iXsystems put TrueNAS CORE into what it called a sustaining engineering phase back in 2024. Under this, the open source NAS operating system would only receive security and stability fixes, with new features going to the Linux-based SCALE branch instead.
Even its maintenance releases got axed when iXsystems marked 13.3-U1.2 as the final release for the 13.3 series (or train as they call them).
SCALE has since been renamed TrueNAS Community Edition, and users who didn't want to move to a Linux-based OS were stuck with CORE and no actively developed FreeBSD-based path forward.
FreeCORE looks to be that path.
What is FreeCORE?
It traces directly back through TrueNAS CORE to FreeNAS, and it's built on the same foundation CORE always used: FreeBSD and OpenZFS. The current stable release is 15.0-U1.3, and it is aimed at TrueNAS CORE holdouts.
Basically for people who rely on features like FreeBSD jails and bhyve virtual machines who have no interest in moving to TrueNAS Community Edition's Debian Linux base.
It's also worth knowing that FreeCORE is a one-person project. Their motivation for creating this was that they needed a FreeBSD way off their own TrueNAS CORE box instead of migrating to Linux.
So they built one, leaning heavily on AI coding agents for the implementation while directing and validating the work themselves.
FreeCORE's FreeBSD 15 base carries along many practical component upgrades with it too!
OpenZFS climbs from 2.1.14 to 2.4.2, Python from 3.9 to 3.11, and the web interface runs on a much newer build of Angular.
WebAuthn security keys now work as a second login factor, and one-time passwords cover console logins. Jails can share the host GPU through a new DRM driver, and rar2fs mounts RAR archives read-only.
FreeCORE also gets rid of vendor telemetry and offers a web interface that lets you manage everything from jails and virtual machines to storage, sharing, and user accounts.
Jails networking runs through VNET, NAT, or DHCP depending on what the setup needs, and an advanced jail creation form exposes every option for admins who want a greater level of control.
Get started
Most of you arriving at FreeCORE are likely running TrueNAS CORE 13.3, and moving is only a matter of taking a backup and running this script:
fetch https://freecore.org/freecore-enroll.sh && sh freecore-enroll.shRunning it switches the system's update train and certificate away from iXsystems' servers and points it at FreeCORE's.
From there, the upgrade runs through System › Update like any other update. The configuration database migrates on first boot, though not everything makes it across. OpenVPN gets replaced by WireGuard, and enterprise-licensed features don't carry over.
Of course you could always go the fresh install route, where you write the image to removable media, verify it, and then boot from it to install it on a drive.
The official documentation is a handy resource that covers a range of topics related to FreeCORE installation and usage, while the source code lives on Codeberg.
Suggested Read 📖: Here are your choices for an open source NAS operating system if you don't prefer FreeCORE.
Pulkit Chandak
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