A new feature of QTS 4.2.1 is Linux Station. Some of you will question its usefulness since you can already install any OS through Virtualization Station. Well, the answer is fairly simple since Linux Station offers to install a pre-configured Ubuntu distribution, which makes its installation a breeze. Linux Station is essentially nothing more than a Virtualization Station with a pre-configured Linux installation. While you can only install Ubuntu, there is the option to use Virtualization Station to install another Linux distribution.


With only a few clicks and a bit of patience, you can transform your QNAP NAS into a PC with a Ubuntu Linux distribution. The whole process is super easy to follow.


You will find five shortcuts on the desktop. One leads to the NAS's shared folders and the rest are for Google Chrome, Kodi, YouTube, and access to the QTS web interface.


Although there is the more multimedia-orientated HybridDesk application, we decided to give Kodi through this Ubuntu installation a shot. Performance wasn't as good, though, and we ran into trouble with 4K multimedia content playback as there were huge stalls and delays. We practically weren't able to watch 4K content with the Ubuntu-Kodi combination.


It is now time to logout and explore this server's other features.