TrueNAS Unlock

Unlock encrypted ZFS datasets on TrueNAS via the API.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/172c8fd7-5b66-4c5b-bae0-32e378e9305a

Why?

TrueNAS supports encrypted ZFS datasets, but:

1. Storing keys on the NAS defeats the purpose—if it's stolen, the thief has both the encrypted data and the keys
2. Manual unlocking is tedious—after every reboot, you need to manually decrypt each dataset through the UI

This tool solves both problems with a "poor-man's second-factor" setup:

1. Run truenas-unlock on a separate device (Raspberry Pi, home server, etc.)
2. Store encryption keys only on that device
3. Datasets auto-unlock when both devices are on the network
4. If the NAS is stolen, data remains encrypted and inaccessible

Think of it as a hardware security key for your storage—hidden somewhere in your house, it automatically unlocks your datasets whenever your TrueNAS boots. No manual intervention required.

Table of Contents

• Docker
  • Shell Alias
• Install
• Setup
• Usage
• CLI
• Running as a Service
• Development
• Credits
• License

Docker

Run once:

docker run --rm -it \
  -v ~/.config/truenas-unlock/config.yaml:/app/config.yaml \
  ghcr.io/basnijholt/truenas-unlock -c /app/config.yaml

Run as daemon (recommended for auto-unlock on boot):

docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped \
  --name truenas-unlock \
  -v ~/.config/truenas-unlock/config.yaml:/app/config.yaml \
  ghcr.io/basnijholt/truenas-unlock -c /app/config.yaml --daemon

Shell Alias

Add to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

alias truenas-unlock='docker run --rm -it \
  -v ~/.config/truenas-unlock/config.yaml:/app/config.yaml \
  ghcr.io/basnijholt/truenas-unlock -c /app/config.yaml'

Install

# With uv (recommended)
uv tool install truenas-unlock

# With pip
pip install truenas-unlock

Setup

Create an API key at http://truenas.local/ui/credentials/users/api-keys (replace with your TrueNAS hostname).

Then create ~/.config/truenas-unlock/config.yaml:

host: 192.168.1.214:443
api_key: ~/.secrets/truenas-api-key  # file path or literal
skip_cert_verify: true

# secrets: auto  # auto (default) | files | inline
# truenas_version: "25.04"  # optional: skip version detection API call

datasets:
  tank/syncthing: ~/.secrets/syncthing-key  # reads from file
  tank/photos: my-literal-passphrase        # used as-is (no such file)

The truenas_version field is optional. When specified (e.g., "25.04" or "24.10"), it skips the automatic version detection API call. This is useful if you know your TrueNAS version and want to reduce API calls. TrueNAS 25.04+ uses a different unlock API than older versions.

The secrets mode controls how values are interpreted:

• auto (default): if file exists, read from it; otherwise use as literal
• files: always treat values as file paths
• inline: always treat values as literal secrets

Usage

# Run once
truenas-unlock

# Run as daemon
# (Checks every 1s if TrueNAS is unreachable, otherwise every 30s)
truenas-unlock --daemon

# Custom interval (for the "relaxed" state)
truenas-unlock --daemon --interval 60

# Dry run
truenas-unlock --dry-run

CLI

truenas-unlock --help

 Usage: truenas-unlock [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

 Unlock TrueNAS ZFS datasets

╭─ Options ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ --config    -c      PATH     Config file path                                │
│ --dry-run   -n               Show what would be done                         │
│ --daemon    -d               Run continuously                                │
│ --interval  -i      INTEGER  Seconds between checks (1s if unreachable)      │
│                              [default: 30]                                   │
│ --dataset   -D      TEXT     Filter by dataset path                          │
│ --version   -v               Show version and exit                           │
│ --help      -h               Show this message and exit.                     │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
╭─ Commands ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│ lock      Lock configured datasets.                                          │
│ status    Show lock status of configured datasets.                           │
│ service   Manage system service                                              │
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

Running as a Service

Requires uv to be installed. Auto-detects Linux (systemd) or macOS (launchd):

# Install and start
truenas-unlock service install

# Check status
truenas-unlock service status

# View logs (follows by default)
truenas-unlock service logs

# Uninstall
truenas-unlock service uninstall

Development

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/basnijholt/truenas-unlock
cd truenas-unlock
uv sync --dev

# Run tests
uv run pytest

# Run lints
uv run ruff check .
uv run mypy truenas_unlock.py

Credits

Inspired by ThorpeJosh/truenas-zfs-unlock.

License

MIT