27. Playing with apps
Ive been playing with various apps to see what I like and I have changes a few things around. I was using Jellyfin until I decided to add a library of old movies, lots of them aged avi files. Jellyfin just didn’t like these even after converting them. They wouldn’t play at all no matter what I tried.
So I installed Plex in Truenas Scale hoping that this would help and I also have the lifetime license for server transcoding.
This was a great move as everything I have plays well now. The only thing I don’t like about Plex compared to Jellyfin is that the Admin account is visible to everyone who connects, even though they cant connect without the password.
I’m also considering moving my audio files to run through Plex as well but Ill see what other things tickle my fancy first. If VLC was an app on Truenas Scale I would use that.
Next I decided I didn’t like Nextcloud that much. This wasn’t anything about the usage but how the files need to be added. If I try to add files to my profile folder I have to run scripts to get Nextcloud to run a task and rescan my files so they are visible. But if you just wanted to transfer a mass amount of files through the network (so much slower) then that is OK. I just want to be able to move large amounts of files without stressing my network at home. I still have Nextcloud for the basics but I removed the function for pictures as I decided to use a dedicated app for that.
I installed Immich a pretty popular app for image and videos. I can sync to any device and have all photos move to the NAS and then delete the device storage to have more space again for more photos and videos, naturally I am making sure to back up my entire NAS and I’m pretty sure I’ll use Truenas Core, the dedicated rock solid stable app on a smaller less powerful machine. I just need the ZFS piece of mind and compatibility between both NAS’s.
One thing I don’t overly like about Immich is again… adding files directly to it. I need to use third party apps to transfer then files if I don’t want then moving over my home network. These apps sort the images into folder structures by Year, Month, Day… Hard to navigate and view in the raw form but in Immich they show very well.
Ive played around with other apps only to delete them later but this is just looking and testing really.
But in all the NAS has been running rock sold 24/7 without any issues. The WD RED Pro and Plus HDD temperatures have all stayed consistent and raise about 2 to 3 degrees during the day. Occasionally during hard use they get to 41 degrees Celsius but usually sit between 38-40 degree Celsius.
The stock fan on the Jonsbo N2 is a little annoying now so I will be getting a Noctura fan which will make it close to silent. A mod is required for the thicker fan, well thicker that the slimline stock fan anyway. I found a N2 fan bracket to replace the stock one and had it 3D printed at my local library for around $3.60 and have been using it since I got it. These fans are around $80-$85 AU and top quality.