TrueNAS Core Docker Virtualization and Privacy VPN Routing

Computer Hardware & Server Infrastructure Builds
1

I am new to TrueNAS and have been doing quite a bit of research to see if TrueNAS would be a good choice for me. First and foremost, I want a simple and reliable storage solution. I’m pretty sure that TureNAS is the perfect choice for that. However, after thinking about it a bit more, I would like to upgrade my simple file server to a media server.

Is it true that TrueNAS Core (Community Edition) can virtualize a Linux VM that can then be used for Docker? My plan was to install Portainer and use it to manage my applications.

I would like to use Jellyfin and a torrent application. However, I would like to use certain Docker applications only with a specific VPN. In addition to TrueNAS, I will be setting up pfSense. How can I connect a specific Docker container so that my pfSense VPN can redirect it for improved privacy?

I will fairly certainly only have one physical interface on my TrueNAS system.

If my idea isn’t sound a complete restructure of my planned setup is possible too. In the end I would like to run some docker applications with Portainer and route some of them over a VPN.

2

TrueNAS is not ideal to use as a virtualization platform and the challenge in using Docker apps is making sure you have the apps assigned an IP address so you can do policy routing for the VPN in pfsense.

3

What is the problem with the virtualization of TrueNAS? What alternative would be better? What better alternative could I use with Portainer? Can I route out a complete docker network?

4

TrueNAS virtualization very basic and has some issues with local IP on NIC cards. I don’t really use Docker, but Level1Techs does have a guide for setting it up.

5

I’ve setup portainer within an Ubuntu VM on TrueNAS Core. I know that part of the equation works OK.

In terms using certain Docker applications only with a specific VPN – I’m not sure how to do that. I’ve setup up WireGuard as my VPN and can access portainer over the VPN. I’m not sure if that’s what you want to do.

6

I know the video. So the Docker issues are why you call it less than ideal? What other platform would be better for basic media stuff at home?

7

So do you want to use the server as the means of displaying your media ?

I looked at Jellyfish in the past and had issues connecting it to network shares perhaps it has since changed.

Personally I have my media on a NAS and backup on OpenMediaVault, I just use them as storage. Then have Proxmox hosting MySQL db in a vm. Any device I use which has Kodi, connects to MySQL and the network share and works.

I have these cheap usff Lenovo 1l boxes, which I hook up to my TV, I used Android boxes in the past but these just had no way of updating the OS after a few years.

Depends on what you want to do, in the end, I’ve found it easier to deal with vms rather than containers in the end.

8

Thanks for the information. I think I will start with a TrueNAS system and from there see if I can also make it a media server to my liking. Otherwise I will upgrade to media later with a second box.

I am looking for about 5 drives in RaidZ2 with 12TB capacity. What other drives would you recommend to speed up TrueNAS? I know TrueNAS can consume a lot of memory and I want some overhead for virtualization later. What is a reasonable size? Is 32 GB enough for basic Docker (maybe 10 GB RAM) and TrueNAS?

What CPU would you use? Some mid AMD one?