I have my old TrueNAS/FreeNAS server running the latest community version of TrueNAS Core (13.3-U1.2). The initial install was FreeNAS 9.10.2-U5 that I have upgraded over time since. I saw that SCALE had reached parity with CORE, so I was thinking migrating to SCALE. What would be best upgrade path for me? My server acts as file server, Plex server and backup my main machine via SSH. Can go directly to 25.04/25.10 via the GUI?
Is there a 13.3-U2 of CORE? I have 13.3-U1.2 installed would that matter for migrating?
no that shouldn’t matter, as long as you go to scale 24.04 first and then 24.10 and then to 25.04
Thanks for the clarification!
My TrueNAS CORE OS is installed on a flash drive from which my server boots. When I perform the migration from CORE to SCALE is it overwritten, since it won’t be possible to go back to CORE after the migration?
Yes, migration from core to scale is a one way path. You could only go back to core by re-installing core and importing your data, not by choosing the old boot environment.
So are the entire old boot enviroments then deleted in the migration process or are they just made inaccessable?
Can’t answer that, i’ve been on scale for the last 4 years and never used the update from core to scale path.
Another important thing: booting TrueNAS SCALE from a USB is very much not recommended. I would highly suggest using a small SSD for that.
16GB is enough.
If you have 1 PCIe lane available somewhere I would suggest an Optane module as the small ones are dirt cheap and they have incredible write endurance.
OK, is SCALE that more read and write intensive than CORE. I’ve been running TueNAS CORE/FreeNAS since 2017 on an USB.
Both Core and Scale are much more write intensive, yes, compared to FreeNAS, and so Core and Scale will accelerate the wear on a standard thumb drive (if that’s what you have).
However, if your server is at home in a protected location, and you don’t want to lose a PCI lane then you can still arrange to boot from USB by getting a cheap M.2 SSD (for around 30 GBP) and putting it in an NVME-to-USB adapter (around 15 GBP). Attach this assembly to the back of your server case with a Command strip somewhere out of the way of fan exhaust, and connect to USB port with a short USB cable having a right-angle plug at one end.
This what I did, after suffering a thumb drive boot failure with Core 12. It has been working well for a year so far on Core 13 running 24/7.
