The DXP models discussed here use x86-64 processors, but the current DXP range includes both Intel and AMD models; third-party OS installation and peripheral support vary by model. UGREEN allows third-party systems on DXP devices, but installation steps and hardware support should be confirmed for the exact model and operating-system release. The hardware compatibility is not the obstacle. The obstacles are fan control, specific peripheral support, warranty implications, and the question of whether it is worth the effort given what UGOS Pro can already do.
In short: Yes, TrueNAS SCALE and Unraid install on Ugreen DXP hardware (x86, UEFI). Community reports show core storage and networking working on some DXP configurations, but UGREEN does not officially support these operating systems and compatibility should be checked for the exact model and OS release. Fan control requires manual configuration. UGREEN says installing a third-party system does not change its hardware warranty policy, although it does not support compatibility or software problems caused by that system; Australian consumer-guarantee rights remain separate. The main reason to do this is ZFS (TrueNAS) or Unraid's flexible disk model. For everything else, UGOS Pro on the DXP is the lower-friction path.
Warranty note: UGREEN says installing a third-party system does not by itself change the hardware warranty, although compatibility support is not provided and damage caused by modification or misuse may still be excluded. If you install TrueNAS or Unraid and encounter a hardware fault, Ugreen's warranty claim pathway is complicated by the non-stock firmware state. Only proceed if you are comfortable with this trade-off and have assessed the warranty risk given Ugreen's current AU support chain.
Why Someone Would Want This
The primary motivation for installing TrueNAS SCALE on a Ugreen DXP NAS is ZFS. UGOS Pro does not support ZFS. TrueNAS SCALE uses ZFS with end-to-end checksums, scrubs, snapshots and compression; automatic repair requires a suitably redundant pool or another valid copy of the damaged block. For users who specifically want ZFS data integrity in a purpose-built NAS enclosure without stepping up to enterprise hardware, the DXP series offers x86 compute in a compact form factor at a price that competes with DIY builds.
The DXP4800 Pro and DXP6800 Pro provide four and six SATA bays respectively, Intel processors and M.2 NVMe slots; the DXP4800 Pro has 2.5GbE plus 10GbE, while the DXP6800 Pro has dual 10GbE. The hardware is solid. The attraction is getting ZFS's data integrity guarantees on an otherwise capable prebuilt enclosure.
Unraid is the other common alternative, particularly for homelab users who want flexible disk management (mixing drive sizes without fixed pool architecture) and Docker and VM hosting in a single interface. Unraid's parity-based storage model suits users adding drives incrementally over time.
What Works Out of the Box
The Intel N100 and Core i5 processors in the DXP range have strong Linux kernel support. TrueNAS SCALE (Linux-based) and Unraid (Linux-based) both recognise the CPU, SATA controller, and network interfaces correctly on DXP hardware without special drivers.
Network hardware varies by model: the DXP4800 Pro has 2.5GbE plus 10GbE, while the DXP6800 Pro and DXP8800 Plus use dual 10GbE; third-party-OS driver support must be checked for the exact controller and OS release. The M.2 NVMe slots are recognised and available as storage devices. The SATA bays are presented through the SATA controller without issues. The USB ports work for installing the OS and for connecting peripherals.
For most users, the core NAS functionality (drives, network, M.2) works without configuration beyond the normal OS setup process.
What Requires Manual Work
Fan control. This is the most commonly reported issue. DXP fan-control hardware varies by model, and third-party-OS support ranges from supported to partial or unavailable; model-specific drivers, BIOS settings or plugins may be required. Fan behaviour varies by DXP model, BIOS and operating system; some systems retain hardware-controlled curves, while OS-level temperature control can require a model-specific driver or plugin. Community members have worked around this with fancontrol and lm-sensors configuration on TrueNAS SCALE, but it requires manual tuning to set temperature curves correctly. Unraid's plugin ecosystem has additional fan control options. Without correct fan configuration, either the DXP runs loud (full speed) or drives run warmer than ideal (fixed low speed).
HDMI output and UGOS Pro-specific peripherals. HDMI output on the DXP series is connected through the Intel iGPU, which Linux supports via the i915 driver. TrueNAS SCALE does not use HDMI by default (it is a server OS). Unraid can display a console on HDMI. If HDMI output was part of the original UGOS Pro use case, this requires additional configuration in the alternative OS.
Power button and LED behaviour. Some DXP models have front panel indicators and a power button managed by UGOS Pro. Power-button and indicator behaviour should be verified on the exact DXP model; community scripts exist for some LED controllers, but support is model-specific.
TrueNAS SCALE on DXP4800: Community Status
Community threads on r/homelab, the TrueNAS community forums, and Ugreen's own NAS community report successful TrueNAS SCALE installations on the DXP4800 with the following outcomes:
- Storage pool creation with ZFS works correctly across the four SATA bays
- M.2 NVMe devices can be used as L2ARC or as a redundant ZFS special vdev; a special vdev must have redundancy at least matching the data vdev because losing it can make the entire pool inaccessible.
- Community reports indicate network detection on some DXP4800 installations; negotiated link rate and file-transfer throughput should be verified on the exact model and TrueNAS release.
- Fan control requires manual configuration via lm-sensors and fancontrol
- HDMI not used in most server deployments
- Dragonfish 24.04 is an archived release whose Apps backend used Kubernetes; TrueNAS 24.10 and later use Docker, and app compatibility should be assessed against the current TrueNAS release.
The DXP6800 with its i5 processor has also been reported running TrueNAS SCALE successfully, with the same fan control caveat. The additional compute of the i5 is useful for TrueNAS workloads that include VMs or compute-intensive containers.
Unraid on DXP Hardware
Unraid installs via USB boot and treats the DXP hardware as a standard x86 system. Community reports describe SATA, NVMe and network detection on some DXP/Unraid configurations, but results depend on the exact DXP model, network controller and Unraid kernel release. Unraid's array setup works normally with DXP bays as standard SATA drives. Community reports note the same fan control issue as TrueNAS, and Unraid's Community Applications plugin ecosystem includes fan control plugins that simplify the configuration process.
Unraid's Docker and VM management runs well on both the N100 and i5 DXP models. For homelab users who want a flexible Docker environment alongside NAS storage, Unraid on a DXP4800 or DXP6800 is a viable and reasonably well-documented community path.
Is It Worth It Over Just Using UGOS Pro?
For most DXP buyers, no. UGOS Pro handles Docker, file sharing and RAID without replacing the factory operating system; UGREEN says a third-party system does not itself change the hardware warranty, although third-party software support is excluded. The effort of configuring fan control, working around UGOS Pro peripherals, and maintaining an alternative OS on hardware that was not designed for it is real ongoing friction.
The case for installing an alternative OS is specific: you want ZFS (TrueNAS) and UGOS Pro's non-ZFS storage is not acceptable for your data integrity requirements. Or you want Unraid's specific disk management model and are comfortable running community-supported hardware. Those are legitimate reasons. For general homelab use, streaming, Docker, and file storage, UGOS Pro on the DXP is the lower-friction path.
Before you install: Back up any existing data on the NAS. TrueNAS installation wipes the selected permanent boot device; TrueNAS recommends a 20GB-or-larger SSD and treats removable USB media as temporary installer media rather than the preferred boot pool. Have a plan for the UGOS Pro configuration you want to preserve before wiping. The storage drives themselves are not affected by installing TrueNAS on a separate boot device, but always have a confirmed backup before any OS installation.
Related reading: our NAS buyer's guide, our Synology vs QNAP comparison, and our NAS RAID guide.
Free tools: RAID Calculator and RAID Rebuild Time Estimator. No signup required.
Related reading: our UGREEN brand guide.
Use our free ZFS vDev Calculator to plan your ZFS pool layout.
For a full assessment of the DXP hardware under UGOS Pro, see our UGREEN DXP4800 Pro hardware review.
See also: our complete UGREEN NAS Australia guide.
Looking for UGREEN accessories?
UGREEN also makes chargers, power banks, USB-C docks, wireless chargers, Ethernet adapters and storage accessories. We have sorted the Australian range into the products actually worth considering.
Browse UGREEN accessories →Does installing TrueNAS on a Ugreen DXP void the warranty?
No. UGREEN says installing a third-party system does not by itself change its hardware-warranty policy, although compatibility support is excluded and damage caused by modification or misuse may not be covered; Australian consumer guarantees remain separate. UGREEN now sells the DXP4800 Pro through its official Australian storefront with a stated two-year warranty; the seller’s Australian Consumer Law obligations remain separate from that voluntary warranty. Factor this risk into the decision. If the NAS is within a period where warranty coverage matters for your use case, staying on UGOS Pro preserves the warranty path. If the NAS is out of warranty or you have assessed the risk as acceptable, the technical installation itself is straightforward.
Can I switch back to UGOS Pro after installing TrueNAS?
Returning to UGOS Pro is model- and installation-dependent; confirm the recovery procedure with UGREEN support before overwriting or replacing the factory system drive, and preserve a verified image of that drive where possible. Reinstalling UGOS Pro on a separate system device does not convert or import a TrueNAS ZFS pool; back up the data first and do not initialize the TrueNAS drives in UGOS Pro. Ugreen's community documentation covers the recovery process. If the original UGOS system drive was left intact, switching back may be possible by selecting it as the boot device; TrueNAS recommends an SSD rather than a USB flash drive for its permanent boot pool.
Is TrueNAS SCALE or Unraid better for a Ugreen DXP?
TrueNAS SCALE if ZFS data integrity is the primary goal. Unraid if flexible disk management (mixing drive sizes, incremental expansion) and a simpler Docker interface are priorities. TrueNAS SCALE is free and open source. Unraid requires a one-time licence. Both have active communities and work on DXP hardware with the same fan control caveat. For homelab Docker and VM workloads, Unraid's interface is often preferred. For a NAS where ZFS checksums and scrubs are the reason for the installation, TrueNAS SCALE is the correct choice.
Does the DXP2800 work with TrueNAS?
Yes, with the same caveats as the DXP4800. The N100 processor, SATA bays, M.2 slots, and 2.5GbE interface are all Linux-compatible. With two data drives, TrueNAS normally recommends a mirrored ZFS vdev, which provides one drive's worth of usable capacity; non-redundant layouts are technically possible but are not recommended for critical data. For a two-bay setup, TrueNAS's mirror vdev provides ZFS data integrity on both drives. Fan control requires the same manual configuration as on other DXP models.
Does TrueNAS SCALE support the Intel Quick Sync GPU in DXP models?
TrueNAS SCALE can access the Intel iGPU in DXP models for hardware transcoding in Plex or Jellyfin deployed via the TrueNAS app framework. The i915 driver is included in the TrueNAS SCALE Linux kernel. Configuring Plex or Jellyfin to use hardware transcoding through TrueNAS requires passing the GPU device to the app container, which is supported in the TrueNAS SCALE app configuration. UGOS Pro also requires container and application-level GPU configuration for Plex or Jellyfin hardware transcoding.
Comparing prebuilt NAS to a full DIY TrueNAS or Unraid build? The prebuilt vs DIY guide covers the real cost and complexity differences.