OpenMediaVault (OMV) is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) system based on Debian. It includes SSH, (S)FTP, SMB/CIFS, RSync, BitTorrent client, etc. In addition, the frameworkโs modular design allows it to be expanded via plugins.
Related: Best NAS Software Solutions for Network Storage
Furthermore, OpenMediaVault has a proven track record as a NAS solution. It has been around since 2009, designed as a successor to FreeNAS (now TrueNAS) by one of its original developers.
The project is primarily intended for use in home environments or small home offices, but it is not restricted to those scenarios.
It is a simple and easy-to-use out-of-the-box NAS solution that allows anyone to install and manage a Network Attached Storage without any further knowledge.
After a long development period, the new OpenMediaVault 6 hit the stable status, so without further ado, let’s look at the main changes from the previous 5.x series.
What’s New in OpenMediaVault (OMV) 6 NAS System
The first and most important thing to note is that unlike the previous 5.x series, which were based on Debian 10, OpenMediaVault 6 stands on the sturdy shoulders of the latest and most up-to-date Debian 11 (Bullseye).
Another key highlight of this release is that OpenMediaVault 6 has received a new graphical user interface developed entirely from scratch. Compared to the GUI of previous versions, the new web-based administration interface is clean, modern, and fully up to date with the latest trends, giving the software a polished and professional look.
Furthermore, OMV 6 includes some new container-based plugins. These include, for example, S3, OwnTone, PhotoPrism, WeTTY, FileBrowser, and Onedrive. However, remember that not all systems are supported because basic upstream containers are only accessible for specific CPU architectures.
Apart from those mentioned above, some additional changes also deserve to be noted here. First of all, we have an improved installer. In addition, the S.M.A.R.T temperature monitoring configuration has also received some improvements.
Finally, we can’t also fail to mention that OpenMediaVault 6 adds Recycle Bin support for SMB-based home directories.
Of course, there are also numerous other improvements and countless bug fixes. If you want to see all of them in detail, you can visit the OpenMediaVault 6 changelog.
If you are already using OMV 5 and decide to upgrade to version 6, keep in mind that the upgrade may cause issues with systems that use USB hardware based on JMicron controllers. More on the subject here.
Last but not least, we want to remind you that at the end of June 2022, OpenMediaVault 5.x will become End-of-Life. This means that no security/bugfix updates will be published. So, to stay current, please upgrade to 6.x. Existing OMV 5 installations can be migrated using the omv-release-upgrade CLI command.
Download OpenMediaVault 6 NAS Software
OpenMediaVault 6 installable ISO images can be found here. Of course, OpenMediaVault 6 can also be installed on any Debian 11-based distribution using the APT package manager. Furthermore, OMV even supports some ARM architectures, including the one used by the Raspberry Pi.
The ISO image can also be used to create a USB stick in addition to hard drives and SSDs, which is especially useful if you plan to use a single-board computer like the Raspberry Pi.
