NAS4Free
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This article currently links to a large number of disambiguation pages (or back to itself) (check | fix). (May 2013) |
 Screenshot of NAS4Free WebGUI |
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| Developer(s) |
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|---|---|
| Stable release | 9.1.0.1 / 9 May 2013 |
| Preview release | 9.0.0.1 |
| Operating system | FreeBSD |
| Platform | i386/IA-32 and x86-64 |
| Available in | |
| Type | Computer storage |
| License | BSD license |
| Website | www.nas4free.org |
NAS4Free is a reliable network-attached storage (NAS) server software. It is free software under the terms of the Simplified BSD license.[1]
Not a software fork, NAS4Free is in a direct continuation of the original FreeNAS code under development from 2005 till late 2011. It became first released as the new NAS4Free name on the 22th of march 2012.[2][3]
Contents |
Technology [edit]
NAS4Free is an embedded open source NAS software distribution based on FreeBSD,[4] which developed from FreeBSD 7 to the current FreeBSD 9.x releases.[2]
NAS4Free supports sharing across Windows, Apple, and UNIX-like systems. It includes ZFS v28, Software RAID (0,1,5), disk encryption, S.M.A.R.T / email reports etc. with the following protocols: CIFS (samba), FTP, NFS, TFTP, AFP, RSYNC, Unison, iSCSI (initiator and target), HAST, CARP, Bridge, UPnP, and Bittorent. All of this is configurable by its WEB interface.
Key Features [edit]
- All NAS4Free versions
- Hard drive and volume management
- Networking
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- 802.1q vlan tagging
- Wireless
- network link aggregation
- Wake On Lan
- Network Bridge
- CARP (Common Address Redundancy Protocol)
- HAST (Highly Available Storage)
- Network Protocols
- Extra services
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- UPnP server (FUPPES)
- iTunes/DAAP server (Firefly)
- Lighttpd (Webserver)
- IPERF Network Bandwidth measure
- Transmission BitTorrent client
- Monitoring
Installation [edit]
NAS4Free is installable on almost any boot media including LiveCD optionally with a small USB flash drive for config storage if necessary, both for x86-64 and x86-32 computer platforms.[5][6] NAS4Free can be installed on Compact Flash, USB flash drive, SSD, Hard drive or other bootable devices, and supports advanced formated drives using 4kb sectors. It can be booted of from LiveCD or LiveUSB. The software distribution is currently distributed as in ISO image (.iso, ~200MB) or USB flash drive image (.img, ~240MB) format, and in source form.
Prefered Embedded Install [edit]
A special small footprint embedded image is also available (.img, ~80MB).[6] The preferred method is the embedded installation onto a USB stick, Compact Flash card (CF), or harddisc HDD/SSD, for which NAS4Free was designed for. The NAS4Free OS will load into system memory, elimiating system writes to a drive. Flash devices are more energy efficient, and the updating process can be done by WebGUI in the browser, downloading and installing a new firmeware image.
History [edit]
NAS4Free is the continuation of the FreeNAS 0.7.x project after iXsystems legally acquired the FreeNAS name.
Some users think that NAS4Free is a “fork” of FreeNAS. This simply is not true. NAS4Free is the direct continuation of the original FreeNAS source code that was under development from 2005 till 2011 under the name FreeNAS. After the FreeNAS name was legally acquired by iXsystems, Inc. (year 2011), the code was unable to be developed any longer under the same name, and a name change was necessary. The founder of FreeNAS (Olivier Cochard-Labbé) did donate the original FreeNAS source code to NAS4Free project. IXsystems no longer wanted us to release new builds under the FreeNAS name, so the only option was to leave the FreeNAS project after so many years.
Legacy FreeNAS and NAS4Free [edit]
The FreeNAS 0.7 branch was end-of-life'd in late 2011, after the FreeNAS name was legally acquired by iXsystems, Inc. Starting with version 8.x, new iXsystems developers rewrote FreeNAS and forked from the original code base. Legacy FreeNAS 0.7 became no longer available for download due to unpatched security vulnerabilities.[7]
The legacy FreeNAS 0.7 code was unable to be developed any longer under the same name, and a name change was necessary. The founder of FreeNAS (Olivier Cochard-Labbé) donated the original FreeNAS source code to the NAS4Free project. With the support of the former developers, namely Daisuke Aoyama and Michael Zoon, it carries on the legacy FreeNAS code basis. FreeNAS 8.x.y and up is a software fork of the original FreeNAS with a new rewritten code-basis, continuing the old branded name.[8]
Awards [edit]
The awards listed are legacy FreeNAS ones.
- VMware — "Ultimate Virtual Appliance Challenge, Consumer"[9]
- sourceforge.net — Project of the Month, January 2007[10]
- InfoWorld — Best of open source in storage[11]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "LICENSE". NAS4Free Documentation. The NAS4Free Project 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ a b "NAS4Free - The Free Network Attached Storage Project". The NAS4Free Project 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ "NAS4Free as your cross-platform network filehub". podcasts. knightwise 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ "General Information". NAS4Free. The NAS4Free Project 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php?id=NAS4Free#technology
- ^ a b "Download NAS4Free 9.1". SourceForge & NAS4Free. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^ "Are you using FreeNAS 0.7?". Main Page. iXSystems Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ http://wiki.nas4free.org/doku.php History of NAS4Free - The Free Network Attached Storage Project]
- ^ "FreeNAS is a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) server". VMware, Inc. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ "Project of the Month January 2007". SourceForge, Inc. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ "Best of open source in storage - 2007". InfoWorld. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
Further reading [edit]
Further readings prior to 2012 are referring to the legacy FreeNAS .07 precursor branch.
- "FreeNAS: A Simple Data Storage Solution". Radio World. 11 August 2009.
- "Network-Attached Storage on the Cheap". PC World (Washington Post). 27 August 2008.
- "Videotutorial with German Translator Falk". 079 – FreeNAS entfesselt. sysops.tv. 5 November 2010.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: NAS4Free |
Community [edit]
- Forums: http://forums.nas4free.org/
- IRC Channel: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#nas4free (or #nas4free on irc.freenode.net)
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