TrueNAS + Pi = Budget NAS
Jeff Geerling proved TrueNAS runs on Raspberry Pi. I took it further — instead of clicking through the web UI, I manage my NAS through OpenClaw commands via Discord.
My NAS Setup
Hardware:
- Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB)
- Radxa SATA HAT (4x SATA)
- 4x 2TB WD Red Plus (RAIDZ1)
- NVMe boot drive (256GB)
Software:
- TrueNAS SCALE (Dragonfish)
- OpenClaw on separate PiNatural Language NAS Management
Instead of opening the TrueNAS web UI, I just message OpenClaw:
“How’s the NAS doing?”
Pool: tank
Status: ONLINE
Used: 2.1TB / 5.4TB (39%)
Last scrub: 2 days ago (0 errors)
Disk temps: 34°C, 35°C, 33°C, 34°C“Take a snapshot of the media dataset”
# OpenClaw runs via TrueNAS API:
# POST /api/v2.0/zfs/snapshot
# {"dataset": "tank/media", "name": "manual-2026-02-26"}
✅ Snapshot created: tank/media@manual-2026-02-26“List recent snapshots”
tank/media@auto-2026-02-26 (2h ago, 0B)
tank/media@auto-2026-02-25 (1d ago, 1.2GB)
tank/documents@auto-2026-02-26 (2h ago, 0B)TrueNAS API Integration
TrueNAS SCALE has a REST API that OpenClaw calls directly:
# OpenClaw skill configuration
tools:
truenas:
type: rest-api
baseUrl: http://truenas.local/api/v2.0
headers:
Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"Common API calls OpenClaw makes:
# Pool status
GET /pool
# Disk temperatures
GET /disk/temperatures
# Create snapshot
POST /zfs/snapshot {"dataset": "tank/media", "name": "snap-name"}
# List snapshots
GET /zfs/snapshot?dataset=tank/media
# Check alerts
GET /alert/listAutomated Checks
Every 6 hours, OpenClaw checks:
- ZFS pool health — DEGRADED or FAULTED → immediate alert
- Disk temperatures — >45°C → warning
- Disk SMART status — any failures → critical alert
- Snapshot age — oldest auto-snapshot >7 days → cleanup reminder
- Share accessibility — SMB/NFS responding → OK
The Killer Feature: Smart Cleanup
When the pool fills up, OpenClaw doesn’t just alert — it suggests action:
⚠️ NAS pool at 85% Largest datasets:
- tank/media/movies: 1.8TB
- tank/media/tv: 1.2TB
- tank/backups: 800GB
You have 23 snapshots older than 30 days (estimated 400GB reclaimable). Want me to delete snapshots older than 30 days?
One reply: “Yes, clean them up.” Done.
Cost vs Cloud Storage
Pi NAS (one-time): $350
4x 2TB drives: $240
Monthly electricity: $2
Total year 1: $614
Google One 2TB: $100/year
iCloud+ 2TB: $120/year
But: 6TB usable, no subscription, fully private
Break-even: ~5 years, then free forever
