Open Source XigmaNAS is open-source software, which means it's free to use, and its source code can be modified and customized by users.
Advanced Features XigmaNAS offers a wide range of advanced features such as ZFS support, disk encryption, and software RAID, making it suitable for complex storage needs.
Community Support A vibrant community provides support through forums and documentation, which can be valuable for troubleshooting and obtaining advice.
Cross-Platform Access Provides access across different platforms and protocols such as CIFS/SMB, FTP, NFS, TFTP, and AFP, ensuring compatibility with various operating systems.
Easy to Use Interface The web-based graphical user interface is user-friendly, making it easier to manage storage even for users with limited technical expertise.
Possible disadvantages
Steep Learning Curve Despite having a user-friendly interface, the broad feature set can be complex, requiring a certain level of expertise to fully utilize.
Hardware Requirements Advanced features like ZFS tend to be resource-intensive, requiring more powerful hardware to run effectively.
Limited Dedicated Support While community support is robust, there is limited direct professional support available, which can be a downside for enterprise-level users.
Not a Turnkey Solution Installation and initial setup can be time-consuming, and it may require additional configuration to meet specific needs, unlike some other out-of-the-box NAS solutions.
Updates and Maintenance Regular updates and maintenance may be required to keep the system secure and running smoothly, which demands ongoing attention from users.
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Analysis
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.
XigmaNASShellNewHandler
Overall verdict
XigmaNAS is a solid choice for users looking for a free and open-source NAS solution with flexibility and strong community support. However, its appeal may be more towards those comfortable with managing their own hardware and network configurations, rather than complete tech novices.
Why this product is good
XigmaNAS is considered good because it is a reliable and open-source network-attached storage (NAS) system that supports a wide range of protocols, making it versatile for different kinds of network environments. It is user-friendly with a web-based interface, offers robust features like disk encryption, software RAID, and ZFS support, and its community-driven approach ensures continual updates and support.
Recommended for
Home users wanting to set up personal cloud storage.
Small to medium businesses looking for a cost-effective storage solution.
Tech-savvy individuals who enjoy tinkering with open-source software.
IT professionals in need of a flexible and scalable NAS system.
Overall verdict
ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.
Why this product is good
Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access
Recommended for
Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates
Next, on the list of FreeNAS alternatives, we have XigmaNAS. Like most of the tools here, this is an open-source arrangement. It works on the Apple, Windows, and Unix-based networks. Like FreeNAS, this tool has ZFS...
XigmaNAS being the FreeNAS alternative, is easy to install on any hardware network to share the PC data storage over the network & store this in a computer network. Network Attached Storage & “4” for open-source,...
A flexible, open-source storage NAS, XigmaNAS offers a dependable management web interface to give consumers a cutting-edge storage option. Also check sandbox software
BSDs may not have a significant presence on desktops, but they're well known in the networking world for their reliability. They also were the foundation used to build OSes for specific applications. OpnSense and XigmaNAS, for example,...
- Source: Hacker News
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over 3 years ago
Looking for Drobo 5D replacement for M1 Macs
A standalone NAS running ZFS as the filesystem. So XigmaNAS, TrueNAS, etc. Works beautifully.
Source:
over 3 years ago
good os for nas
XsigmaNAS - the father of freenas/truenas, much lighter on resources but development kinda stuck in just updating OS and packages and to be able to communicate with community, one have to register on closed forum.
Source:
over 3 years ago
I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu.
Source:
about 4 years ago
This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible.
Source:
over 5 years ago
Alternatives to XigmaNAS and ShellNewHandler
When comparing XigmaNAS and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.
Simplicity. Flexibility. Scalability. Modularity. Unraid empowers you to build the system you’ve always wanted using your preferred hardware, software, and operating systems.
StorPool is designed from the ground up to provide cloud builders, shared hosting providers and MSPs with the most resource efficient storage software on the market.
PetaSAN
Open-E Data Storage Software SOHO
Unraid
ReadyNAS
TrueNAS Core
StorPool
SvSAN
