OpenMediaVault VS Ansible-NAS

You might want to consider the previously mentioned MergerFS and SnapRAID, or MDADM and LVM for your setup. OpenMediaVault [https://www.openmediavault.org/ is a solid choice in this regard. Additionally, if you're planning to run something like Proxmox, you could look into deploying Starwind CVM on top of it. Pretty much like in this guide: https://www.starwindsoftware.com/resource-library/starwind-virtual-san-vsan-configuration-guide-for-proxmox-vsan-deployed-as-a-controller-virtual-machine-cvm/ .

You would better to install OMV instead. It's a ready to use fileserver solution with web interface.

So I'm working on a similar setup with an ancient desktop my in-laws were getting rid of. I installed OpenMediaVault directly to the hard drive (it's so old that I assume it wouldn't work too well as a hypervisor), with a 4TB external HDD attached. OMV supports Docker by means of a plug-in and I'm running a Jellyfin container with no issues at all. I'm still manually downloading everything to the HDD but *arr containers are my next step, as well as setting up a gluetun container to route all that through a VPN.

That is possible (it's automated to a certain extent). It also depends on the NAS OS. Unraid, for example, can work with drives of different sizes while using the largest one for parity. TrueNAS uses ZFS so you won't be able to just add a drive to your RAIDZ and expand it. There's also openmediavault: https://www.openmediavault.org/ that uses Linux Software RAID and you can add a new drive there but you can't combine drives of different sizes. And there's also Starwinds NAS that supports both Linux Software RAID and ZFS: https://www.starwindsoftware.com/san-and-nas. Plus, I would avoid SMR drives in RAID: https://nascompares.com/answer/list-of-wd-cmr-and-smr-hard-drives-hdd/

I'd put it like that: if you have a spare PC, then it's definitely worth trying. I would also look into openmediavault (minimal RAM needs): https://www.openmediavault.org/ and Starwinds NAS (supports both ZFS and Linux software RAID): https://www.starwindsoftware.com/san-and-nas

Your current PC looks very decent for a lab. Proxmox on it, then one Linux VM with Docker, another VM for NAS with something lite and easy like openmediavault: https://www.openmediavault.org/ or Starwinds NAS: https://www.starwindsoftware.com/san-and-nas and Plex separately. And other stuff in VMs or containers.

Ansible-NAS

Tried it a few years ago. I had some strange error when simply trying to setup an SMB share on truenas. I immediately switched to https://github.com/davestephens/ansible-nas and haven't looked back. I feel a lot more safer and in control with ansible nas.

Ubuntu supports ZFS as well. I use this at the moment which works very well. https://github.com/davestephens/ansible-nas

Right now I manage docker mule with ansible. Traefik and dashboard is autopopulated with labels ( homepage is great, ansible-nas is sometimes outdated but can be easily fixed ) .

Never used this thing but it seems popular https://github.com/davestephens/ansible-nas freenas is fine for me

Nice UI ! I’m personally using Ansible nas , I have a private fork of it and it allowed me to custom things as I like in yaml files

- NAS software and solutions: -- FreeNas or TrueNas, I heard they are good file storage solutions, but I cross them out because I read there is limited Docker or VMs support; -- Unraid, I cross it out since needs paid license I am not sure if I need all the features. Maybe I am cheapscate, but I would like to see if I can get what I need using free software first. I probably would invest if I build a proper NAS from scratch, and not reporpusing old hardware; -- OpenMediaVault. Something I am considering, but I heard it is a decent open source NAS based on Linux, has it limitations, doesn't really like USB storage and so on. -- Synology hardware. Friend has it because he knows he has no time to mess around. Don't want to go this rout since I have the hardware already. -- Roling out your own solution or using ubuntu or ansible-nas. Sounds like a great learning experience. BUT for some reason, people who create their own solution end up switching to some different framework like this guy.