[Discuss] Home server

[Richard Pieri]

On 1/26/2015 11:54 AM, Joe Polcari wrote:
> Automatic updates - well checking, it still requires you to say 'doit'.

Look deeper: FreeNAS runs from images. When you update FreeNAS you 
download a new image and that image is added to the boot loader.

"Installing" FreeNAS to a fixed drive entails using another host to 
install the image to the drive and then moving the drive to the FreeNAS 
host. Upgrades are done the same way: remove the drive, install a new 
image, return it. Pain in the behind and a waste of a perfectly good SSD 
that would be better used for ZIL.

One way to look at the difference between FreeNAS and PC-BSD is Android 
vs. Ubuntu. Similar idea: FreeNAS and PC-BSD share the same kernel and 
user space but in practice the former is a file service appliance while 
the latter is a full-on computing system.

NB for Rohan: FreeNAS has a recommended minimum of 8GB RAM. PC-BSD has a 
more modest 1GB minimum with 2-4GB recommended. If the system supports 
two DDR2 sticks then I strongly recommend upgrading to 4GB at the least 
regardless of what you run on it.

-- 
Rich P.