My experience with ZimaOS 1.6.1 and why I recommend downgrading

Insight & Feedback
1

I would like to share my recent experience with ZimaOS, which initially was not very pleasant. After trying version 1.6.1 and seeing similar reports, I had a poor first impression due to system instability. Remote access was severely affected by constant freezing, requiring me to restart my server multiple times. Furthermore, the VPN client did not run smoothly.

I was looking for a new operating system for my server as I was migrating from TrueNAS. Since ZimaOS is highly recommended for its ease of use, I chose to try it, but unfortunately, my experience was hindered by this specific version. I was on the verge of giving up on the system until I saw others downgrading to version 1.5.4.

I decided to give the system another chance, and on version 1.5.4, I could truly experience everything people praise about it. It is stable, remote access via VPN is fast, and all backups worked perfectly. I understand that developers face challenges in fixing version 1.6.1, but my advice for now is: do not use it yet.

I am still testing the stable version, but I plan to migrate to the paid version soon. I am leaving this feedback here so that others can give the system a chance by starting with a stable build.

Gostaria de compartilhar minha experiência recente com o ZimaOS, que inicialmente não foi muito agradável. Ao utilizar a versão 1.6.1, tive uma impressão negativa do sistema devido a diversas instabilidades. O acesso remoto foi prejudicado por travamentos constantes, o que me obrigou a reiniciar o servidor várias vezes. Além disso, o cliente VPN não funcionava de forma fluida.

​Eu estava em busca de um novo sistema para o meu servidor, migrando do TrueNAS. Como o ZimaOS é muito recomendado pela sua facilidade de uso, decidi testá-lo, mas infelizmente a experiência foi comprometida nessa versão específica. Eu estava prestes a desistir do sistema quando vi outros usuários sugerindo o downgrade para a versão 1.5.4.

​Decidi dar uma nova chance ao ZimaOS e, na versão 1.5.4, pude finalmente vivenciar tudo de positivo que dizem sobre o sistema: a conexão é estável, o acesso via cliente VPN é rápido e todos os backups funcionaram perfeitamente. Sei que os desenvolvedores enfrentam desafios para corrigir a versão 1.6.1, mas meu conselho no momento é: não a utilizem ainda.

​Continuo testando a versão estável e pretendo migrar para o plano pago em breve. Deixo este relato para que outros deem uma oportunidade ao sistema, mas escolhendo a versão correta.

2 Likes
2

Thank you so much for using ZimaOS and for taking the time to share such detailed feedback.

We fully understand that version 1.6.0 / 1.6.1 may not have met the expectations of some users, team has been working quickly to address the reported issues, and your feedback is genuinely valuable to us.

Our goal has always been simple, but not easy: we want everyone to have control over their own data, instead of relying entirely on big tech platforms. We hope more families around the world can have their own private cloud.

On this path, we may make mistakes, and sometimes we may not move fast enough. But our 40-person team is moving forward every day, listening to the community, fixing issues, and improving ZimaOS step by step.

We sincerely appreciate your patience, your support, and your willingness to give ZimaOS another chance with 1.5.4. Also, thank you in advance for considering the paid version — that support means a lot to us and helps us keep building.

Let’s keep moving forward together. :blue_heart:

1 Like
3

Also, regarding the poor remote access experience you mentioned — we’re currently testing a new remote connection solution for ZimaOS, and it has shown much better results in our internal and community testing so far.

Would you be willing to help us test it as well?
Here is the testing guide:

ZimaNet Remote Access Testing Guide.pdf (1.4 MB)

Thank you in advance for your time and support. Your feedback would be very helpful for us.

4

That’s something I might have to do as well. Do you think you could point me toward instructions on how exactly to downgrade ZimaOS?

5

Hello everyone! In my case, I was using version 1.6.1 for two weeks and experienced these same issues. Since I was just testing the system, I didn’t do a downgrade; I rebuilt the entire structure from scratch. I hadn’t set up my backups yet, so the only thing I kept was Home Assistant. I use it with an ESP32 to monitor my water tank level so my wife can keep track of it. However, the system on v1.6.1 was freezing a lot and losing connection constantly. Now that I am on version 1.5.4, I haven’t had this problem anymore. I have much better control, and the system is significantly more stable.

(Sorry for any English mistakes, I’m from Brazil and using a translator!)"

6

Hello, how are you? Thank you! I really like your system because it’s simple and easy to understand. I wanted something straightforward and practical that my wife could use easily. Since many people here in Brazil recommended your system, I started using it, but I ran into some issues with this new version. I know development is difficult sometimes and bugs can happen, but I also know the whole team is working hard to fix them—it’s just a matter of time and organization. Right now, version 1.5.4 is serving me very well and I’m really enjoying it

1 Like
7

I downgraded since it broke Immich and i could not resolve issues