Hi all, first off thanks for hosting such a helpful forum. Sorry if this is the wrong sub-forum for this question.
My current Roon core is my gaming desktop, but I have ordered a small Dell server PC (T30) which is arriving soon. My goal is to use the Dell server as my Roon core (as well as a Plex server and file sharing device) so my gaming desktop doesn’t have to be on all the time. Power usage, noise, and general convenience considerations apply here.
Now, my question is: What would be the best OS to run mainly Roon core, as well as the other functions I’m looking for like Plex, shared drives, backup, etc.? I was leaning towards Xpenology since I have experience with Synology’s Diskstation Manager already, but I decided not to get a Synology device again because the Dell T30 has much better hardware for the money. Does Roon Core work on Xpenology just like it does on an “official” Synology device? Windows server is another option, and probably the “safest” because I already have a lot of Windows experience and I know it has all the features I need. But of course it’s not free. Linux-based systems like UNraid and FreeNAS also seem like a popular option, but I’m scared of those because I have zero Linux experience. Dockers, VMs, etc. sounds daunting.
I’m looking to prioritize stability, ease of setup, and user experience. I’m just going to be doing basic network stuff, nothing crazy. e.g. The sytem will be mostly single-user, maybe 2-3 users at a time. I’m not concerned about hardware because I think the Dell T30 with an SSD for the database will be more than enough. My library is not huge, I don’t use much DSP, and I don’t have many zones to link. So I’m mostly still on the fence about software. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!