The long-awaited TrueNAS 25.04, code-named “Fangtooth,” a robust Linux-based (Debian) enterprise-ready network-attached storage that bets on the OpenZFS filesystem and supports containerized applications and virtualization, has officially arrived.
First and foremost, the 25.04 release brings Enterprise-grade features such as NFS over RDMA support and Fibre Channel support. Additionally, administrators can now benefit from iSCSI XCOPY through ZVOL block cloning, streamlining data management tasks.
The system adopts Linux kernel 6.12 for broadened hardware support, OpenZFS 2.3 for improved storage efficiency, Docker Engine 27.5 for streamlined container management, and NVIDIA Driver 550.142 for enhanced GPU workloads.
Furthermore, Fangtooth is transitioning to a versioned JSON-RPC 2.0 API over WebSocket, replacing the older REST API and providing new and improved documentation. Notably, there is now support for user-linked API Keys, enabling much more nuanced access control and better integration with third-party solutions.
Meanwhile, the user interface has been polished with an improved login experience, plus heightened STIG compliance for those aiming to meet stricter security requirements.
The 25.04 release also debuts ZFS Fast Deduplication in the UI, paving the way for more efficient data storage. For everyone excited about exploring virtualization, TrueNAS has replaced the previous KVM hypervisor with Incus for virtual machines and introduced Linux system containers (LXC).
However, be aware that these new “Instances” remain experimental, so production users may want to hold off until the feature set matures in a future release.
It’s worth noting that the restyled 25.04 includes significant overhauls to the TrueNAS Apps system, particularly a move toward per-app IP address binding, and the subsequent shift in containerized applications’ functions. Administrators still on 24.04 or 24.10 have until June 1, 2025, to ensure automatic app migration.
After that date, older versions are no longer supported for new app installations or upgrades, effectively nudging users toward 25.04 or beyond.
Lastly, if you rely on virtual machines set up under KVM on TrueNAS 24.10 or earlier, remember that these VM configurations will not automatically transfer during the upgrade to 25.04.
While the storage zvols remain intact, users must manually recreate their VMs under Incus. For many organizations, that can mean scheduling extra time for planning and testing, so you’ll want to keep that in mind before committing to your upgrade.
For more information, see the announcement.
Keep in mind that while this version is now labeled Stable (25.04), the TrueNAS team still recommends that only adventurous users immediately adopt it for daily use. The upgrade procedures can be followed via the TrueNAS web UI, provided the system is first updated to the latest maintenance release (v24.10.2) before leaping to 25.04.
