TrueNAS
Products
Support & Resources
Solutions
Company
  1. Documentation Hub
  2. /
  3. TrueNAS 27 (Early)
  4. /
  5. System Settings
  6. /
  7. Update
  8. /
  9. Updating TrueNAS
Edit page
TrueNASTrueNAS Development Documentation
This content follows experimental development changes in TrueNAS 27, a future version of TrueNAS.
Use the Product and Version selectors above to view content specific to a stable software release.

Updating TrueNAS

  6 minute read.

TrueNAS updates system software from the System > Update screen. Updates can be installed from the update server or by uploading a local update file.

Update profiles control which TrueNAS releases the system checks for updates. Community Edition systems default to the highest profile available for the installed version. For example, a fresh install of a General release defaults to the General profile.

TrueNAS Enterprise systems ship with the Mission Critical profile set by default. Enterprise users can select General or Mission Critical only.

The Update screen shows the installed version, other installation or update options, and user profiles. Some users can select a different profile option from the Select an update profile dropdown list.

Update Screen
Figure 1: Update Screen

Software Update Paths

Before upgrading to a new major version, update to the latest maintenance release of the current major version. See Upgrade Paths on the Software Status page for the supported paths from your current version, and the recommended versions table for guidance on which release to target.

The TrueNAS Update screen provides options to install updates from the update server or upload a local update file.

We recommend updating TrueNAS when the system is idle (no clients connected, no disk activity, etc.). The system restarts after an update. Update during scheduled maintenance times to avoid disrupting user activities.

All auxiliary parameters are subject to change between major versions of TrueNAS due to security and development issues. We recommend removing all auxiliary parameters from TrueNAS configurations before upgrading.

Selecting an Update Profile

The Update Profile section on the Update screen controls which releases TrueNAS checks for updates. Change it only if you want to shift to a different release cadence.

Update Profile
Figure 2: Update Profile

TrueNAS has four distinct update profiles:

  • Developer — Developer software with new features and bugs alike. Allows users to contribute directly to the development process.
  • Early Adopter — Pre-release access to new features and functionality of TrueNAS software. Some issues might need workarounds, bug reports, or patience.
  • General — Field-tested software with mature features. Few issues are expected.
  • Mission Critical — Mature software that enables 24×7 operations with high availability for a very clearly defined use case. Software updates are very infrequent and based on need.

See the TrueNAS Software Status page for current recommendations by user type.

Enterprise users can select General or Mission Critical only. Community Edition users can select Developer, Early Adopter, or General.

The dropdown only shows profiles at or below the level of the currently installed version. A system on a General release profile can select General, Early Adopter, or Developer. A system on an Early Adopter release profile can select Early Adopter or Developer, but not General. Profiles above the current version level appear in the Other Profiles (Not Available) section and cannot be selected until the system runs a release at that profile level.

The Developer update profile uses a non-production train in active development. Do not use this profile unless you intend to keep the system permanently on early versions and are not storing critical data on it. Testers are encouraged to submit bug reports with debug files. For information on how to file an issue ticket, see Reporting an Issue.

To change the update profile:

  1. Go to System > Update.
  2. In the Update Profile section, select the desired profile from the Select an update profile dropdown.
  3. Click Apply.
  4. In the confirmation dialog, click Continue.

TrueNAS refreshes the update check after you apply the new profile.

Installing an Update

If an update is available, it shows in the Update Available section on the Update screen.

Update Available
Figure 3: Update Available

Click Install Update to begin. The Save configuration settings from this machine before updating? window opens.

Save Configuration Settings
Figure 4: Save Configuration Settings

Select Export Password Secret Seed, then click Save Configuration.

Why should I save the secret seed?

The secret seed is used to decrypt encrypted fields in the TrueNAS configuration database. Various fields are encrypted because they might contain sensitive information such as cryptographic certificates, passwords (not user login passwords), or weak hashing algorithms (for example, NT hashes of SMB users).

When a config file is restored without the secret seed, encrypted fields are set to empty values. This means various services can break due to the missing information. Examples are SMB via local accounts and apps. Always select the option to save the secret seed when downloading the system config file!

Note, the secret seed does not store local users passwords in any form, only a hash of the password sufficient for authentication. Hashed passwords are not encrypted.

What happens if I do not save the secret seed? You might be prompted to enter a default password or reset the password. The UI should allow users to log into the system with their current password but might be prompted to enter a new password. Users can connect a keyboard and monitor to the system and enter a new password if they cannot log into the web UI or reset the current password.

Is there a default password for the system? Enterprise users are issued a password to enter if prompted for such a password after the system resets. Community users are not issued a default password and the system does not generate a default password for this purpose. If you cannot log into the UI with the current administration password, connect a keyboard and monitor to the system server to reset the password.

After logging into the system, recheck all system settings to verify the configurations are correct, and then test to verify the system is working as desired. When complete and the system is operating per the desired configuration, download and save the system configuration with the secret seed option selected and keep it in a secure location.

It is a best practice to always save the secret seed with the system configuration file after making system configuration changes to have a current backup copy to use should the need arise.

TrueNAS downloads the configuration and the update files, then starts the installation.

After updating, clear the browser cache (CTRL+F5) before logging in to TrueNAS. This ensures stale data doesn’t interfere with loading the TrueNAS UI.

Installing a Manual Update File

Manual update files are available from the TrueNAS Download page and Update Downloads. Use this option to install a specific build directly.

Click Install to the right of Manual Update. The Save configuration settings from this machine before updating? window opens. Click Export Password Secret Seed then click Save Configuration. The Manual Update screen opens.

Click Choose File to locate the update file on your system. Select a location from the Update File Temporary Storage Location dropdown. Select Memory Device to store the update file in system RAM during installation, or select a pool mount path to store it on disk if the system has limited memory available.

Click Apply Update to start the update process. A status window opens displaying installation progress. When complete, the system automatically Restarts.

Update Progress

When a system update starts, appears in the toolbar at the top of the UI. Click the icon to see the current status of the update and which TrueNAS administrative account initiated the update.

Update Status
Figure 6: Update Status Example

Related Content

Tutorial
Getting Started
Reference

Have more questions?

For further discussion or assistance, see these resources:

Found content that needs an update?  You can suggest content changes directly! To request changes to this content, click the Feedback button located on the middle-right side of the page (might require disabling ad blocking plugins).