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🧰 Unraid: Overview & Installation Guide

📌 What is Unraid?​

Unraid is a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly operating system designed for:

  • Network-attached storage (NAS)
  • Virtual machine hosting
  • Docker container management

Unraid offers a hybrid storage model using a mix of drives (of any size), fault tolerance via parity, and an intuitive web interface. It's popular among home lab enthusiasts, media server builders, and developers.

🔑 Key Features​

  • Flexible Storage Array — Mix and match drives of any size and type.
  • Docker & VM Support — Run containers and virtual machines side-by-side.
  • Web-based Management — Control your server from a browser.
  • Parity Protection — Data redundancy without traditional RAID constraints.

🖥️ System Requirements​

  • A 64-bit capable processor
  • Minimum 2GB of RAM (4GB+ recommended)
  • At least one storage device (HDD/SSD/USB for array)
  • One USB flash drive (for booting Unraid)
  • A system capable of booting from USB

📥 Step-by-Step Installation Guide​

🧾 1. Download Unraid​

  • Go to the official website: https://unraid.net/download
  • Download the USB Creator Tool for your operating system (Windows/macOS/Linux)

💾 2. Create a Bootable USB Drive​

Using the USB Creator Tool (Recommended):

  1. Insert a USB drive (at least 1GB, USB 2.0/3.0 recommended)

  2. Launch the USB Creator Tool

  3. Select:

    • Unraid version (latest stable)
    • Target USB drive
    • Flash method: Write image to USB

  4. Click Write

  5. Once complete, eject the USB safely

Manual Method (Linux/macOS):

  1. Format the USB to FAT32 with the label UNRAID
  2. Download and extract the Unraid ZIP contents to the USB
  3. Run make_bootable script from the terminal (on macOS/Linux: use sudo bash make_bootable_mac or make_bootable_linux)

⚙️ 3. Configure BIOS/UEFI​

  1. Reboot your system and enter the BIOS/UEFI setup
  2. Set the USB drive as the primary boot device
  3. Enable AHCI mode (if available)
  4. Disable Secure Boot (if enabled)
  5. Save and exit

🚀 4. Boot Into Unraid​

  • With the USB plugged in, the system will boot into Unraid

  • You'll see a boot menu:

    • Select Unraid OS (or GUI Mode if you want local access)

🌐 5. Access the Web Interface​

  1. Once Unraid finishes booting, it shows a web UI address (usually http://tower.local or your server’s IP)
  2. Open a browser on your network and go to that address

🔑 6. Set Up the Array​

  1. Go to Main > Array Devices

  2. Assign:

    • One or more data drives
    • One optional parity drive

  3. (Optional) Assign cache drive(s)

  4. Click Start Array

  5. Format the drives as prompted

📦 7. Register Your License​

  • You get a 30-day free trial
  • Go to the Registration tab in the web UI
  • Sign in or create an Unraid account
  • Follow instructions to register the USB GUID and activate your trial or license

🎮 Bonus: Install Community Applications​

  1. Go to the Apps tab

  2. If missing, install the Community Applications plugin:

    • Go to Plugins > Install Plugin

    • Paste this URL:

      https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Squidly271/community.applications/master/plugins/community.applications.plg

  3. Hit Install to get access to popular apps like:

    • Plex
    • Nextcloud
    • Home Assistant
    • qBittorrent
    • Syncthing

📚 Additional Resources​

✅ Final Thoughts​

Unraid offers an ideal platform for homelabs, media servers, and small virtualization workloads. With its ease of use, expandability, and massive community support, it's a favorite for tech enthusiasts.