The one home server OS EVERY homelab builder should look at
If you’re getting into homelabs, smart homes, or DIY servers, you’ve probably heard the name Unraid flying around. But what actually is Unraid, why do so many people swear by it, and is it worth using in 2025?
In this video I break down Unraid in plain English, covering everything from the Array, parity drives, cache pools, the Mover, shares, appdata, Docker, virtual machines, and even the infamous USB boot device. Whether you’re building your first home server or you’ve already got a stack of HDDs ready to throw into a box, this will give you a clear picture of how Unraid works and why it’s such a flexible option.
# We’ll talk about:
• How Unraid handles storage differently from RAID
• Why the Array and parity system make disk failures far less painful
• How cache pools, SSDs, and the Mover actually work
• The importance of the appdata share and how Docker uses it
• The USB boot drive (yes… that thing)
• File systems like XFS, BTRFS and ZFS
• Best practices that will save you from corrupt containers, full cache drives, and general chaos
• How I run Unraid in my own smart home, including Plex, Home Assistant, Frigate, Node-RED, Mosquitto and more
If you’re into servers, NAS builds, home automation, CCTV, Plex, containers, or tinkering with anything vaguely nerdy, this one will help you get a proper handle on Unraid. It’s one of the most powerful homelab operating systems around, and once you understand how it works, it becomes an insanely capable tool for smart homes, media servers, and self-hosting.
# Links:
Unraid pricing: https://unraid.net/pricing
@SpaceinvaderOne : https://www.youtube.com/c/spaceinvaderone
@IBRACORP https://www.youtube.com/c/ibracorp
Note: @SpaceinvaderOne 's Ed now actually works directly for Unraid and they have their own excellent channel called @uncastshow and I highly recommend checking them out as well.
# Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:49 Unraid in a nutshell
01:42 A quick history of Unraid
02:35 Unraid Terminology
02:41 Terminology: Array
02:54 Terminology: Parity drive
03:25 Terminology: Cache pool
04:16 Terminology: Shares
04:58 Terminology: Allocation Method
05:13 Terminology: Filesystems
05:22 Terminology: Filestyles (Version 7.2 changes)
05:21 Terminology: docker.img file
06:00 Terminology: Boot drive
06:39 Terminology: Config folder
06:58 Terminology: Docker/VM Manager
07:20 Unraid's disk handling
07:45 How I use Unraid
08:37 The gotchas of Unraid
12:00 Like and subscribe!
12:08 Rule 1: Use Cache appropriately
12:19 Rule 2: Don't let your cache fill up
12:45 Rule 3: Choose sensible allocation and split-level methods
12:54 Rule 4: Choose the right file system
13:12 Rule 5: Moving appdata files
13:31 SpaceInvaderOne and IbraCorp
13:40 Outro
If you enjoy the video, hit like and subscribe. Let me know what you’re running on your own Unraid server. I'm always curious what people are building in their setups.
#unraid #homelab #homeserver #smarthome #nas #selfhosted #selfhosting #docker #virtualmachines #vm #plexserver #plexmedia #homeassistant #frigate #nodered #mqtt #zigbee #smarttech #iot #dataserver #storage #datastorage #xfs #btrfs #zfs #linuxserver #techreview #serverbuild #homenetwork #localnetwork #diytech #technerd #serverlife #datacenterathome #nerdlab #powerusers #geeklife #geeksetup #yourowncloud #cloudathome #privacyfirst #homelabsetup #technetworking #homesetup #techprojects #techwalkthrough #networkattachedstorage
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# My links:
My blog: https://foxleigh.me
Discord: https://discord.gg/tPdaADbM2N
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/foxyslab
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfoxleigh/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/foxleigh81
GitHub: https://github.com/foxleigh81
# Gear + stuff I use
My studio kit, homelab builds and recommended gear are listed here:
https://kit.co/foxleigh81
# A quick note
I buy all the stuff I show on the channel myself. If something is sent to me for review, I’ll tell you outright and it doesn’t change what I say about it.
Most product links I share are affilialte links if I can get them but I only share links to product that I actually use myself and consider to be worth buying.
# Support the channel
If you like my videos and want to help me keep making more of them, Patreon is the best way. You also get Discord roles, behind-the-scenes chats and your name in the credits depending on the tier.
If you just want to send a one-off tip then you can do that over at ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/foxleigh81
If you want to support me but you can't afford to donate money then simply engaging with my videos with a like or a comment goes a long way, I'd be especially grateful if you shared a link to my videos to someone else.
However you choose to support me, I will be very grateful :)
