MOS: Modular Open-Source Operating System for Servers and Home Labs

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A New Open-Source Operating System for Servers and Homelabs Emerges

A growing number of system administrators and homelab enthusiasts are turning to an innovative, open-source operating system designed to simplify server management, storage control, and container services. Built on a Devuan base, this modular OS provides a web-based interface and API for streamlined system monitoring, storage pooling, container orchestration, and virtualization.

Key Features

The web interface offers a centralized dashboard that displays real-time information on CPU, RAM, storage devices, network interfaces, and system notifications. Administrators can manage storage pools, file shares, users, and service settings from this intuitive interface. Docker containers, LXC containers, and virtual machines are also accessible from the dashboard when their corresponding services are active.

A key feature of this OS is its real-time WebSocket connection, which complements the REST API to provide live notifications and updates. User accounts and roles can be configured within the interface, with access tokens used for secure authentication. The system is designed to accommodate external automation tools and custom integrations, allowing them to interact directly with the API.

System logs, cron jobs, and service configuration settings are readily accessible from the interface, alongside core system details. This modular OS also supports flexible storage arrangements, including the ability to combine disks into a single logical pool using mergerfs and snapshot-based parity protection using SnapRAID. Additional storage drivers can be easily integrated through a central repository of plugins, which can also extend the system’s capabilities with hardware drivers for GPU or digital video broadcasting hardware.

MOS Hub

The OS includes a component called MOS Hub, which provides a catalog of plugins and templates that operators can deploy to enhance the base system capabilities. System services, such as Docker and LXC, can be enabled or disabled through service configuration settings, allowing operators to control the Docker daemon, configure networking for containers, and set storage locations.

The goal of this open-source operating system is to unify system management elements in a single interface, reducing the need for frequent context switching between command-line tools and external dashboards. By providing a centralized and intuitive management interface, this OS aims to simplify server and homelab management for administrators. The OS is available for free on GitHub, offering a promising solution for those seeking a streamlined and modular server management experience.