The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

It's a TrueNAS world (Interview)

Mar 22, 2024

Kris Moore, Senior Vice President of Engineering at iXsystems, discusses the evolution of TrueNAS from its beginnings as a FreeBSD project. He delves into the differences between TrueNAS Core and Scale, highlighting the exciting innovations in the latter. The conversation also covers the role of ZFS compatibility, the upcoming Dragonfish release, and the balance between open-source contributions and enterprise needs. With insights on user experiences and the significance of community engagement, listeners get a comprehensive view of the future of TrueNAS.

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ANECDOTE

Chris Moore's iXsystems Journey

Chris Moore's career at iXsystems began with PC-BSD, a desktop FreeBSD version.
He transitioned to TrueNAS about six or seven years ago, focusing on QA and ZFS.

INSIGHT

TrueNAS Core vs. Scale

TrueNAS Core, based on FreeBSD, is now primarily in maintenance mode, while TrueNAS Scale, built on Linux, is where most innovation occurs.
iXsystems aims to keep FreeBSD and Linux ZFS versions compatible.

ADVICE

Choosing TrueNAS: Scale for Beginners

New TrueNAS users, especially home labbers, should start with TrueNAS Scale for its better hardware support and user-friendly interface.
Scale offers a smoother initial setup experience for those less familiar with ZFS.

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This week Adam talks with Kris Moore, Senior Vice President of Engineering at iXsystems, about all things TrueNAS. They discuss the history of TrueNAS starting from its origins as a FreeBSD project, TrueNAS Core being in maintenance mode, the momentum and innovation happening in TrueNAS Scale, the evolution of the TrueNAS user interface, managing ZFS compatibility in TrueNAS, the business model of iXsystems and their commitment to the open-source community, and of course what’s to come in the upcoming Dragonfish release of TrueNAS Scale.

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Featuring:

Kris Moore – LinkedIn, X
Adam Stacoviak – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!