We're releasing Truebuntu — a self-hosted NAS management web interface built for Ubuntu-based ZFS storage servers. If you've ever wanted TrueNAS-style management on a plain Ubuntu box running ZFS, this is the project.
Why Truebuntu?
TrueNAS Core is powerful, but it's an entire operating system. If you already run Ubuntu with ZFS and just want a web UI to manage pools, snapshots, shares, and system services, your options are limited. Truebuntu fills that gap — it runs as a single Docker container on your existing Ubuntu server and gives you a modern dashboard for everything you'd normally do from the command line.
What It Does
ZFS Management
Create and manage ZFS pools in mirror, RAIDZ, or stripe configurations. Browse datasets, create and schedule snapshots, configure replication between hosts, and run scrubs — all from the web interface.
File Sharing
Set up SMB and NFS shares with per-share access controls. Manage users and permissions without editing config files by hand.
Monitoring
SMART disk health monitoring, drive temperature tracking, and a visual hardware enclosure view that shows you which disk is where. System-level CPU and memory metrics are displayed in real time, with configurable alert routing to email, Slack, or PagerDuty.
Networking & Services
Configure network bonding, VLANs, and DNS. Manage services including DDNS, FTP, UPS monitoring, OpenVPN, and SNMP from a unified dashboard.
Security
Role-based access control with JWT authentication, bcrypt password hashing, and optional TOTP two-factor authentication. Every action is recorded in an audit log.
Backup & Sync
Schedule rsync backups, ZFS replication tasks, and cloud sync jobs via rclone. Built-in cron scheduling handles automated snapshots and scrubs.
Architecture
Truebuntu runs as a single privileged Docker container:
- Frontend: React 18 + Vite 6 + Tailwind CSS
- Backend: Python 3.12 + FastAPI + Uvicorn
- Database: SQLite with WAL mode for configuration and audit logs
- Port: 80
The container requires privileged mode for direct access to ZFS commands and disk hardware.
Status
Truebuntu is under active development and not yet production-ready. The core ZFS management, monitoring, and sharing features are functional, but the project is still being tested and hardened. Use it on non-critical systems and expect breaking changes.
Getting Started
Requirements:
- Ubuntu-based host with ZFS installed
- Docker with privileged mode support
- Port 80 available
Clone the repository and follow the setup instructions:
GitHub: github.com/midyear66/Truebuntu
Check out the Truebuntu app page for the full feature breakdown and technical details.
The SSETCO Team