Any plan to add Mac/PC-like GUI?

[consideringTrueNAS]

Hi, somebody mentioned that although TrueNAS has a Web GUI, it does not have GUI for the file system. For example, we cannot drag and drop graphical representation of folder. He mentioned that however there is a way to do it via a third party software. What third party software is that? Is there a plan to add the GUI as part of TrueNAS?

 

[winnielinnie]

The feature request was accepted some time ago, but it there hasn't been much progress on it, since it's considered a massive project, that to safely incorporate it any time soon is not feasible. (Or something like that.)

Requested: https://ixsystems.atlassian.net/browse/NAS-100085

Accepted: https://ixsystems.atlassian.net/browse/NAS-109580

 

[consideringTrueNAS]

Thanks for the head up. Anybody knows what that third party software is? In terms of security, even though it may exist, is it better not to install it?

Somebody also mentioned that as another way to get around this, one could connect a TrueNAS system from a Mac or PC and use their GUI. How does that work?

P.S. I think OMV has a File Browser plugin.

 

[winnielinnie]

Anybody knows what that third party software is?

Third-party software that you install inside TrueNAS itself?

 

[consideringTrueNAS]

Third-party software that you install inside TrueNAS itself?

I am not sure. Probably. I think I heard about it in one of the youtube videos.

 

[LarsR]

For Scale there is Filebrowser as a truecharts app, don't know if its available as a bsd package for a jail.

Edit: There seems to be a bsd package as well.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Any dataset that you share via e.g. SMB can be mounted and manipulated by a Mac or PC client in their system UI. Which is the point of a NAS, IMHO. What precisely are you missing?

 

[jgreco]

Is there some shortcoming in mc?

 

[winnielinnie]

What precisely are you missing?

To be fair, there are instances when you just want to copy/move data around which involves datasets and directories that are not shared via SMB/NFS.

For example, locations that are exclusively used by an App/Jail (torrenting) or rsync sources/destinations, and so forth.

Right now, we have to resort to using the terminal or "mc".

If such a feature existed in TrueNAS, I would use it once in a while for those moments when I just want to copy/move some stuff around without having to create temporary SMB shares or drop down into a terminal. It would be nice to have a "breathable" user-friendly file browser GUI, such as with other NAS offerings.

EDIT: Most users that request this aren't looking for an alternative to SMB/NFS. I doubt their main purpose is to login to the TrueNAS web GUI whenever they want to access their files. The feature request is really about "Rather than resorting to mc or the terminal, there is a simple user-friendly GUI to manage files on the server directly."

 

[Whattteva]

As others have stated, what's wrong with just using SMB or Filezilla?

Is there some shortcoming in mc?

Lacking vi-mode keybindings.

 

[consideringTrueNAS]

Any dataset that you share via e.g. SMB can be mounted and manipulated by a Mac or PC client in their system UI. Which is the point of a NAS, IMHO. What precisely are you missing?

I am not sure. I have not used a NAS nor SMB. On the internet, usually I see that typical interface with a dark background. I suppose one could not use a mouse to drag and drag files like Synology DSM, Mac OS, Windows. I have used UNIX systems for many years but for important operations such as those related to NAS, it is better to have a GUI.

So, do you mean I can just build a headless TrueNAS system. Then, connect it to a Mac or PC client. Then, use the mouse to manipulate files operations and copying from one folder to the next, deleting, etc.?

 

[Whattteva]

So, do you mean I can just build a headless TrueNAS system. Then, connect it to a Mac or PC client. Then, use the mouse to manipulate files operations and copying from one folder to the next, deleting, etc.?

Yes.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

So, do you mean I can just build a headless TrueNAS system. Then, connect it to a Mac or PC client. Then, use the mouse to manipulate files operations and copying from one folder to the next, deleting, etc.?

Of course. That is what a NAS does - serving files to client PCs/Macs. What do you intend to use it for?