XigmaNAS Install Guide: Storage, Users and SMB Shares

To set up XigmaNAS, install it on a dedicated boot device, configure its local network access, create a storage pool and user accounts, then enable an SMB share. Plan the disks before starting: writing an installer, installing the system, or creating a new pool can erase the selected device.

Updated October 17, 2026: Replaced obsolete version recommendations and unsafe blanket claims. Refocused the guide on installation, a first SMB share, storage planning, backups and service security.

What XigmaNAS is, and what this guide covers

XigmaNAS is a FreeBSD-based operating system for network storage. It can share files with Windows, macOS, and Linux, and offers services such as SMB, NFS, SSH and file transfer. Most everyday administration is through its web interface.

This guide takes you from a fresh installation to a working home file share. It does not ask you to enable every service. Use the official setup and user guide alongside the documentation for the release you download. Some wiki screenshots are older, so match settings by their purpose rather than by a fixed menu number.

Before you install: separate the disks and make backups

Item	What to prepare
Computer	Supported 64-bit hardware, compatible network and storage controllers, and enough RAM for the planned workload
Installer device	A USB stick you are willing to erase
System boot device	A separate supported device for XigmaNAS itself
Data disks	Disks chosen for the intended pool layout; record their model, capacity and serial numbers
Network	A wired Ethernet connection and another computer for the web interface
Backup	An independent copy of any files already on devices you may change

Minimum boot requirements are not a good target for a busy ZFS server. Check the project’s hardware and feature notes and the FreeBSD compatibility information for your controllers. There is no promise that every old PC or USB storage bridge will work well.

Label the installer and boot devices. If practical, disconnect data drives while installing the operating system so they cannot be selected by mistake. Reconnect them only after shutting down normally.

1. Download and install XigmaNAS

Start at the official XigmaNAS website and follow its download link. Choose a current stable installer that matches your hardware and boot method.
Check the release notes and verify the download against the project’s published checksum where supplied.
Write the installer image using an appropriate image-writing tool. Selecting an image file is different from simply copying it onto a USB stick. Confirm the destination device before writing.
Boot the server from the installer and choose the installation option suited to the current release. The official guide recommends embedded installation for most users; full installation has different maintenance and extension considerations.
Select the dedicated boot destination by identity and capacity. Read every erase warning before confirming.
When installation finishes, remove the installer as instructed and boot from the installed system.

The embedded installer guide explains the separation between the installer and the device that will boot the server. Do not follow an old tutorial’s disk letters or device numbers on your own computer.

2. Set up the network and admin access

Use the local console to select the connected Ethernet interface and review the IP configuration. You can use DHCP initially, then arrange a router reservation or a suitable fixed address so the server remains easy to find. A fixed address must belong to the correct subnet and must not conflict with another device.

Open the address shown by your server from a computer on the same trusted network. Use the release’s documented first-login details, then change the administrator password immediately. Set the time zone, time synchronisation and host name, and enable supported HTTPS administration.

If the page will not open, first check the cable, interface, address, subnet, and whether a guest network isolates the client. Do not disable your firewall or expose the web interface to the internet as a shortcut. The LAN configuration guide explains the console’s role.

3. Plan and create ZFS storage

Creating a new pool is not the same as importing an existing one. If your disks already hold a ZFS pool you need, stop and follow the supported import process. Do not format them to make them appear in the interface.

For empty data disks, review the disk-management and ZFS screens, choose the disks intended for storage, create the required virtual device or devices, then create the pool. Save and apply the changes the interface requests.

Layout	Basic trade-off
Single disk or stripe	No disk-failure redundancy for the data in that device group
Mirror	Keeps copies across disks; capacity and fault tolerance depend on the layout
RAID-Z1 / RAID-Z2 / RAID-Z3	Provides one / two / three disks’ worth of parity protection within a RAID-Z group, with corresponding capacity costs

A pool can contain multiple virtual devices. Do not assume that adding an unprotected disk to a redundant pool makes that disk redundant too. Review the whole layout before confirming; a later change may require moving data elsewhere first.

Create separate filesystem datasets for purposes such as documents, photos, and backups. A dataset lets you manage permissions, quotas and snapshots separately. A zvol is block storage for a different use case, not the default choice for an ordinary folder share. Leave advanced options such as deduplication alone unless you understand the resource and maintenance needs.

See the FreeBSD ZFS handbook for pool concepts. Redundancy helps with disk failure; it is not a backup against deletion, theft, malware, or loss of the whole server.

4. Create users and groups

In the access-control area, create a group for the people who should use the share, then add individual users with strong passwords. Use ordinary file-access accounts instead of giving everyone the administrator login.

Set the dataset’s owner, group, and permissions so those users have the access they need. Choose read-only access where editing is unnecessary. An unrelated group named “ftp” is not automatically required for an SMB user. The XigmaNAS users and groups guide explains its Unix-style accounts.

5. Enable SMB and test a share

Open the SMB/CIFS service settings and review the server name and authentication settings.
Create a share with a clear name and the path to the intended dataset or folder.
Keep guest access off unless you have a specific, understood need for it.
Save, apply, and enable the service as required by your version.
From Windows, open \\NAS-address\ShareName in File Explorer. On macOS, use Finder’s Connect to Server with smb://NAS-address/ShareName.
Sign in as an ordinary share user. Create a small test file, read it, rename it, and remove it. Also test an account that should not have access.

If login works but writing fails, check both the share settings and the underlying filesystem permissions. Do not enable obsolete SMB1 or allow everyone full access just to hide a permissions problem. A different Windows file manager will not bypass server permissions.

6. Set backups, alerts and a restore test

Export the XigmaNAS configuration after major setup changes and keep it away from the boot device. That configuration file is not a copy of the data stored on your NAS.

Arrange a separate data backup, schedule suitable snapshots and disk-health checks, and configure notifications. Test restoring a file to a separate location. Snapshots stored only on the same pool do not protect against losing that pool.

Optional services: enable only what you need

Service	Practical guidance
FTP / FTPS	Plain FTP does not protect credentials or file contents. Use a supported encrypted method when transferring sensitive files.
SSH / SFTP	Keep access limited, use appropriate authentication, and avoid routine remote administrator access. SFTP uses SSH; it is different from FTPS.
DLNA	Share only the intended media folders. Do not treat a media-library feature as a private account-controlled file share.
Remote access / VPN	Prefer a supported, maintained VPN solution. Do not copy an old package-install command into an embedded NAS or expose the admin page directly.
Transmission	Use a separate download location, suitable permissions, and a protected management interface.
UPS / NUT	Choose the driver for the exact UPS model and connection. Test clean shutdown behaviour instead of assuming one USB driver fits all units.
Dynamic DNS	Provides a changing address with a stable name. It does not encrypt traffic, open a connection, or secure the NAS.

Can you run Docker on XigmaNAS?

XigmaNAS is based on FreeBSD. Docker’s Engine installation guide lists Linux platforms, so do not follow those commands as if they were native XigmaNAS steps. If containers are a main goal, plan a supported Linux host or virtual-machine setup separately rather than changing the storage server blindly.

Use the web interface for settings it manages. For files that genuinely need manual editing, practise the basic vi save and quit commands on a harmless file first, and keep a backup of the real configuration.