Unraid, the popular operating system for self-hosted servers and NAS boxes, just released Unraid OS 7.2 as a public beta. It has support for more file systems, an updated web interface, and much more.

If you’re not familiar with it,Unraidis a Linux-based operating system designed to run on home servers. Instead of buying a locked-down NAS from companies like Synology or Western Digital, you canbuild your own server(or repurpose any PC) and install Unraid on top. You get a web-based panel for easy management, options for using multiple drives in RAID arrays, great Docker support, and other typical NAS and server features.

The first beta release of Unraid OS 7.2 is out, and there are a few helpful improvements. First, support for Ext2/3/4 (the common file system on Linux computers) and NTFS has been expanded. The changelog explains, “you can create an array or single device pool with existing drives formatted in Ext2/3/4 or NTFS, and you can format drives in Ext4 or NTFS.” RAIDZ configurations in ZFS can also now be expanded.

The Unraid API is fully integrated in this release, which is an open-source layer in the operating system for interacting with core features. Apps, automations, and other tools can interact with your Unraid server using the API. The new Notifications panel in the web interface is the first major feature to use it, and over time, the entire web interface will use the Unraid API. There’s also athird-party mobile appin development that uses the API for controlling Docker containers, virtual machines, and other features.

Speaking of the web interface, it’s now “fully responsive,” meaning it should scale better across large and small screens. No more squinting to read a button or menu when changing server settings from your phone. Some plugins that create their own interfaces might still look bad, though. There’s also optional single sign-on (SSO) support in the web panel, allowing you to log in with an Unraid.net account ID instead of your local server credentials.

Unraid OS 7.2 also uses Linux kernel 6.12.40, with other low-level system updates and bug fixes. The main changelog from Unraid is embedded below.

The final Unraid OS 7.2 update should be available once any bugs in the beta release are fixed. Keep an eye on the updates panel of your Unraid server to know when it’s available to install.