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UPDATE: As of 11/8, we have updated the ISO installer to run on version 25.04.2.6 of TrueNAS SCALE. Existing users should NOT reinstall to get this version. You can update from within the Activity card on the Dashboard (or the Notification). Hello and thank you for joining the HexOS beta program! You are an elite and vital part of this project and your participation is greatly appreciated. This post contains all the information you will need to get started with HexOS and how to communicate with our team during your beta experience. Disclaimer Beta Products, Software, and any related Services are still in development, and therefore, you are advised to safeguard important data, to use caution, and not to rely in any way on the correct functioning or performance of the products, software, or any related services. Beta Products and Services are provided to you “AS IS”, without any warranty whatsoever. Expectations During your participation in the beta, we expect you to do the obvious: use and test the software. But we also expect you to communicate with us when things don’t go right or if you’re having trouble. Please post feedback and let us know about your experiences, good and bad. That being said, please remember that this is beta software and early access. HexOS has a long and healthy roadmap ahead. Quickstart Guide For those that just want to get started, here’s the TLDR: Download the ISO here: https://downloads.hexos.com/TrueNAS-SCALE-25.04.2.6-HexOS.iso or https://hexos-downloads.sfo3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/TrueNAS-SCALE-25.04.2.6-HexOS.iso (SHA256 Checksum: e8ed99a322affe0969b82b866161a9f6acbc1561e3cc7b2efb2bf120ffe2e856) Use a tool such as Balena Etcher to image a USB flash device with the ISO. Boot your server from the flash device and install the OS to preferably an SSD. When given the option, opt to create the admin password in the installer (do not select the option to "Configure using WebUI"). Remove the flash device and reboot your server when the install is complete. From another device (mobile, tablet, desktop) that is on the same LAN as your server, login to https://deck.hexos.com using your HexOS credentials. Follow the instructions to complete your server configuration. NOTE: As of the 24.10.2.2 build of this ISO, configuring the admin password via the webUI option has been removed from the installer. However, if you select to create an admin password, but then attempt to "cancel" that process, the ISO will proceed with an installation with no admin password set. This is a known bug and the TrueNAS team will be addressing this in a future update to the ISO. Just don't cancel out of creating the admin password in the installer ;-). Hardware Requirements Booting HexOS is designed to support a wide variety of x86 hardware (Intel or AMD). The minimum requirements are a 2-core 64-bit CPU, 8GB of memory, and a 16GB or larger SSD boot device. However, depending on your needs for performance and applications, more resources may be required. Storage Pools Pools are made up of storage devices based on size and type (HDDs vs. SSDs). Storage devices in each pool need to be roughly the same size*. The OS boot device cannot be a part of a pool. Expandable pools require a minimum of 3 devices and can be grown one device at a time. Non-expandable pools can be created with 2 devices. Initial pool width should not exceed 8 devices. Maximum expanded pool width should not exceed 12 devices. At least one storage pool must be created to use HexOS. *In the event of slight variations (e.g. 240GB and 256GB), devices can be grouped, but total capacity for the pool will sacrifice the larger device’s excess storage. Build Recommendations HexOS has been designed so that a relatively modern PC can be easily transformed into a very viable home server. This means using standard HDDs/SSDs and using onboard controllers for storage/networking. However, since we’re based on TrueNAS, our hardware support is actually rather vast. For more detailed hardware recommendations for advanced builds, please refer to the TrueNAS SCALE Hardware Guide. Installing in a VM As HexOS is based on TrueNAS SCALE, it can be installed as a virtual machine as well. While the process should be fairly self-explanatory, please see the TrueNAS SCALE documentation for additional instructions on VM installation. Setup and Configuration Once the OS has been installed and rebooted, you will use a web browser on the same network as your server to register your system and complete the setup process. This can be a PC, tablet, or mobile device. Using a capable browser, login to https://deck.hexos.com. Beta 1 Features Our first release is focused on providing a streamlined user experience for setup and configuration and laying the framework for what’s to come. The main features of Beta 1 include: Setup and configuration wizard Configure your home server in minutes with ease. Analyze system health, with warnings for SMR HDDs. Auto-configure storage pools to safeguard against device failures. Securely manage your server remotely via Command Deck. Storage device management Detect error states and conditions and report through the dashboard Highlight individual storage devices and their respective faults Replace devices from storage pools due to failure or preventative maintenance Expand pools as little as one device at a time Folders and users Create and share folders over your local network. Easily manage permissions for secure access. Apps One-click deploy Immich as a personal photo library app. One-click deploy Plex as a home media server. Automatic folder creation for app storage. Dashboard / UI Access key statistics like CPU, memory, network, and storage usage at a glance. Monitor storage health and see alerts for errors or degraded pools. Manage multiple servers from a single, unified interface. Enjoy mobile-responsive design for effortless navigation on any device.

Integrated default reverse proxy for docker apps so all apps available on 443 inside home network. integrated DNS to support app name.internaldomain.com with reverse proxy (this puts all apps on 443) Lets encrypt SSL by default for all apps all user has to do is buy domain name and enter it above and all just works support for split horizon DNS consider running the DNS service for folks to allow tight integration (this shouldn't preclude use of other dns services) this is not me advocating for how to expose anything externally, that's not an argument i want to get into 😉

Does the Plex application enable GPU pass through? If yes is it complete or partial? Most importantly is it easy to setup?

Soon :3

It applies when it is claimed and frees when the server is disconnected from the Command Deck.

My gf was was getting rid of her old pc, so i got it from her. Forced 3x4tb seagate terascale HDDs into it. 24gb of ram, 8gb HP ram, 16gb Trident Z neo. 256gb ssd, GTX 960 i got from the landfill. Core i7-8700, and a SFX Silverstone PSU to power the hard drives and the graphics card

This is really great insight and I appreciate the thorough explanation. As you can probably guess, we're not accountants or tax experts by trade ;-). I'm meeting with our accountant this week to shore up any issues on this. We will fix.

Advocating for dev prioritization, whether for supporting older devices or focus on an improved feature set is fine. And this is the place for those conversations to be had - politely and with respect. Even when others may not show the same courtesy. With respect.

It looks like someone tested it out with 2GB RAM and it worked. However, keep in mind that HexOS is a wrapper functionality with TrueNAS still being the core thing running. By default, most users would want additional features enabled such as data deduplication, advanced caching mechanisms, and data integrity checks. You can get away with a minimum of 2GB of RAM if you turn off those features yourself using TrueNAS backend if you cannot wait for the developers to implement something easier. (it's just a bit more work on your end). Last but not least, since TrueNAS uses ZFS, it definitely relies heavily on ARC (Adaptive Replacement Cache) to improve read performance. Larger ARC will benefit ZFS performance by reducing disk I/O which is probably the main cause of the high minimum RAM requirements. It will still operate but the performance will suffer a bit. When you compare this to consumer-based NAS like Synology (good for moderate use/not so serious users), they use BTRFS which is less memory intensive and again it hasn't been proven enough at the large enterprise levels where ZFS has, thus again, high memory requirements for ZFS.

Yes, this is confirmed. Its why we went through such pains to make a responsive design for the UI/UX 😉

Feature Suggestion: UPS Integration for Automatic Shutdown Enable Hexos to natively support UPS devices for automatic safe shutdown during power outages. • Benefits: Prevent data loss, monitor power status, and improve reliability. • Implementation: Integrate protocols like apcupsd or NUT for broad UPS compatibility and allow configurable shutdown actions. Would you like help submitting this suggestion? support UPS devices for automatic safe shutdown during power outages. • Benefits: Prevent data loss, monitor power status, and improve reliability. • Implementation: Integrate protocols like apcupsd or NUT for broad UPS compatibility and allow configurable shutdown actions. Would you like help submitting this suggestion?

Hi Folks, This post will go over the basic requirements for running HexOS, then cover a few frequently asked questions. If you come across frequently asked questions that are not included in the main post please comment below! NOTE: Please keep comments here directly related to the post/FAQ itself. and create separate topics to discuss specific use cases and issues. Thanks! Updated 12/4/24 ---------------------------------------------------- Minimum Hardware Requirements: x86 compatible hardware (Intel or AMD) (HexOS is NOT ARM or RISC-V compatible) 64 bit Processor with 2+ cores 8GB or more of system memory 16GB boot SSD Larger is OK, but not necessary. 3+ storage drives recommended 2 storage drives is the current minimum. (Pools created with 2 drives are not expandable. See details below.) Single drive configurations are not supported at this time. Please visit https://hexos.com/early-access-faq for more info Also, please check out the roadmap web page for info on upcoming features; https://hexos.com/blog/the-road-to-10 ------------------------------------------------------- FAQ: Q: Can I install HexOS on a virtual machine? A: Yes. While HexOS is meant to be installed on physical hardware, it can be ran as a VM. Please see TrueNAS SCALE documentation for details on running TrueNAS as a VM. Q: can I install HexOS on a UGREEN or ASUSTOR NAS? A: Yes. To the best of my knowledge, UGREEN and ASUSTOR NAS devices all support installing 3rd party operating systems. Google "Installing TrueNAS on [insert brand name here] NAS" to find guides and forum posts with other users experiences. Q: Can I install HexOS on my old Synology NAS or Netgear Ready NAS? A: No. Unfortunately many consumer NAS solutions do not support installation of 3rd party operating systems. NOTE: It appears that some Ready NAS devices are capable of using 3rd party operating systems through advanced techniques, but the jury is out currently on exactly which models, and whether or not the hardware is performant enough for a good user experience. Q: Can I run HexOS on a Raspberry Pi or equivalent? A: No. Raspberry Pi devices are built using ARM processors. HexOS requires x86 hardware. Q: Can I start with only a few (3+) drives and expand later? A: Yes.You can add more drives of the same capacity to a pool to increase its available space. Q: Can I expand my storage pool if I started with only 2 drives? A: No. While OpenZFS has support for expanding a 2-device RAIDz1, that capability has not been enabled in TrueNAS SCALE. Q: Can I set up a storage pool using a single hard drive? A: No. Single drive configurations are not supported at this time This may change in the future, but either way it is discouraged due to single drive configurations being susceptible to data loss from hardware failure. Q: Can storage pools use drives with different capacities without loosing space? A: No. While mismatched drives can be used, in any one pool the maximum usable capacity per drive is limited by the size of the smallest drive in that pool. Example: A storage pool with 5x 256GB SSDs and 1x 250GB SSD will have the same usable capacity as a pool with 6x 250GB drives. Q: Can I change small drives our for larger ones to increase my storage pool's capacity? A: Yes. Drives can be exchanged one at a time to gradually copy all the data onto larger drives, Once all drives have been exchanged the pool's capacity will grow all at once. Example: Lets say we have a pool with 6x10TB drives in RAIDz1, and we swap those out one by one for six 20TB units. When the last 20 TB drive has been installed, and the pool has finished re-silvering (copying data to a drive to re-construct the pool) then the pool's total capacity will jump from ~50TB usable to ~100TB usable!

Hey all, as the name implies I would like to see a simple checkbox to make folders available via nfs. As a bonus a list of IP ranges that are allowed to access the share would be perfect. The user mapping to the user owning the folder so that I do not need to care about permissions and just access the data via NFS could be handled automatically as a default. Please feel free to ask for clarification and to add your ideas below!

Hey all, similar to what TrueNas offers out of the box as the multi-user Time Machine option, I would like to see Time Machine Backup support for macOS devices. This could be a special type of folder for that special purpose only where settings are locked in and only user access permissions can be set as with any other folder. Hope to see this implemented at some point together with a quick tutorial on how to set up the backup in macOS with automatic drive connection on system start and so on. Would make the whole process of setting it up very easy for everyone. That feature would make HexOS a real alternative to the mac mini as a home server for "all-in on apple" people. Please feel free to ask for clarification and add your ideas!

Current setup of my plex/vault/deepstore server Currently Using Case: HL15 from 45 Drives Mobo: AsRock Rack EPYCD8 CPU: AMD EPYC 7551P CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9 PCI: LSI 9200-8e - Connecting to Supermicro 45 Bay JBOD Expansion Server Shelf 847E16-RJBOD1 - with 45 18tb hard drives PCI: LSI SAS 9400-16i - Connecting to 15 18tb drives PCI: NVIDIA Quadro P2000 PCI :ASUS Hyper M.2 X16 - SAMSUNG 990 PRO 2tb x4 PCI: Intel X520 10gb dual port sfp+ NIC NVME: 2x Intel Optane SSD SATA: 2x 1tb Samsung boot drives

Love to have pi-hole as an app. I have a skill (bit like Linus) that just updating Ubuntu OS (which I run pi-hole on because it’s supported) randomly breaks the OS and often requires a full reinstall to recover. tad annoying so having this as a simple app install would save me time and fear of this random faults. /FAZ

I’m hoping that Tailscale support is also in the works - 🤞yes?

Hey everyone! 👋 I’d like to propose creating a dedicated section on the forum for recommended hardware configurations tailored to HexOS. I think this could be super helpful for both new users and seasoned enthusiasts looking for the best setups to fully utilize HexOS. We could include curated hardware suggestions, such as: Desktop PCs and laptops optimized for HexOS. NAS devices where HexOS really shines. Other solutions (e.g., miniPCs, servers) that serve as a great foundation for HexOS’s features. This kind of knowledge base would make it much easier to find the perfect hardware for various use cases – from home setups to office environments, and even more demanding scenarios. We could also categorize recommendations by budget or user expertise levels. What do you think? I’d be happy to help kickstart this initiative by sharing my own experiences and suggestions. 😊 Let me know in the comments if you think this is a good idea and which devices you’d personally recommend! Greetings from Poland! 🇵🇱

yep ive bit the bullet and spent about £150 on drives and a 5gbit network card too I appreciate your help

Glad to see a Quebec folks here...I move in Alberta 11 years ago but originally from Quebec.

Immich works well with that. I had to use tail scale to tunnel into it but so far no issues.

I would say it's worth it! though I recommend getting another 1TB HDD to set up a full storage pool with your other drive(2 if you want that redundancy) storage pools go off of the smallest drive sacrificing the bigger ones

Maybe spend a few buck on your current system and get a feel for how it performs as well as getting used to HexOS. Let that experience drive what you want from a new system so that way you have a better idea of what you want to spend your money on. Either way good luck!

It starts when you get your invite. From our terms: Refunds Any and all purchases are subject to a 30-day refund policy. To request a refund, email us at support@hexos.com using the email account associated with your purchase. For Early Access orders, the 30-days starts from the date you receive your invite to participate in the beta.

Sadly, most of the art of mine is on hard drives... somewhere in my hardware hoard, lol. I'll see if I have a decent pic easily accessible, though. (If so, I'll be able to update my PFP!)

Successfully failed! Congratulations 🎉

I highly reccomend using tailscale its so much simpler imo. You just set it up on your phone or whatever, get the auth key. Install it via TrueNAS in HexOS, and input that auth key. and youre good. any questions lmk

Hi there! An offline local UI is coming with the 1.0 release. You will need to be online for initial setup, but after that you can leave your server offline. Any features that require internet like app installs will of course not be available until you go online again.

I'm with you. I have a 10yo RN212 that still works just fine. I even bought two HexOS licenses just in case. I even read your whole kernel thread (thanks for linking!) on the ReadyNAS forums. But it looks like even if we could find a way to port over HexOS, it still consume almost all HW resources on the ReadyNAS device not to mention the Fan sensor issues as well. Good thread, though.

Yes, having one click installers for individual games is some what a wast of energy when can have actual managers and install game from there.

Absolutely guys. For this first phase of launch we went with minimalistic approach. This way we can narrow our support focus. We will be turning on 2FA in the near term.

Next Cloud Email Server Gitlab/Gitea

Docker would be nice, then you could basically install anything but that wouldn't be one click, but still usefull

After further looking, i think i found the answer. Remember that HexOS just manages the TrueNAS underneath? You could just disconnect HexOS from your old machine. First, pull out the ethernet cord or shutdown to make HexOS couldn't see your machine, after that click Disconnect this server. Therefore your HexOS license is free and can be able to setup at another machine. Meanwhile your old machine is still there, all configs and files are untouched, HexOS just no longer managed it, you could still continue using your old machine by accessing the TrueNAS UI or if like you said, want to move the entire data from old machine to new one, simply copy paste your data. Hope this can clear out the confusion.

Native/One click support would be great... Until then here is a solid tutorial on how to set up Tailscale on TrueNAS. As @Jor mentioned it seems to work flawlessly with the TrueNasUI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Py62k63_c

I like the idea, but an important thing to consider is that cloudflare tunnels are not made for transfering big files or streaming high bitrate videos. All traffic goes through cloudflare and costs them money. A solution like tailscale on the other hand facilitates peer to peer connections and all traffic after the initial connection building flows peer to peer. Here big files or streams are not a problem. Hence cloudflare tunnels are great for applications that are light on transfers but especially for more NAS media stuff it is just not suited. Hopes this gives some perspective 🙂

I've got a Zimaboard with 2x 4TB Seagate Ironwolf drives mounted on the back of my TV, bolted into the VESA mount of my TV. I really think this is the perfect home setup as long as your TV is not wall mounted. It's also practical to have the TV there when you need a monitor for the server, as I just did during the setup.

Nextcloud, tailscale, and home assistant! I still haven’t figured out HA properly

Just adding my +1 for Cloudflare integration. I also think tunnels/Zero Trust align with the HexOS goal of having lots of capability without all of the complexity and setup. Much easier to get working (and more reliable) than a reverse proxy in my experience.

I'd love native cloudflare tunnels support, my ideal setup would be able to easily map subdomains that I own to apps hosted on HexOS

Hi there! Hardware Passthrough is coming with our VM management.

I got myself some retro mechanical Keyboards (C64, Famicom and NES style), and also some "silent" switches (because the Stock ones are way too loud for my wife 🤐)

GPU passtrough would also be nice for local AI.

Updated our terms page to be more clear: Hardware Transfers HexOS licenses enable users to claim servers for management. A claimed server deducts an available license from your account. If you wish to move your license to a new server, you must first disconnect the server from HexOS, which will return the availability of the license for claiming purposes.

Thanks. Invision was chosen simply because its a platform we were already familiar with from our previous endeavors. I do like discourse a lot and given some of the other changes Invision has been making, we may consider switching at some point.