Build Your Own Home NAS with Ubuntu Server and OpenMediaVault: Optimized 10TB Storage – ITFROMZERO

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The Struggle with Scattered Data and the Cost of Cloud Storage

My collection of photos, 4K videos from my phone, and work documents grows by dozens of gigabytes every year. If I keep spending $3 to $10 every month on Google Drive or iCloud, the cumulative cost after a few years becomes quite significant. Not to mention, relying on the Cloud makes me worry about privacy when you could build your own “Google Drive” on Ubuntu 24.04 for 100% data ownership and faster local speeds.

Buying a dedicated NAS like Synology is a safe but expensive choice. A 2-bay NAS costing $200-$300 often comes with very modest hardware specifications. Instead, repurposing an old Mini PC or an office PC offers far superior performance. However, managing a pure Ubuntu Server via the Command Line Interface (CLI) is a major hurdle for most users.

OpenMediaVault (OMV) is the answer. Installing OMV on top of Ubuntu Server provides an intuitive Web UI. You can manage drives, set permissions, and install media services without having to touch the Terminal too often.

Why Choose OpenMediaVault Over TrueNAS or Pure Samba?

Before settling on this method, I experimented with three popular approaches:

TrueNAS (ZFS): Extremely secure but very RAM-hungry. You need at least 8GB – 16GB of RAM just to run the system stably, though installing ZFS on Ubuntu is a viable alternative for data security.
Ubuntu Server + Samba: Extremely lightweight, but every time you want to create a user or mount a drive, you have to SSH in and type commands. This is very inconvenient if you want to share data with your whole family.
OpenMediaVault on Ubuntu: This is the perfect balance. OMV runs smoothly with just 2GB of RAM, supports Docker well, and inherits the entire vast Ubuntu application repository.

Below is the optimized workflow I have applied to over 10 home NAS systems, ensuring the highest stability.

Step 1: Preparing the Ubuntu Server Foundation

Install Ubuntu Server version 22.04 or 24.04 LTS. Ensure your computer is connected via LAN and you have sudo privileges. There are several things to do after installing Ubuntu Server 22.04 to ensure your system is secure and updated before starting. Update the entire system using the command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Important Note: Ubuntu uses Netplan by default to manage networking, but OMV will interfere with this configuration. You should set a static IP from the start. This helps avoid losing connection to the Web UI after a successful installation.

Step 2: Installing OpenMediaVault via Automated Script

Instead of manually installing individual packages which can cause conflicts, I recommend using the script from the OMV-Extras community. This tool automatically detects hardware and configures everything in a flash.

Run the following command to begin the process:

wget -O - https://github.com/OpenMediaVault-Plugin-Developers/installScript/raw/master/install | sudo bash

This process takes about 10-15 minutes. Once completed, the server will automatically restart. This is when Ubuntu truly transforms into a professional NAS operating system.

Step 3: Setting Up the Web Administration Interface

Using another computer on the same LAN, open a browser and navigate to the server’s IP address (e.g., http://192.168.1.100).

Default Account: admin
Default Password: openmediavault

The first thing you should do is go to System -> Workbench. Change the admin password immediately and increase the auto-logout timeout to 30 minutes so the configuration process isn’t interrupted.

Step 4: Configuring Storage Drives

A NAS is useless without properly formatted storage space. Do not use the OS drive to store shared data.

1. Wiping Old Data

Go to Storage -> Disks. Select the hard drive you just added and click Wipe. This will erase old NTFS or FAT32 partitions, making the drive ready for a new Linux format.

2. Creating File Systems

Go to Storage -> File Systems and click the + (Create) button. I recommend choosing the EXT4 format for its excellent stability on Linux. If you need snapshot backup features, BTRFS is a more advanced option. After creating it, click Mount so the system recognizes the drive.

Step 5: File Sharing via SMB for Windows and Mobile

To allow family members to watch movies and save photos, we need to enable the Samba protocol. While OMV provides a UI, the core principles are identical to installing and configuring Samba on Ubuntu manually.

Shared Folder: Go to Storage -> Shared Folders. Create a folder named “DATA” and select the drive mounted in the previous step.
SMB Service: Go to Services -> SMB/CIFS -> Settings and toggle Enable.
Shares: In the Shares tab, add the “DATA” folder. Now, you just need to type \\192.168.1.100 in Windows Explorer to access your files.

Step 6: Streaming Media with Jellyfin via Docker

A modern NAS isn’t complete without entertainment features. Instead of a direct installation, I use Docker to keep the system clean. Install the openmediavault-compose plugin under System -> Plugins.

Here is a basic Docker Compose configuration for Jellyfin — currently the best free movie management server:

services:
  jellyfin:
    image: jellyfin/jellyfin
    container_name: jellyfin
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - /ssd/config:/config
      - /hdd/movies:/data/movies
    restart: unless-stopped

After running it, access http://NAS-IP:8096 to enjoy a smooth 4K movie library on your Smart TV or phone.

Practical Tips for a Reliable NAS

After years of operating a home NAS, I’ve learned three major lessons:

Never use USB flash drives for data storage: A USB drive will fail after just a few months of continuous data writing. Invest in dedicated HDDs (like the WD Red or Seagate IronWolf series).
Control temperatures: A NAS usually runs 24/7. Ensure hard drive temperatures stay below 45°C to avoid sudden data loss.
Stable power supply: If possible, equip your setup with a small UPS. A sudden power outage while the NAS is writing data can easily cause File System errors.

Building your own NAS not only saves you thousands in Cloud fees but also gives you a sense of complete control over your data. Good luck building your ideal storage system!