Run DSM 5 from open source on any x86

[stevech]

I stumbled upon http://xpenology.me/introduction/
This is a boot program for x86 processors. You put it on bootable media (CD, USB), along with a few other files, using an ISO image file to bootable media utility.

Once booted, you can then install Synology's DSM5 OS on a blank disk in that x86 computer, with the help of the Synology Assistant tool for Win/Mac/Linux (this is used for installation only.).

This is easy to do (having fumbled around at first with the bootable media creation process).

I put this on a 5 yr. old but fast Dell Laptop with a blank drive in it.
Wow, UI much faster and transfer of big file to this "NAS" notebook shows 130M bytes/sec (per Windows' copy GUI) which is about the practical wire speed of my gigE LAN.

Not perfect as I've read that some add-ins (download/add-in) to DSM5 don't work properly.
I mistakenly tried DSM6. It ran but got an error trying to create a new volume. xpenology doesn't claim this all works for other than DSM5.

The root of this is the open source license that Synology, QNAP, et al must agree to on taking open source Linux and other goodies as their framework.

I wonder if there is an xpenology-like thing for QNAP's OS? Or other "good" NAS?

HOWEVER, I feel more that guilty in using this as it might harm Synology. I doubt many serious customers will go this DIY bare metal hardware approach. But it kind of feels wrong to me. So I used it just once.

Comments?

 

[sfx2000]

Some mixed feelings about this - but in many ways not too much different that what folks did with the Linksys WRT54G linux GPL drops...

If they're not selling it, it's probably ok - Synology sells HW and Support, DSM is a means to that end.

 

[stevech]

Some mixed feelings about this - but in many ways not too much different that what folks did with the Linksys WRT54G linux GPL drops...

If they're not selling it, it's probably ok - Synology sells HW and Support, DSM is a means to that end.

Anything similar for QNAP? I found a site with their obligatory source code. But not a boot program to use the standard release binaries as done for DSM.

 

[sfx2000]

Anything similar for QNAP? I found a site with their obligatory source code. But not a boot program to use the standard release binaries as done for DSM.

No, haven't seen anything like that for QNAP...

 

[Generious]

I have been running xpenology for about a year and bit now on a HP Microserver G8 booting from a usb drive.

It has served me well they are a bit slow at releasing updates to the boot loader when versions drop but still all good.

However just this weekend I decided to purchase a DS1515+ as it will allow me to use install dsm6.0 and use Btfrs and run a full supported vaai setup on the VMware end.

Btfrs is still a relatively new file system with lots of bugs floating around but with synology working on it and supporting would feel comfortable using it this way over the hacked xpenology version.

I will continue to use the micoserver with xpenology as a Dev environment as such.

 

[stevech]

@Geberious
Do you forasee a Xoebikigt boot for DSM6? I ran DSM6 on x86 but it isn't supported (yet?) and would not create a volume. DSM5 is OK as you know.

 

[sfx2000]

@Geberious
Do you forasee a Xoebikigt boot for DSM6? I ran DSM6 on x86 but it isn't supported (yet?) and would not create a volume. DSM5 is OK as you know.

Hmm... on that DSM6, where you couldn't create the volume - wonder if someone went into the shell, and created the LVM stack there, would the UI pick it up and present it..

 

[kamina]

HOWEVER, I feel more that guilty in using this as it might harm Synology. I doubt many serious customers will go this DIY bare metal hardware approach. But it kind of feels wrong to me. So I used it just once.

Comments?

No need to feel guilty, Synology would never have been able to create their products without all the GPL software others have shared for free. They make the choice to use stuff others created without paying for it in exchange having to share their work under an open license. It's the whole point of GPL...

Besides, I doubt they have lost any sales because of that even though they could if it came really popular, but then they would just find a way to increase the value they are adding with their native solution.