Hi, I am using the QNAP TBS 464 NAS to run the Roon service. The new minimum system requirements are currently not supported by the current QNAP QTS firmware version 5.2.9.3410.
LDD version on QTS is (GNU libc) 2.21 while the new Roon version required 2.27!
You should be able to run it in the new officially supported Docker image that Roon will provide:
See:
https://www.qnap.com/en/software/container-station
(Apparently, QNAP hasn’t updated their major glibc version in 10 years, which is why it is so low in QTS 5.x. Looks like they are working on a QTS 6 with unknown release date, but anyway Docker comes to the rescue)
This is not good news for me. I have the QNAP HS-264, which runs as my Roon core. I’m not an IT person and in my country, we don’t have access to Roon Nucleus Titan or One. What is Roon docker and how do I load it onto my QNAP? How does it work? Can Roon admin please respond to this and explain how Roon is going to work on QNAP going forward? Actually, Roon sucks!! Their latest updates sound terrible and they are screwing us over with the new system requirements. I think that I must give JPlay another try.
From a user perspective it’s just a file that you will be able to download from Roon website.
I’m sure Roon will provide detailed instructions when it’s available.
In principle, you just start Container Station on the QNAP and tell it to start the downloaded Docker image file. As I just posted before your post:
If you click on Quick Start Guide on this page, it takes your here:
https://www.qnap.com/en/how-to/tutorial/article/container-station-quick-start-guide
When Roon makes the Docker image available, you still have some time to migrate because:
Actually, this is a good thing because it will improve performance and Roon Labs provide a great migration path to this modern platform. It’s not their fault that QNAP hasn’t updated an important system library in 10 years, and this shouldn’t hold everyone back. With the Docker solution, QNAP users as well as everyone else will have benefits.
(Paragraph deleted, not going there)
I have written to QNAP to complain, requesting their urgent attention be given to this matter. They can’t simply ignore it as one of their sales pitches is Roon server integrated app.
Updating glibc needs testing and they may prefer no change so late in QTS 5 if they haven’t made incremental updates all this time (and QTS 6 is in development), but using the Docker image will be easy, so you can just do that.
Well I hope the Roon admin clearly in an official notification explains how to install and run Docker on a QNAP NAS!
I see no reason why they wouldn’t when it’s actually available
I am with you, David!
So far, roon completely sucks with the low quality communication of the new minimum system requrements! As a QNAP / QTS user and lifetime roon user I would expect they issue official, user friendly Docker package with step by step instruction providing smooth transition to the new roon release. This should have been provided in parallel with communication of the new system requirements.
I don’t think you need to worry about the docker instructions. There is a helpful community + Roon support to assist beyond the step-by-step guide I’m sure they will release with the docker.
@Wlodzimierz_Iskra Thank you so much. Finally someone who agrees with my concerns regarding the new Roon system requirements and their serious impact on QNAP users. Frankly, it’s unacceptable what is happening. QNAP better step up to the plate and get their house in order to accommodate this overhaul of Roon. I’m waiting for feedback from them.
It is frankly unacceptable that the thing that has not happened yet, has not happened.
What has not happened? QNAP not updating their glibc library?
If I understood it correctly, that was a deliberate decision by QNAP some years ago, and widely known. Within the QNAP community, is was stated that both security concerns and the strategy of offering a single OS version for a vast variety of different hardware, were main driving factors behind that decision.
I am personally ready to pursue this path, and my QNAP machine is sufficiently equipped to run such environment. Not sure if that is the case with everyone else.
One question remains for me: Will running roon in a docker container allow similarly smooth control of roon server app over HDMI and USB outputs of the machine as local audio zones?
I don’t see how updating glibc would affect this, but I do understand that keeping the glibc major version the same along the lifetime of the OS is good for minimizing compatibility issues for apps. (I assume they backported security fixes).
FWIW, https://www.qnap.com/en-us/how-to/faq/article/i-am-not-able-to-find-container-station-for-my-nas says:
Container Station is available from the QTS App Center (QTS 4.2 or above) for x86-based TS-x51, TS-x51+, TS-x51A, TS-x53, TS-x53A, TS-x53B, TBS-453A, TS/TVS-x63, TVS-x70, TVS-x71, TS/SS-x79, TS/TVS-x80, TVS-x82 series, TS-1685, and TDS-16489U, and the ARM-based TS-x28, TS-x31P, TS-x31X, TS-x31+ series and TS-1635 with a minimum of 1GB RAM
Edit: Note: I think this page is woefully out of date as it says “Last modified date: 2020-10-23”
(My TS-569L with QTS 4.3.4.28114 doesn’t have it, but it’s an Intel Atom with max. 3 GB RAM from 15 years ago and would be underpowered for Roon Server and likely any modern app with performance demands)
Not an expert but some googling shows that USB passthrough should be possible, not sure about HDMI. I hope they configure it in a working manner and this is one of the things they should still clarify, I suppose.
@Stephen_Shaw1 should take a peek at this thread.
For background - it used to be possible to connect an external DAC to a Synology and use it with Roon and other music software. Synology removed that capability in DSM 7 so I don’t think USB DACs are an issue there. I don’t think HDMI is an issue either.
QNAP is apparently different. I’m not a QNAP user and I’ve never looked closely at this but it’s clear that QNAP users can use external USB DACs. Apparently HDMI, too.
A bit of searching and I can see that some users may have had success with Roon containers on QNAP and USB by mapping the bus, not a specific port, into the container plus a few additional tricks. Claude says something like this:
--volume /run/udev:/run/udev:ro # lets Roon enumerate USB devices
--device /dev/bus/usb # entire USB bus, not a specific device
--device /dev/snd # ALSA sound devices
--group-add <audio GID> # container user joins host audio group
where the user has previously figured out the “audio” GID.
If Roon has users doing this stuff, you have to consider it before breaking the package.
You will know what has not happened, when it doesn’t happen
Using HDMI as an output was my primary reason to opt for roon and QNAP. It is my only output to the main system.
The complete sentence was:
I think that point is that if USB and HDMI haven’t worked natively on Synology on DSM 7 before, then Docker won’t create an additional issue that Synology doesn’t