Setting Up OpenMediaVault with Docker, Samba, and RAID 5

After testing a few NAS operating systems, I landed on OpenMediaVault (OMV) for its simplicity, flexibility, and great Docker support. Here’s a quick rundown of how I got everything up and running on my custom NAS build.

Step 1: Installing OpenMediaVault

1. Download the latest OMV ISO from the official website.
2. Flash it to a USB drive using Rufus.
3. Boot from the USB and follow the installation steps.
4. Once installed, access the web UI at http://<your-nas-ip> using:
   • Username: admin
   • Password: openmediavault

Step 2: Setting Up RAID 5

Assuming you have at least 3 identical drives:

1. Go to Storage > Disks and wipe each drive.
2. Navigate to Storage > RAID Management and:
   • Create a new array
   • Select RAID 5
   • Choose your drives
3. Wait for the array to sync.
4. Head to Storage > File Systems, create a new file system (ext4 recommended), and mount it.

Step 3: Creating a Samba Share

1. Go to Access Rights Management > Shared Folders:
   • Create a shared folder on the RAID volume.
2. Go to Services > SMB/CIFS:
   • Enable the service
   • Add your shared folder under the “Shares” tab
3. Set up user permissions under Access Rights Management > Users.

Step 4: Installing Docker with Portainer

1. Install the OMV-Extras plugin:
   • Download from GitHub
   • Install via System > Plugins
2. Once installed, go to OMV-Extras:
   • Enable Docker and Portainer
3. Access Portainer at http://<your-nas-ip>:9000 to manage containers.

Final Thoughts

OMV made it super easy to get a full-featured NAS running with:

• Docker support
• Samba file sharing
• RAID 5 redundancy

It’s lightweight, stable, and a perfect fit for anyone building their first homelab server.