I have an old TS439 Pro II+ NAS that I bought years ago. It no longer gets support or updates, so I don’t like using it, but I would like to avoid it becoming e-waste so I would like to install a version of Linux on it in place of the obsolete QTS software.
However the VGA card on this device does not work - I would like to know if there is a way to enable it so I can boot it from USB and recover this device and reuse it with at least supportable software.
Why not just keep using it with QTS ? SMB v 2.1 should be available
How did you confirm this? Did you connect a monitor, then power-on the NAS?
As long as you keep it on your internal network and do not expose it to the internet (for inbound connection using UPnP or forwarded ports etc) then there are no issues using old equipment.
I attached a VGA to HDMI cable to the back of it, attached it to a monitor and turrned it on.
Sure, but I would still prefer not to be running out of date software if I can put something on there that is not out of date and no longer maintained. I’d be fine with just a bog standard Debian release to be honest - if I could work out how to install it.
Because it’s no longer supported software. I would rather use a supported open source software where I can get current updates.
Also SMB is not my target usage.
Sure, but very few models support any variation of this.
Why? I am using an ancient (15 yrs) QNAP that just refuses to break down.
Not accessible from the internet, just syncing the most important data on my main NAS as an extra level of backup.
Why?
In short, I don’t want to use it that way any longer (and it’s out of support), and in preference to creating e-waste, I’d rather be able to reinstall some alternate software on it so I can use it rather than purchase even more alternate hardware.
QNAP don’t support it any longer, so I’d rather not use software that I can’t update as standards evolve.
Ultimately the reasons though aren’t that important - I just want to be able to reuse something, rather than junk it. I know we live in a disposable world, but that’s essentially it. I want to run Linux on it, not the proprietary software - and all I’d need to do that is get the VGA card enabled. Hence the question.
It should be compulsory for tech companies when they mark hardware as EOL to provide the tools to allow the existing owners to continue to use them in the way they see fit. I still quite happily use 15 year old NUCs for instance for varying purposes, none of which are the original reason I bought them.