Feature request: A version of unRAID without the storage array features for a more basic/simple usage but still with containers and VMs

[IMTheNachoMan]

unRAID is quite powerful. The more I use it and the more I read about other products, the more I see how uniquely positioned unRAID is.

 

While unRAID is primarely meant for storage, I think there is a good use-case for a version of unRAID that isn't heavy on storage features but still retains containers + VM feature (with passthrough capabilities).

 

Imagine you wanted a server to run containers + VMs on. Say it has disk for storage. Right now you don't have a lot of good options:

• Proxmox containers are LXC and many Docker containers won't work out of the box
• You could install Linux directly but then you have to manage the OS like updates, securing, etc...

 

You don't have these problems with unRAID. 

 

Yes, I know you can just use unRAID as-is but all the array stuff would be unnecessary bulk for this use-case. It would be cool if there was a version of unRAID that didn't have the array features, but still had everything else. 

 

Just a thought. I feel like if a version of unRAID like this existed, it might be a promising option for folks who don't need/want all the storage features.

[trurl]

You need some storage for dockers/VMs, and you can create pools as needed for this purpose. A single data disk in the array is required to start, but it doesn't have to be used at all and a USB flash drive could be used for that.

[SimonF]

1 hour ago, IMTheNachoMan said:

unRAID is quite powerful. The more I use it and the more I read about other products, the more I see how uniquely positioned unRAID is.

 

While unRAID is primarely meant for storage, I think there is a good use-case for a version of unRAID that isn't heavy on storage features but still retains containers + VM feature (with passthrough capabilities).

 

Imagine you wanted a server to run containers + VMs on. Say it has disk for storage. Right now you don't have a lot of good options:

• Proxmox containers are LXC and many Docker containers won't work out of the box
• You could install Linux directly but then you have to manage the OS like updates, securing, etc...

 

You don't have these problems with unRAID. 

 

Yes, I know you can just use unRAID as-is but all the array stuff would be unnecessary bulk for this use-case. It would be cool if there was a version of unRAID that didn't have the array features, but still had everything else. 

 

Just a thought. I feel like if a version of unRAID like this existed, it might be a promising option for folks who don't need/want all the storage features.

As trurl said just use a small USB for disk1. I do this for one of my dev machines

 

[IMTheNachoMan]

3 hours ago, trurl said:

You need some storage for dockers/VMs, and you can create pools as needed for this purpose. A single data disk in the array is required to start, but it doesn't have to be used at all and a USB flash drive could be used for that.

 

Yes. I know. But I still think there would be use/demand for a version that just mounts disks as normal disks, no pools, parity, cache, etc. I know you can disable all that but folks like me wouldn't mind a "cleaner" setup.

[trurl]

You can assign disks to the array without any parity or other pools.

[IMTheNachoMan]

Just now, trurl said:

You can assign disks to the array without any parity or other pools.

 

Yes, I know. I feel like I didn't do a good job of explaining.

 

I know you can do what I'm explaining with unRAID. But I still feel there is a use for a cleaner configuration. Just a managed Linux installation with a webUI and with container and VM support. IMHO

[trurl]

What would you remove from Unraid? You have to have storage for the things you want to do. An array without parity can be that storage, and you have the webUI with container and VM support.

[trurl]

You don't even have to look at the Main page with the disks if you don't need to. Management Settings lets you specify a Start page. I always start at the Dashboard.

[IMTheNachoMan]

2 minutes ago, trurl said:

What would you remove from Unraid? You have to have storage for the things you want to do. An array without parity can be that storage, and you have the webUI with container and VM support.

 

Remove all the array aspects of the web UI. Remove any of the associated array jobs like mover and what not -- like removed from the configs and files in the OS. I know I could disable these myself but my thought is a light weight version of unRAID would take care of it all.

[IMTheNachoMan]

Just now, trurl said:

You don't even have to look at the Main page with the disks if you don't need to. Management Settings lets you specify a Start page. I always start at the Dashboard.

 

Yes. I get that. But I'm saying there are folks like me that would appreciate a super slim version that doesn't even have references/code for the other stuff.

 

It boots, auto mounts disks to standard mount points, and that's it. No storage management. Just containers + VMs.

 

But, now that I think about it, I'm thinking this might require more than a few code changes to unRAID core....

[trurl]

Just now, IMTheNachoMan said:

Remove all the array aspects of the web UI.

You need some way to manage storage even if it is seldom used.

1 minute ago, trurl said:

You don't even have to look at the Main page with the disks if you don't need to. Management Settings lets you specify a Start page. I always start at the Dashboard.

 

1 minute ago, IMTheNachoMan said:

jobs like mover

If you have no pools mover is disabled. And you don't even have to have user shares. Disable them in Global Share Settings.