Frequently Asked Questions

What is TrueNAS?

TrueNAS is a free and open-source network-attached storage (NAS) operating system produced by iXsystems. TrueNAS has three versions. TrueNAS CORE is the free public version, previously known as FreeNAS. TrueNAS Enterprise is a licensed edition of CORE for Enterprise Support. TrueNAS CORE is based on FreeBSD. TrueNAS SCALE is a Linux version of TrueNAS which brings additional features such as Linux containers and clustering.

What are the benefits of ZFS?

The ZFS file system is designed to make sure that data stored on hard disks won’t be lost to physical drive errors or bit rot events and data corruption that can happen over time. Other benefits include the ability to take snapshots of your file system to recover old files or older versions of files, as well as the ability to replicate your data for easy backups.

Do I need an expensive machine for TrueNAS?

No, TrueNAS can be run on regular consumer hardware. Many community members run TrueNAS on an old desktop machine that no longer has enough power for their current workload.

Is TrueNAS less secure because it is Open Source?

No, quite the opposite in fact. Due to the fact that the code is entirely open for everyone to inspect, errors and vulnerabilities are able to be found much quicker and fixed.

Can I virtualize TrueNAS?

Yes you can, however, to get the best performance and reliability from TrueNAS when virtualized it’s best to make sure everything is configured properly. This article provides a lot of good information on the topic, https://www.truenas.com/blog/yes-you-can-virtualize-freenas/

Can I run TrueNAS on an ARM-based system (Raspberry Pi, etc.)?

No, TrueNAS needs to be run on a x86_64 CPU. Practically every Intel and AMD CPU made in the last decade will work.

Where can I learn more about setting up TrueNAS?

Documentation for TrueNAS can be found on the TrueNAS Docs Hub; located at https://www.truenas.com/docs/

What is the difference between the TrueNAS versions?

TrueNAS has three versions.

TrueNAS CORE is the free public version, previously known as FreeNAS.
TrueNAS Enterprise is a licensed edition of CORE for Enterprise Support.
TrueNAS CORE is based on FreeBSD. TrueNAS SCALE is a Linux version of TrueNAS which brings additional features such as Linux containers and clustering.

Is there a place to talk with other TrueNAS users?

Yes, the TrueNAS community has two locations where users can discuss issues and share ideas. The TrueNAS forums are located at: https://forums.truenas.com/. For those that prefer real time conversation, there is also a TrueNAS Discord located at: https://discord.gg/truenas

I forgot my password for the WebGUI, what do I do?

TrueNAS has a Console Setup Menu that is accessed by connecting a monitor and keyboard directly to the system running TrueNAS. Option 7 in this menu allows resetting the password. For a walkthrough of the Console Setup Menu, see the TrueNAS Docs Hub article at: https://www.truenas.com/docs/core/gettingstarted/consolesetupmenu/

Why are the CPU and RAM requirements so high compared to other systems?

The best way to get the most out of your TrueNAS system is to install as much RAM as possible. The recommended minimum is 8 GB of RAM. The more RAM, the better the performance, and the TrueNAS forums provide anecdotal evidence from users on how much performance is gained by adding more RAM.

If you are using plugins and/or jails, 12 GB is a better starting point. There’s a lot of advice out there about how ZFS requires massive amounts of RAM. Reality is more complicated. ZFS does require a base level of RAM to be stable, and the amount of RAM it needs to be stable does grow with the size of the storage. 8GB of RAM will get you through the 24TB range. Beyond that 16GB is a safer minimum, and once you get past 100TB of storage, 32GB is recommended. However, that’s just to satisfy the stability side of things. ZFS performance lives and dies by its caching.