Which OS for a Home Server? Proxmox vs Bare Metal vs NAS Distros

Goal

Pick an OS layout that fits how you think, not what Reddit is shouting about:

• Proxmox (hypervisor-first)
• Plain Linux (services on one OS)
• NAS-focused distros (TrueNAS, etc.)

We’ll focus on small, low-power homelabs – not 8-node clusters.

1. Option A: Proxmox as the base

Best for:

• You like the idea of VMs and containers
• You want clean separation of “host” vs “services”
• You might move workloads to a different box later

Pattern:

• Proxmox host: boring hypervisor
• VM #1: “core services” (Docker stack)
• Optional VM/CTs: experiments, separate services

Pros:

• Easy backups of whole VMs / CTs
• Snapshots before upgrades
• Clear separation between “infrastructure” and “apps”

Cons:

• Slightly more complexity to learn
• Needs a bit more RAM than the absolute minimum

2. Option B: Plain Linux (bare metal services)

Best for:

• You want one OS to manage
• You’re happy to run:
  • Docker
  • or system services directly
• You don’t care about migrating VMs between hosts

Pattern:

• Debian / Ubuntu Server
• Docker + docker-compose for most apps
• Systemd services for anything else you like

Pros:

• Simple mental model
• No hypervisor layer
• Great for single low-power box

Cons:

• OS and apps are more tangled
• Backups are at the “folders and configs” level, not whole VMs
• Experimenting can feel riskier if you get too wild on the main OS

3. Option C: NAS-first (TrueNAS, OMV, etc.)

Best for:

• Your main goal is storage:
  • ZFS, snapshots, SMB/NFS
• You want a nice web UI for disks and shares
• Apps are secondary

Pattern:

• TrueNAS / OMV as the main OS
• Apps run as:
  • built-in “apps” / plugins
  • Docker (depending on distro)

Pros:

• Very good at managing multiple disks
• Snapshots, replication, scrubs built-in
• Nice UI for disks and shares

Cons:

• App ecosystem varies
• Not as flexible as plain Linux or Proxmox for “weird stuff”
• Can feel heavy for tiny “1 or 2 disk” setups

4. How to choose for a SmallGrid-style homelab

Ask:

1. Is running multiple OSes (VMs) important to me?
2. Is storage the main event, or just “I need somewhere to put media”?
3. How much complexity do I want to carry around in my head?

Rough guidance:

• If you want flexibility + neat separation:
  • Proxmox
• If you want minimum layers:
  • Debian / Ubuntu bare metal
• If your primary concern is RAID/ZFS + shares:
  • NAS distro (TrueNAS, OMV)

5. Example layouts

Example 1: Proxmox + services VM

• Proxmox host on SSD
• VM: Ubuntu Server
  • Docker: Jellyfin, Pi-hole, Syncthing, etc.
• Backup:
  • Proxmox VM backups to external disk

This is the “one-node Proxmox for normal humans” pattern.

Example 2: Plain Ubuntu server

• Ubuntu Server on SSD
• /mnt/media on HDD
• Docker stack:
  • Jellyfin
  • AdGuard
  • Syncthing
  • whatever else

Backups via rsync / restic of config + media.

Example 3: TrueNAS as main OS

• ZFS pool with 2–4 drives
• SMB shares for media and files
• Apps:
  • Jellyfin as an app / container
  • Backup tools inside the TrueNAS ecosystem

Great if storage is your real focus.

6. Changing your mind later

You can move between options:

• From plain Linux → Proxmox:
  • turn the old server into a VM inside Proxmox (P2V)
• From Proxmox → plain Linux:
  • create a new VM or bare-metal box and migrate containers/services
• From NAS distro → something else:
  • export data, build new box, rsync over

Don’t over-optimise for the ultimate future state. Pick what you’re happy to live with for the next 1–2 years.

7. Recap: SmallGrid OS rule

• Choose the OS that matches how you think, not just what’s fashionable.
• Extra layers are only worth it if they unlock something you’ll actually use.
• A “boring” layout that you understand always beats a clever one you don’t.