News: 0001483793

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QNAP TS-433 Making For A Nice Open-Source & Mainline Linux NAS Experience

([Hardware] 2 Hours Ago QNAP TS-433)


While there is no shortage of consumer network attached storage (NAS) devices these days, those able to run a mainline Linux kernel, open bootloader, and other open/mainline software components is a bit more challenging. Thanks to the work of open-source developer Heiko Stuebner, the QNAP TS-433 is looking to be an interesting candidate for those wanting a nice 4-bay NAS while being able to load it with a mainline Linux kernel build and other upstream open-source software.

The QNAP TS-433 is advertised as being a 4-bay NAS that can be used to "build a personal private cloud and home multimedia center" and features a "built-in NPU to boost AI-powered face recognition" and the likes. This 4-bay, 4GB DDR4 RAM, 2.5GbE NAS retails for around $363 and a seemingly unintended feature is that it's becoming rather open-source/upstream friendly.

Heiko Stuebner who has been working on some of the mainline Linux kernel support wrote in a message to Phoronix:

"The Rockchip RK3568-based TS433 has most of its components supported in the upcoming 6.12, can use a mainline u-boot and also driver support for the MCU is nearly done.

QNAP also (accidentially?) designed their devices in a way that accessing the serial port is easy and they even put a jumper header on the mainboard to enter the RK3568's maskrom mode ;).

While I'm working on the TS433, the same is true for the TS133 (rk3566), TS216 and TS233 devices (rk3568)"

[1]These 14 patches get more of the DeviceTree in place for enabling the QNAP TS433 with the upstream kernel. Those patches will are aiming to land in Linux 6.12. [2]These patches get the U-Boot support going but aren't yet ready for merging. Lastly [3]these are the patches for enabling the MCU on QNAP NAS devices.

So those looking for a 4-bay 2.5GbE NAS device for less than $400 that is more open and becoming capable of running a mainline Linux kernel, the QNAP TS-433 is looking quite interesting. More details on the NAS can be found at [4]Amazon (affiliate link).



[1] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-rockchip/20240723195538.1133436-1-heiko@sntech.de/

[2] https://lore.kernel.org/u-boot/20240803135542.3124517-1-heiko@sntech.de/

[3] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-rockchip/20240731212430.2677900-1-heiko@sntech.de/

[4] https://amzn.to/4dtIMUQ



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