Home Media Server Operating System: OMV vs Unraid.

For my first attempt at using a NAS OS I went with Open Media Vault (OMV). OMV is based on Debian Linux and boots from a USB. It is free to use and supports various RAID configurations through a graphical user interface (GUI) within a desktop browser. I managed to set up SMB shares to transfer files between my Mac, pc and the server. A variety of plugins allow for additional functionality however I had to learn how to use Docker to install apps in containers. Following tutorials I learnt basic code for amending them in Portainer for content management. The learning curve was initially pretty steep but I eventually managed to add my video files and get Jellyfin working. Jellyfin is like a personal Netflix which can initially be accessed on your home network for streaming content such as movies, TV shows and music. Unfortunately, every time I made changes I would accidentally delete something I wasn't supposed to or added incorrect code. In the end, I managed to save some files onto the USB stick with the OS on it which killed it. This was my own fault but I decided OMV wasn't suiting my needs and after reading up on alternatives such as CASA OS and True NAS (Core & Scale) I settled upon Unraid.

Unraid like OMV uses a GUI browser however unlike OMV after a free trial you do have to pay. I chose the lowest fee at the time for up to six drives (excluding the USB which stores the OS) and had lifetime updates. Unraid splits storage into different categories which can be set up to suit the individual. I have the Array which has one parity drive for data loss and storage drives for my media storage (two x 4tb Seagate Ironwolf); a Cache pool with two NVME in RAID (512gb Samsung NVME) which for downloads provides quick writes to the Array whilst also storing appdata, Docker containers and Virtual Machines (VMs). I also have an unassigned disk (currently Kingston 240gb SSD) for storage outside of the Array.

When it comes to set up I can highly recommend reading the Trash Guides and watching the Spaceinvader One and IBRACORP videos. There is an easy-to-use App Store which provides helpful plugins and software with the following Apps now in use inside Docker containers.

• Adguard - my main Adguard instance is on the server (my backup on the WYSE 3040 is now gone). Adguard is set up currently only on my devices but I could make it family-wide in the future. It acts as my DNS server, blocking ads and protecting my privacy.
• Flaresolverr - proxy server to bypass Cloudflare protections which is needed with the other Arr apps.
• Immich - like Google Photos but self-hosted. Working pretty well but it is still in development so I haven't left Google just yet...
• Jellyfin - a self-hosted app for streaming my music, TV and movies.
• Lidarr - tool for downloading music from torrenting or Usenet software.
• Prowlarr - a user-friendly indexer that works seamlessly with other Arrs.
• qBittorrent - software for torrenting or downloading stuff from the internet.
• Radarr - tool for downloading movies from torrenting or Usenet software.
• Sabnzbd - like qBittorrent but with a subscription.
• Sonarr - like Radarr but for TV.

I do plan to add more in the future but it took me a couple of months to get these working which they now do in conjunction with Wireguard and PIA VPNs. I also use Tailscale to provide a secure connection to my server from anywhere in the world meaning I can access the server in my home office in the UK from New York, Paris or Peckham.

Unraid also makes it easy to use VMs and I have a Linux Mint Cinnamon VM for learning more about Linux. This only takes up about 40gb in my Cache pool.

I have really enjoyed using Unraid so far and look forward to seeing what else I can run in the future. For now, I have my own media centre and photo storage that I can access from anywhere.

Updated Jan 2025.