Hello FreeNAS users!
Happy New Year! We hope your holidays were well-spent with loved ones. It’s a new year, so we’re taking some time to look back and reflect on the things we’ve accomplished last year… such as the new FreeNAS 9.2 RELEASE! Of course, it’s also about planning for the future, so we’re currently looking to hire new talent to join the FreeNAS team. If that piqued your interest, read on!
In keeping with New Year traditions, we resolve to keep pushing out new releases and features, to listen to your feedback, and to always work with the goal of making FreeNAS better. Thank you for being a part of our community and let’s all work to make 2014 even more successful.
Cheers
The FreeNAS Team
NEW FreeNAS 9.2 – RELEASE
It’s finally here! We know you’ve been waiting a long time for this and we’re proud to announce the official release of FreeNAS 9.2 stable.
If you’ve got an older version of FreeNAS and it’s working fine, why should you update? Well, along with several bugfixes, the newest version unlocks several great, new features including:
- Linux jail support
- Based on FreeBSD 9.2 with added features and hardware support
- Improved performance of encrypted ZFS volumes
- Jails templates allow quicker deployments of copies of a model jail
- Shell button added to jails – makes it easier to access the Shell from Jails
A full list of features can be found in the release notes. Sign up for the announcements mailing lists to get updates on new releases
A big thanks to everyone who helped with development, sent in bug reports, made suggestions, or contributed otherwise to this release. You guys made this all happen; we couldn’t have done it without you!
Job Opening: Call for Developers
Like what you see? Want to be a part of the next FreeNAS release? Well, iXsystems is looking for a few good developers!
Who are we? iXsystems is the corporate sponsor of the FreeNAS project. We are also the sponsors of PC-BSD, FreeBSD for the desktop, and long-time contributors to the FreeBSD and ZFS projects! You could say that Open Source and OS development is in our blood. If you feel the same way, please read further!
Deep knowledge of Unix and Unix internals is required (Linux is OK, but BSD is a big plus!). Must be extremely fluent in C. Python fluency not required, but a definite plus as our UI is written in Python & Django. Storage/Enterprise market experience is also a plus, though not a strict requirement; if you’re a great Unix + C developer, we can teach you about the storage and enterprise market! You will have the ability to substantially influence the evolution of the FreeNAS product, as well as other future Hardware & OSS Software appliances, with very little internal politics or “silos” to stand in your way. We are a small shop, and those who do great work get long leashes!
iXsystems is based in San Jose, CA so residency or willingness to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area is definitely a plus, but not a strict requirement – for the right person, we will consider full or part time telecommuting from inside or outside the U.S. H1-B VISA sponsorship will also be considered for the right person (if you really kick butt, we’ll go the extra mile in both respects!). We also offer competitive salaries, health benefits, and 401K.
Interested? Think you have what it takes? Contact Jordan Hubbard at jkh@ixsystems.com with a current copy of your resumé. Cover letters appreciated but not required!
An Introduction to FreeNAS via ADMIN Magazine
ADMIN Magazine recently published an article called “Introduction to FreeNAS” by Ben Milman and Mark VonFange. Both Ben and Mark are employees of iXsystems, so they have close-to-the-source, verified knowledge about the inner workings of FreeNAS. They cover the basics of FreeNAS, how the ZFS filesystem works and lesser known facts like the differences between FreeNAS and TrueNAS. It’s an informative read, so take a look if you’re interested in first-hand pointers that will help you optimize your own FreeNAS system.
Build a Home Server with FreeNAS via DIY Tryin
Have an old desktop lying around? This episode of DIY Tryin demonstrates how you can use FreeNAS to make a home server. DIY Tryin is a show that focuses on home projects you can build and do yourself. Sure enough, the video takes you through the entire process of setting up a home server, from hardware choices all the way through installation and configuration. Hosts Patrick Norton and Michael Hand did a great job explaining the advantages of having a home NAS and using ZFS. They also took some time to show off how easy the installation process is. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’d like an easy-to-understand and entertaining tutorial that guides you through setup.
Tech Tip #2
ZFS can get cranky when there’s more than a few thousand snapshots.
Connect with Us
If you need help with your FreeNAS setup or would like to show off your configuration, share your plugins, or just talk with like-minded people, join the conversation on our community forums.
For video tutorials, check out our YouTube channel.
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