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If I already know my way around FreeBSD and around a command line, why would I want to use FreeNAS instead of just sticking to vanilla FreeBSD? Is the value ad

If I already know my way around FreeBSD and around a command line, why would I want to use FreeNAS instead of just sticking to vanilla FreeBSD? Is the value added that it is easier to configure? Is there better default tuning for a NAS setup? I've occasionally browsed the FreeNAS forums and they seem to have stridently opinionated people in them telling everyone exactly how things should and shouldn't be done. But I've never seen a simple clear explanation of why. What I'm looking for is something like a table of items that says: Here's something that FreeBSD does .... Here's how FreeNAS improves that thing.

agapon 7y ago
Probably not an answer you are looking for, but here are things that FreeNAS has and FreeBSD does not (except for a couple): https://www.freenas.org/about/screenshots/ https://www.freenas.org/about/screenshots/
wil421 7y ago
Correct. Better tuning out of the box for NAS, web GUI to manage everything, and opinionated sys admin types on the forums with strict rules to follow. If is not retired xeons with ECC memory and fans that sound like hair dryers you’re not doing it their way. Once you get past the opinionated stuff it’s not so bad and they want to make sure your data won’t get lost. I’m not familiar with FreeBSD or it’s command line and it makes FreNAS a better fit. Setting up the ZFS pools, permissions, and sharing is easier and I’m not going to mess it up and lose data.
magicalhippo 7y ago
It turns your computer into a (tweakable) appliance. No need to remember the ashift when creating ZFS pools. No need to remember the samba config options and syntax. No need to remember which kernel flags to tune for ZFS. No need to fiddle with cron to set up periodic scrubbing. It's not perfect but it's certainly a lot more "fire and forget" than the FreeBSD login prompt. A power user might find it a bit restricting, but if you just want a NAS it's quite nice.
ricktdotorg 7y ago
FreeNAS is what experienced/wise long-time unix admins will setup at home for their giant anime SAN/NAS because: - they've been around the block long enough to know that FreeNAS can do 95% of what they need better than they can do it, with far less chance of errors introduced, but with 95% less of their valuable time needed to do it it's that simple honestly. if you already know how to do setup/configure/tune/tweak all of the components inside FreeNAS specific to your environment, congrats, you're already a great unix admin. you've been in your career a while, and you're probably pretty well paid. but why would you spend your valuable per$onal time to faff about setting up/configuring/tuning/tweaking what FreeNAS can do out of the box, unless you have an edge case scenario that FreeNAS doesn't cover or can't do well? for the same reasons, again i must specify -- unless you have very specific edge case scenario(s)/situation(s) or wanted to use this as a learning exercise -- why would you: 1) hand-craft your own *BSD or Linux-based firewall/VPN/router, instead of using pfsense/iptraf/etc 2) hand-craft, build and create your own Wifi router OS image, instead of using OpenWRT 3) roll your own port monitoring and OS proc monitoring notification system, instead of using Nagios/BigBrother/etc so to get back to your OG question of > If I already know my way around FreeBSD and around a command line, why would I want to use FreeNAS instead of just sticking to vanilla FreeBSD? because your time is valuable, and because FreeNAS can do 95% of what you need better than you can do it. (edited for formatting/clarity)
- elliotpage 7y ago
  Exactly, the less time you can spend setting up your giant anime nas means you have more time actually watching anime!
- andyzweb 7y ago
  >giant anime SAN/NAS How did you know???
  - bluGill 7y ago
    There can't be two of us in the world with a personal SAN/NAS that isn't a giant anime collection. Since I know I'm the one with a personal NAS without such a collection it stands to reason that if you have a personal NAS you have it full of anime. QED
ink_13 7y ago
The built-in reporting, alerting, and monitoring all wrapped up in a nice web UI is what tipped the scales for me. I didn't have to do anything to get historical system metric graphs, system health alarms, or alerts by email. I suppose I could have set up all these things myself (it is my line of work, after all), but it was nicer to not have to.

agapon 7y ago

Probably not an answer you are looking for, but here are things that FreeNAS has and FreeBSD does not (except for a couple): https://www.freenas.org/about/screenshots/ https://www.freenas.org/about/screenshots/

wil421 7y ago

Correct. Better tuning out of the box for NAS, web GUI to manage everything, and opinionated sys admin types on the forums with strict rules to follow. If is not retired xeons with ECC memory and fans that sound like hair dryers you’re not doing it their way. Once you get past the opinionated stuff it’s not so bad and they want to make sure your data won’t get lost. I’m not familiar with FreeBSD or it’s command line and it makes FreNAS a better fit. Setting up the ZFS pools, permissions, and sharing is easier and I’m not going to mess it up and lose data.

magicalhippo 7y ago

It turns your computer into a (tweakable) appliance. No need to remember the ashift when creating ZFS pools. No need to remember the samba config options and syntax. No need to remember which kernel flags to tune for ZFS. No need to fiddle with cron to set up periodic scrubbing. It's not perfect but it's certainly a lot more "fire and forget" than the FreeBSD login prompt. A power user might find it a bit restricting, but if you just want a NAS it's quite nice.

ricktdotorg 7y ago

FreeNAS is what experienced/wise long-time unix admins will setup at home for their giant anime SAN/NAS because: - they've been around the block long enough to know that FreeNAS can do 95% of what they need better than they can do it, with far less chance of errors introduced, but with 95% less of their valuable time needed to do it it's that simple honestly. if you already know how to do setup/configure/tune/tweak all of the components inside FreeNAS specific to your environment, congrats, you're already a great unix admin. you've been in your career a while, and you're probably pretty well paid. but why would you spend your valuable per$onal time to faff about setting up/configuring/tuning/tweaking what FreeNAS can do out of the box, unless you have an edge case scenario that FreeNAS doesn't cover or can't do well? for the same reasons, again i must specify -- unless you have very specific edge case scenario(s)/situation(s) or wanted to use this as a learning exercise -- why would you: 1) hand-craft your own *BSD or Linux-based firewall/VPN/router, instead of using pfsense/iptraf/etc 2) hand-craft, build and create your own Wifi router OS image, instead of using OpenWRT 3) roll your own port monitoring and OS proc monitoring notification system, instead of using Nagios/BigBrother/etc so to get back to your OG question of > If I already know my way around FreeBSD and around a command line, why would I want to use FreeNAS instead of just sticking to vanilla FreeBSD? because your time is valuable, and because FreeNAS can do 95% of what you need better than you can do it. (edited for formatting/clarity)

elliotpage 7y ago
Exactly, the less time you can spend setting up your giant anime nas means you have more time actually watching anime!
andyzweb 7y ago
>giant anime SAN/NAS How did you know???
- bluGill 7y ago
  There can't be two of us in the world with a personal SAN/NAS that isn't a giant anime collection. Since I know I'm the one with a personal NAS without such a collection it stands to reason that if you have a personal NAS you have it full of anime. QED

ink_13 7y ago

The built-in reporting, alerting, and monitoring all wrapped up in a nice web UI is what tipped the scales for me. I didn't have to do anything to get historical system metric graphs, system health alarms, or alerts by email. I suppose I could have set up all these things myself (it is my line of work, after all), but it was nicer to not have to.