I'm looking to transition my Windows NAS to Linux and could use some advice. I've had good experiences with Mint in the past, but right now I'm leaning towards Ubuntu because I think its interface might suit me better. However, I'm also concerned about performance and stability, especially for a NAS setup. What would you recommend: Ubuntu Server, Mint, or another distribution?
2 Answers
When setting up a NAS, you generally want a lightweight solution without a desktop environment that could slow things down. For that reason, I'd suggest going with Ubuntu Server or even a minimal Debian install. You're already familiar with the package manager and repositories. Yes, you'll need to handle some configurations through the terminal, but it's not too tricky to find commands for common tasks. If you prefer some sort of graphical interface for monitoring, definitely check out the Cockpit project for a web-based admin tool. Also, for more advanced features like RAID, TrueNAS Scale offers a completely web-managed experience, making it super easy to set up things like network shares.
If you're leaning towards a GUI, consider Proxmox or TrueNAS, both of which are Debian-based and have great web interfaces. While Mint is great for desktop use, for NAS, TrueNAS could be the better choice. Proxmox is fantastic if you're looking into virtualization alongside your NAS needs. So, in short: Mint for desktops, TrueNAS for NAS, and Proxmox for virtualization!
Thanks for the tip! I've been looking for a GUI option.