Build a fully featured Ubuntu NAS system
Your NAS server needs a suitable operating system to run, and because it’s designed to be run headless, we’re going to install Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS. The Server version doesn’t come with unnecessary system overheads such as a desktop, because everything is done from the command line.
Don’t worry, though: after it’s been set up, we’ll install a special add-on (Cockpit) that enables you to easily administer your server remotely from any web browser on your local network. We chose the LTS version of Ubuntu Server to reduce the number of major OS upgrades that we’ll need to apply during the server’s lifetime.
Start the install process
Head over to www.ubuntu.com/download and click the Ubuntu Server link, followed by Option 2 – Manual server installation. You should find the latest LTS version (Ubuntu Server 20.04.2 at the time of writing) as the main option. It’s a much smaller download than the full-blown desktop version and comes in at a mere 1.1GB. Once Ubuntu Server has downloaded, you can burn it to a blank DVD or copy it to an unused USB flash drive (2GB or larger).
Once you’ve created your install media, plug it (or insert the disc) into your server PC before powering it on. If the BIOS isn’t configured to boot from USB drives, press F11 (possibly F12) on startup to bring up the boot menu, then select your USB
