Home lab enthusiasts had a clear choice when it came to using TrueNAS and Proxmox. One is ideal for storing lots of data on the network, and the other is ideal for running countless containers and virtual machines. TrueNAS 26 is almost here, with a beta available, and it has made the operating system closer to Proxmox than ever before. Previously, it was not uncommon for TrueNAS to run in a virtual instance on Proxmox, but the TrueNAS developers have now made it much more feasible to run the NAS operating system alone.
Running earlier versions of TrueNAS on one system made it difficult to manage an entire home lab. It was possible, of course, but there were hurdles to overcome to get everything up and running. Now, iXsystems, the developer behind the platform, has brought GP passthrough, support for LXC containers, and a refreshed web UI. You’d be forgiven for confusing the software with a hypervisor, and while this isn’t a rebranding as such, it’s clear that the company has set its sights on Proxmox’s success within the home lab.
But no matter how much iXsystems makes TrueNAS a hypervisor, I won’t leave Proxmox. I already use both platforms extensively and find they both deserve a place in my home lab.
Proxmox and TrueNAS are a dream team
Ready to store data and launch applications
I started with a pre-built NAS enclosure and then worked my way up to the home. Instead of going all out, I decided to make it a phased build and eventually landed on TrueNAS SCALE. He was responsible for managing everything. Storage, apps, services, everything. It worked quite well, and once you get used to how the operating system works and where everything is, it’s relatively easy to maintain. But Proxmox has taken things to a whole new level. Making the switch has transformed my home lab.
Proxmox is above all a question of calculation. Designed from the ground up as a Type 1 hypervisor with KVM and LXC support, it’s an absolute beast for business and home, allowing almost anyone to create their own mini data center. The virtual machines (VMs) and containers all work in harmony, taking full advantage of my cluster setup, which requires a few systems to run Promox, share the web GUI, and make it easy to manage multiple installations. I have Frigate, Jellyfin, Nextcloud and many others all live and healthy.
And it works with connections to a single NAS enclosure, powered by TrueNAS. Local storage on Proxmox nodes is important, but it is not vital to the operation of the entire configuration. I only have a few gigabytes dedicated to each running instance. Most of our storage needs are handled by TrueNAS, with a RAID of eight spinning platters. It is even better suited to secure and reliable storage of this data through snapshots, cleaning and replication. ZFS is really great for storing files.
So while TrueNAS blurs the lines between storage and hypervisor slightly, I’m still using it as originally intended and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. However, for many, especially those who prefer to consolidate everything into fewer systems, the TrueNAS 26 beta seems to be shaping up well.
What’s new in TrueNAS 26?
It’s a game changer
iXsystems has worked hard to make TrueNAS more accessible and versatile as a NAS solution. We now have LXC style container support, which alone significantly closes the gap between itself and Proxmox. This is what essentially allows you to transform a NAS into a home server. This was possible with applications (or custom Docker scripts) available through TrueNAS, but now it’s easier than ever. LXCs require less overhead compared to a fully grown VM due to sharing the host kernel.
Instead of running self-hosted services and packages in virtual machines on Proxmox, I can launch a new LXC and consume fewer system resources, allowing more to be launched or a buffer provided if a service (like Immich or Jellyfin) requires more processing power and memory. That’s all well and good, but most of it would be for nothing without the UI improvements. Getting GPU passthrough is huge, and Nvidia hardware (and other supported hardware) can now be routed directly to hosted LXCs, just like you would on Proxmox.
TrueNAS has always looked a little too professional with its convoluted user interface. This is totally fine once you’ve spent some time using TrueNAS, but it can be a nightmare for beginners and even put people off. This is what Unraid does so well. It is easy to install, manage and run. Much the same goes for Proxmox. Although it is designed as the backbone of content hosting, it is not very difficult to pick up and use. The TrueNAS team continues to make improvements and version 26 is no exception. It is now even possible to quickly share files.
With TrueNAS 26 installed, it no longer feels like a NAS with apps, but rather a pre-built box. Instead, it’s more like running a general-purpose home lab operating system like Proxmox. TrueNAS doesn’t want to be left to carry all the baggage. He wants to open your suitcase and provide you with clothes and other gifts like the rest of my home lab. Instead of focusing on files, it can now handle LXC and other software more easily. I was tempted to switch for the first time since launching Proxmox on my servers.
I used this obscure operating system with my NAS – here’s how it went
XigmaNAS is a lightweight, open source operating system that combines a FreeBSD base with the typical features you’ll find in a NAS-oriented distribution
It’s not quite there yet
TrueNAS 26 is still an active beta. iXsystems still has a way to go before releasing it, and the company still has a ways to go if it hopes to make a dent in Proxmox’s strong hold on the home lab market. Proxmox is simply more mature as a hypervisor with its robust KVM implementation, advanced VM controls, and better console access. TrueNAS is evolving, and this is another step forward, but it will take future updates to continue refining it and making it comparable to the competition.
For my home lab I need clustering with compact systems, but there is also full support for advanced networking, VLANs, bridging and isolation. It’s even easier to build demilitarized zones (DMZ), segmented services and experimentation spaces. But that doesn’t mean TrueNAS isn’t worth considering. Far from it, as it is more than capable of running most of what you would probably want to self-host. It’s also one of the best in the game when it comes to data storage. ZFS integration is truly native.
Sharing via SMB, NFS, iSCSI, etc. is quite simple and robust once configured. I have yet to encounter a time where I have to log into my TrueNAS storage box to repair something. It continues to work, which is precisely what I want from a NAS. TrueNAS always works best as a partner. Proxmox and TrueNAS make a home lab setup. You can choose either to manage both data and applications, but each has strengths and weaknesses that are offset by a hybrid approach.
I’ll keep an eye on TrueNAS 26 as things progress, but for now, it still doesn’t keep me away from Proxmox…yet.
ZFS is great for storage, but it can be a maintenance nightmare
ZFS is not natively supported on Linux.