RTFM) and on some occasions, simply bizarre interactions.

I'm personally very grateful for the voluntary help I've had from this forum, after I've tried to read up on a certain usage. I try my best without asking questions and absolutely failing all attempts, I turn to this forum.

This got me thinking though, why do I prefer TrueNAS to any other solution? There seems to be a lot of dislike appearing on the forum, "why doesn't this free system do what I want it to do?". For me though, the simple answer isn't necessarily the best, TrueNAS is pretty much the only NAS system I've ever used. I did try UnRaid for a few hours before hand, very easy to get up and running with it...and that's what disturbed me. I'm old enough to know that the less effort you put into something, potentially the less useful it may be over time. TrueNAS got me learning a huge amount about things I previously had no interest in, or had never considered.

There are probably a hundred use cases for a NAS, that can be filtered down to just a handful. TrueNAS sucked me in because during my testing and familiarity phase, lasting 2 years (I had other things to do as well), I saw first hand how it dealt with issues. Touch wood, but I've not lost one bit or byte of data since I've used it - despite me being involved.

My suggestions to anyone new to it remains the same:

1. Use good hardware
2. Test hardware properly
3. Test with test data
4. Experience a few failures and deal with it.
5. Create a post on here if your Google/TrueNAS Forum Foo is exhausted

So there we go, just thoughts written down, not necessarily helpful ones.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[jgreco]

It may simply be bad timing, but looking over the last 24 hours worth of posts in various topic areas, displays a large number of requests for a free lunch (those not wishing to RTFM) and on some occasions, simply bizarre interactions.

It hasn't gone unnoticed, and may end up with some stricter account vetting processes as a result.

I try my best without asking questions and absolutely failing all attempts, I turn to this forum.

However, I will also say, this isn't the goal. If you have questions, it's polite to search and try to find your own answer, but you should not be using the forums as a last-ditch problem solving resource when all other resources have failed. You do yourself a disservice when you do that.

 

[Bikerchris]

It hasn't gone unnoticed, and may end up with some stricter account vetting processes as a result.

Hello @jgreco (!), I'm glad it's not just me.

However, I will also say, this isn't the goal. If you have questions, it's polite to search and try to find your own answer, but you should not be using the forums as a last-ditch problem solving resource when all other resources have failed. You do yourself a disservice when you do that.

You're right. I do have a self-employed mentality though, makes me uncomfortable to ask professional users questions for no cost....I get it all the time in my day job. In fairness though, I have very few issues with TrueNAS, because the information is just out there. There are times I do ask, when Google Foo points to different systems!

I do see friendly newcomers with healthy questions, I do want to try answering but I feel it may lead to misinformation due to my skill level.

 

[jgreco]

I do want to try answering but I feel it may lead to misinformation due to my skill level.

Well, think about this: you are more likely to be able to point in the right direction than a newcomer. At this point in the forum's evolution, there are over a hundred well-written resources in the Resources section, and you may notice some community members just take a few moments to point new users towards a few appropriate resources. This is actually very helpful to and healthy for the wellbeing of these forums, so even if you just familiarize yourself with basic resources such as the Intro to ZFS or Hardware Recommendations, and make those pointers to those in need, you are freeing up people who are more experienced to spend time on more complicated issues.

You know what they say, many hands make light work. I started out here many years ago by deciding to try to answer a few questions every time I logged in. It's my way of paying back iXsystems for their nice NAS product. You are welcome to do the same, or any variation that you wish. Or nothing at all. But don't be afraid of it. If you post misinformation, you can be reasonably certain that someone will correct you. The community here rocks.

 

[Bikerchris]

Well, think about this: you are more likely to be able to point in the right direction than a newcomer. At this point in the forum's evolution, there are over a hundred well-written resources in the Resources section, and you may notice some community members just take a few moments to point new users towards a few appropriate resources. This is actually very helpful to and healthy for the wellbeing of these forums, so even if you just familiarize yourself with basic resources such as the Intro to ZFS or Hardware Recommendations, and make those pointers to those in need, you are freeing up people who are more experienced to spend time on more complicated issues.

You know what they say, many hands make light work. I started out here many years ago by deciding to try to answer a few questions every time I logged in. It's my way of paying back iXsystems for their nice NAS product. You are welcome to do the same, or any variation that you wish. Or nothing at all. But don't be afraid of it. If you post misinformation, you can be reasonably certain that someone will correct you. The community here rocks.

I will certainly reciprocate as you have done, thank you for the encouragement and I'll certainly be happy to refer to existing resources. I don't wish to become 'that guy' who advises poorly, but I'll give it a shot - I hope no one hesitates to correct me where applicable.

Not wishing to inflate your ego @jgreco , but you're quite a wordsmith you know. There are very few with your level of communication skill level, my virtual hat off to you sir.

 

[Arwen]

I think the attention that TrueNAS SCALE created has attracted more people who expect either customizable software. Or software that is appropriate for the low end.

Reading the forums since 2014, it's been in the last 2 years or so that we have gotten hundreds of people who think that TrueNAS is for them, expect specific features, and it must be made to work for them.

Part of the confusion is that TrueNAS SCALE is not a Linux distro. It's appliance firmware made on top of Linux. But, that is not what new users see.

Another point is that some people want to use the latest hardware, (like the problems with the Intel 2.5Gbps Ethernet card / chip). But, server hardware drivers take time to be written and then made reliable. The new user says, "But, it works under MS-Windows!". Well, what I really want to reply is, "Well then, USE MS-Windows!".

We almost need a resource that says what TrueNAS is and is not. For example:

• Is not intended for very low end hardware
• Is not intended for OS level customization
• Is not intended for heavy applications sharing same hardware
• Is not intended to replace all home / small business servers
• Is not intended to be perfect / ideal for all uses / users
• The latest hardware will take time to make work.

• Can be highly reliable with proper hardware, updates and management
• Can work well in the home or small business environment, (even though it is designed for the Enterprise)

 

[winnielinnie]

Not wishing to inflate your ego @jgreco , but you're quite a wordsmith you know. There are very few with your level of communication skill level, my virtual hat off to you sir.

Fishing for that extremely rare and mythical "jgreco liked your post"? A valiant effort.

I don't wish to become 'that guy' who advises poorly, but I'll give it a shot - I hope no one hesitates to correct me where applicable.

Check out my signature. My attorney tells me I'm immune from any prosecution because of it.

 

[jgreco]

We almost need a resource that says what TrueNAS is and is not. For example

I don't want to steal your thunder, so if you want to write one, be my guest. However, I may have bits and pieces of this already laying around, so if you don't plan to write one, perhaps I will. I started to think about this in

I have to waste an entire drive just for booting?

With the advent of TrueNAS Scale, we seem to be getting a large number of people from the Linux community who are not quite grasping what TrueNAS is. TrueNAS is not a "Linux distro" and it is not designed to try to meet your arbitrarily spec'd...

www.truenas.com

but it rapidly became clear to me that there may be several overlapping articles to do the topic justice.

 

[Arwen]

@jgreco, At present, I don't have enough "content" or train of thought to write a "What TrueNAS is and is not" Resource. So, feel free to write one. The rest of us can submit suggestions as we think of them.

But, your reference to the boot drive is a good one to add as a link. Perhaps some others would be appropriate. Like, "TrueNAS only uses ZFS for data shares... here is an intro to ZFS -> LINK".

 

[danb35]

Part of the confusion is that TrueNAS SCALE is not a Linux distro. It's appliance firmware made on top of Linux. But, that is not what new users see.

That really does seem to have ramped it up, and I don't quite understand why. I use lots of other Linux-based custom software, and I don't see anything like the kind of expectation I've been seeing here with respect to SCALE, that people will just be able to install whatever they want and customize it any way they want. But for SCALE, for some reason, that seems to be a very widespread assumption.

 

[Arwen]

That really does seem to have ramped it up, and I don't quite understand why. I use lots of other Linux-based custom software, and I don't see anything like the kind of expectation I've been seeing here with respect to SCALE, that people will just be able to install whatever they want and customize it any way they want. But for SCALE, for some reason, that seems to be a very widespread assumption.

Agreed.

 

[Whattteva]

It may simply be bad timing, but looking over the last 24 hours worth of posts in various topic areas, displays a large number of requests for a free lunch (those not wishing to RTFM) and on some occasions, simply bizarre interactions.

I mean, that's basically the normal trend in any open source software from what I've noticed.

This got me thinking though, why do I prefer TrueNAS to any other solution? There seems to be a lot of dislike appearing on the forum, "why doesn't this free system do what I want it to do?". For me though, the simple answer isn't necessarily the best, TrueNAS is pretty much the only NAS system I've ever used. I did try UnRaid for a few hours before hand, very easy to get up and running with it...and that's what disturbed me. I'm old enough to know that the less effort you put into something, potentially the less useful it may be over time. TrueNAS got me learning a huge amount about things I previously had no interest in, or had never considered.

Wow my reasoning is incredibly similar to yours. I have never tried any other system besides TrueNAS. I've heard of UnRaid and OpenMediaVault, but can't be bothered to try either simply because I tried TrueNAS, went down the rabbit hole and got introduced to FreeBSD and got hooked big time. This is also the reason why I refuse to use TrueNAS SCALE, because I just hate using Linux unless I have no choice (drivers for new hardware).

 

[Bikerchris]

Fishing for that extremely rare and mythical "jgreco liked your post"? A valiant effort.

That's not my aim at all...of course that wouldn't stop me from printing and framing it, the frame would probably have silver with gold flecks.

Check out my signature. My attorney tells me I'm immune from any prosecution because of it.

I might blatantly steal that, thanks!

I mean, that's basically the normal trend in any open source software from what I've noticed.

Really? I wonder why?

Wow my reasoning is incredibly similar to yours. I have never tried any other system besides TrueNAS. I've heard of UnRaid and OpenMediaVault, but can't be bothered to try either simply because I tried TrueNAS, went down the rabbit hole and got introduced to FreeBSD and got hooked big time. This is also the reason why I refuse to use TrueNAS SCALE, because I just hate using Linux unless I have no choice (drivers for new hardware).

How funny that your journey (I'm getting sick of that word being used) was similar time mine. I have to confess that I didn't go hard into FreeBSD, though I did read up quite intensively and what wasn't used often, fell out. I have been testing out Scale on bare metal and although it was initially riddled with issues, the community did a fantastic job of making iX know and it's now fantastically stable....based on my test case of 1. I was as frustrated as you having learnt FreeBSD for TrueNAS, but many aspects (basic ones) are migration friendly. There are a few areas I'm stuck on with it, mainly permissions from memory (recreation from Core), but that's more my problem than the platform itself.

 

[Bikerchris]

Reading the forums since 2014, it's been in the last 2 years or so that we have gotten hundreds of people who think that TrueNAS is for them, expect specific features, and it must be made to work for them.

Your whole post is brilliant and for what it's worth, I completely agree.

Fortunately I began using it solely for secure and safe storage management, plugins & VM's were a bonus that I use sparingly.