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This is what I do. I'd rather have a linux machine with a webUI on top like this than a full blown proxmox/truenas/unraid set up (for now). I never expose my NAS to the internet, other than wireguard/tailscale, so an admin console on a port never really bothered me.

Yep, you can also create SAMBA shares, but I think that you need a plugin for it

Why not go for TrueNAS? Much more solid UI

To keep it simple, just install Fedora or RHEL and you have a NAS already.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, just that there is now finally an appeal in Cockpit to be used as a NAS. I've been following its development for almost 10 years.