Setup TrueNAS SCALE on a Server - Build Your Personal NAS System
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Introduction
TrueNAS SCALE is an open-source storage platform that allows you to build a network-attached storage (NAS) system on a server. In this guide, you will install TrueNAS SCALE on a Dedicated Server and configure the initial setup, including storage pools, user accounts, and SMB file sharing.
Our VPS products are not suitable since they only contain one virtual disk. You can install TrueNAS SCALE on a VPS, but you cannot create storage pools since the entire disk is used for the OS.
To set up TrueNAS SCALE, a dedicated server configuration with at least two hard drives is required.
Preparation
Before beginning the installation, ensure you have the following minimum system requirements:
| Hardware | Minimum | ZAP-Hosting Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 CPU Cores | 8 vCPU Cores |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Disk space | 16 GB OS | Depending on the use case |
Head over to the official TrueNAS website and download the latest stable release. You can either upload the ISO to a publicly accessible location (your own web server or cloud storage) or keep it locally on your computer for direct mounting.
If you plan to mount via URL in the remote console, ensure your ISO file URL ends with .iso and is publicly accessible without authentication.
Mounting the ISO
Log into your ZAP-Hosting Dashboard and navigate to your Dedicated Server in the service list. Once there, open the server management page and click on Activate iLO to access the server management interface.
In the iLO interface, find the Integrated Remote Console option. Choose your preferred console type and launch it. A new window will open with direct access to your server's display.
In the remote console, click the CD icon at the top and select CD/DVD. Choose Scripted Media URL if you uploaded the ISO online and enter its direct URL. Otherwise, select Local .iso File to browse your computer. Either way, the ISO will mount to the virtual CD/DVD drive.
For other ISO mounting methods including via the Virtual Media interface, refer to the Own ISO guide.
With the ISO mounted, use the Power menu in the console to reboot. Select Reset and the server will restart, booting from the TrueNAS SCALE ISO.
Installation
Watch the console as the system boots. The TrueNAS SCALE setup screen appears and the installer loads automatically. Loading the installation environment takes a few minutes.
The installer displays Choose destination media along with your available disks. Navigate with the arrow keys and select which disk to use for the OS. Pick the smallest disk for the OS installation (this entire disk becomes dedicated to TrueNAS SCALE). Press Space to select it, then Enter.
A warning appears indicating the installation will erase everything on the selected drive. Navigate to Yes with the arrow keys and press Enter.
Next, the installer asks about authentication setup. Option 1 sets the password now, while Option 2 lets you configure it later via the web interface. We'll use Option 2: Configure using Web UI for more flexibility. Select it and press Enter.
The installer asks "Allow EFI boot?". Select Yes (recommended) and press Enter.
Installation begins and typically takes 15-20 minutes. Watch the progress on screen as files copy and the system configures itself.
When finished, you'll see "The TrueNAS installation is successful". Press Enter.
Before rebooting, unmount the ISO or you'll boot back into the installer. Click the DVD icon, select CD/DVD, and click Eject Media. Reboot using the Power menu or let it restart automatically.
Configuration
After the installation completes, you must configure which disk the server boots from. TrueNAS SCALE has been installed, but the server needs to be told to boot from the correct disk through the RAID controller ROM configuration.
After installation, you must configure the boot volume in the RAID controller ROM to ensure the server boots from the correct disk.
Setting the Boot Disk in ROM
Watch the console during boot. When "Press F8 for ROM Configuration for Arrays Utility" appears, hit F8 immediately.
The ROM Configuration utility opens. Navigate to Select Boot Volume with the arrow keys and press Enter.
Your available disks are listed here. Navigate to the disk where TrueNAS SCALE is installed and press Enter.
With the disk selected, press F8 to save. Confirm if asked, then exit the utility. Your server boots into TrueNAS SCALE.
Accessing the Web Interface
After the first boot, the TrueNAS SCALE console displays the Web UI access URL: http://[your_server_ip]. Write down this IP address as you'll need it to access the web interface.
TrueNAS SCALE typically auto-configures network settings via DHCP. Skip this unless you have multiple IP addresses or require a specific static IP.
For manual network configuration, select 1) Configure Network Interfaces from the console menu. Pick your primary interface (like enp0s3 or eth0), choose Configure IPv4, then Static. Enter your IP address, subnet mask, and gateway (find these in your ZAP-Hosting Dashboard).
Open a web browser and navigate to http://[your_server_ip] using the IP address from the console.
Since we chose Configure using Web UI earlier, this is where you set the password. The login page shows truenas_admin as the username. Enter a strong password, confirm it, and click Submit.
Choose a strong, unique password for your TrueNAS admin account. This account has full system access.
After login, the dashboard appears showing system information, network status, storage pools, services, and alerts. You have successfully configured TrueNAS SCALE and are now ready to set up storage.
Creating Storage Pools
Click Storage in the left sidebar, then click the Create Pool button.
First, enter a name for your pool, something like Disk, tank, or whatever makes sense to you. Click Next when ready.
In the Data section, open the Layout dropdown and select the configuration that fits your requirements:
- Stripe: Maximum usable capacity but no redundancy
- Mirror: Stores identical data across two disks, providing redundancy while reducing usable capacity
- RAIDZ1: Provides one disk of redundancy
- RAIDZ2: Provides two disks of redundancy
- RAIDZ3: Provides three disks of redundancy
Under Disk Selection, all your storage disks are listed. Click the ones you want in the pool and they move to the configuration area showing estimated capacity.
The installation disk won't show up here as it's exclusively for the operating system.
Leave optional settings as default and click Next. The review page shows your configuration including name, layout, disks, and capacity. Verify the configuration and click Create Pool to confirm.
Organizing with Datasets
With your storage pool created, you can now organize your data using datasets. Datasets are logical subdivisions of your storage pool that help separate different types of data. Click Datasets in the sidebar. Your new pool appears there (e.g., "Disk").
Click Add Dataset. The pool is automatically set as parent. Give it a name like documents, media, or backups. Leave advanced options as default unless you have specific requirements. Click Save.
Creating User Accounts
Click Credentials in the sidebar, then Add. Pick a username (like john or fileuser), add the full name, and set a password. Leave primary group, home directory, and shell as default. Scroll to the end and enable the SMB option for Windows access.
Customize permissions based on your security requirements. For basic file sharing, default options with SMB enabled are sufficient. Once done, click Submit to complete this step.
Do not use root or truenas_admin for file sharing. These system accounts won't work with SMB. Create dedicated users instead.
Setting Up SMB Shares
Click Shares in the sidebar. Three options appear: Windows (SMB) for Windows/macOS/Linux, Unix (NFS) for Linux/Unix, and Block (iSCSI) for block storage. We'll set up SMB. Click Add in the Windows (SMB) Shares section.
The Add SMB dialog opens. For Path, browse to your dataset (like /mnt/Disk/documents). For Name, enter something like documents (users see this name on the network). Purpose can stay default for most cases. Add a description if you want. Advanced options exist (ACL settings and other options), but leave guest access disabled for security. Click Save.
After creating the share, a popup says the SMB service is not running. Click Start Service. Also check Start Automatically so it runs on boot. The SMB share is now available on the network.
For NFS shares with Linux/Unix systems, navigate to Shares → Unix (NFS) Shares and click Add. Select your dataset, configure networks and permissions, enable NFS when asked, and save.
Accessing Your Share
To access your share for example through your Windows PC, openthe File Explorer. Press right-click on This PC (or My Computer) and select Add a network location.
The Add Network Location Wizard will open. Continue with Next to proceed.
When asked for the location, use this format: \\[your_server_ip]\[share_name]. For example: \\192.168.1.100\documents. Replace [your_server_ip] with your TrueNAS server's IP address and [share_name] with the name you gave to the SMB share. Once you have done that, continue with Next.
Enter the username and password for the user you created in TrueNAS. Don't use root or truenas_admin as they won't work for SMB. Check Remember my credentials to save them for next time. Click OK.
The TrueNAS share is now accessible. Browse files, create folders, and copy data just like any other network drive. You have successfully connected your Windows PC to the TrueNAS share.
For easier access, use Map network drive instead of Add a network location. The share appears as a drive letter (like Z:) in File Explorer.
macOS: In Finder, press Cmd+K and enter smb://[your_server_ip]/[share_name]
Linux: Use your file manager's "Connect to Server" option with smb://[your_server_ip]/[share_name], or mount via command line using mount.cifs
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have successfully installed and configured TrueNAS SCALE on your server. For further questions or assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our support team, which is available daily to assist you! 🙂