Important for Native Installation

• Reset BIOS/UEFI to default settings

• Set integrated SATA controller to AHCI mode

• Disable Fast Boot and Quiet Boot

• Disable Secure Boot

• Set USB stick as the first boot device

Recommended Settings for Native Installation

• Use UEFI boot mode (if available)

• Enable ACPI support, but disable C1E (required for CPU frequency scaling)

• Set CPU power/performance mode to “OS controlled” (if supported)

Recommended for RAID/HBA Setups

• Disable the SATA controller if using RAID or HBA and no drives are connected to SATA

Troubleshooting Boot Issues

• Disable serial console in ILO, IPMI, or similar interfaces

• Disable rBAR

• Disable SR-IOV

• Disable x2apic (if present)

Troubleshooting Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) Issues

• Enable Vanderpool / SVM / VT-x / AMD-V virtualization extensions

• You may need to disable Intel VT-d or AMD IOMMU, but this is system-dependent

Supported Hypervisors

• VMware ESXi — Fully supported
• QEMU/KVM-based (e.g., Proxmox, unRAID) — Supported
• XEN-based — Not officially supported, may work
• Hyper-V — Not officially supported, (only with workaround)

VM Configuration Guidelines

• Arc Loader disk: Attach at SATA 0:0 or SCSI 0:0
• Data drives: Attach at SATA 0:1–0:7, SATA x:0–x:7, or SCSI x:0–x:7
• Avoid using LSI Logic virtual SAS with virtual disks due to potential duplicate serial number issues that confuse DSM
• Arc Loader automatically creates a portmap for Device Tree (DT) models
• For non-DT models, Arc Loader offers selectable portmap options

VMware ESXi Specific Settings

• Select guest OS as Other 4.x Linux (64-bit) or Other 5.x Linux (64-bit) for SA6400
• On vSwitch settings:
  • MAC Address Changes: Accept
  • Allow Forged Transmissions: Accept
  • For VMM, Containers, Docker: Promiscuous Mode: Accept
• Disable host swap:
  • Go to Host > Manage > Swap > Disable
• Use Open VM Tools for VMware:
  • Ensure VM is shut down/restarted via hypervisor menu
  • Install vmtools addon in Arc Loader or community package from DSM Package Center

QEMU Guest Agent (Proxmox/Unraid)

• Use the vmtools addon in Arc Loader or install the community package from DSM Package Center

Proxmox Installation Tip

• Use the toolkit by @And-rix on GitHub for easy setup:

  curl -fsSL https://pvetoolkit.auxxxilium.tech -o /root/arc-toolkit.sh && chmod +x /root/arc-toolkit.sh

• Execute the script and follow the steps:

  /root/arc-toolkit.sh

Using Arc Loader

Download & Flash
Download the latest Arc Loader image and flash it to a USB stick or a virtual SATA disk (0:0) in your hypervisor. Set your BIOS first boot device to match the boot media.

Display Output
Connect a display to set up the loader. The loader interface will appear automatically.

Web Configuration
Access the web UI at http://IP:7080 for easy loader configuration. It launches automatically on boot.

Web Terminal
Use the web terminal at http://IP:7681 for advanced configuration via browser.

SSH Access
Connect via SSH using:

• • User: root

  • Password: arc
    Run arc.sh to start configuration.

Important Notes

• The boot device must remain connected for every startup.

Creating Your DSM Loader

• Flash the image with tools like Rufus or Balena Etcher, or boot directly from .img, .vmdk, or .ova files in a VM.

• Boot into Arc Config Mode.

• Register your HardwareID by follow the shown steps (If Arc Patch should be used).

• Select your model and follow the on-screen instructions:

  • Build Loader

  • Boot Loader

Arc Patch

• Most features (except Push Notifications, Active Backup for Business and Advanced Media Engine) work without Arc Patch.

• Arc Patch no longer requires a key but does require a Discord account (see #read-me-first on Discord).

• No personal data (IP, name, logs) is stored.

Updating Arc Loader

• Best practice: replace the boot image with the latest Arc version (warning: hardware encryption keys will be lost).

• Alternatively, use the “Update Menu” option in the Arc Config Mode.

• You can restore your previous configuration, but not all settings may be compatible with new loaders.

• For details, check #loader-releasenotes on Discord or GitHub release notes.

DSM Installation

• DSM installs on all connected disks during initial setup or when creating storage pools.

• You cannot install DSM on a specific disk if multiple drives are connected.

• If installation fails, check your portmap configuration (for Non-DT models).

Restarting DSM Modes

• Arc Config Mode: Run loader-reboot.sh config via DSM SSH.

• Arc Update Mode: Run loader-reboot.sh update via DSM SSH.

DSM Updates

• You can update DSM safely as long as the build number (e.g., 69057) remains unchanged, without needing an Arc Loader update.

Only select the add-ons you need!
Some app-specific patches require a reboot after installation to take effect.

To remove an add-on: deselect it, rebuild the loader, and choose “Force Reinstall DSM” in Grub or Arc Config Mode – Power Menu.

System Add-ons (Always Enabled)

• disks: Patches Syno Storage Map to match your hardware

• eudev: Device management daemon for hardware compatibility

• localrss: Local RSS server for DSM installation

• misc: Essential utilities

• updatenotify: Alerts users when Arc updates are available

• wol: Enables Wake on LAN

User Add-ons

• amepatch: Activates AME 3.1.0, forcing HEVC codec

• acpid: ACPI daemon for power management (e.g., power button)

• allowdowngrade: Enables manual installation of AME 3.1.0, SurveillanceStation 9.2.0, and Videostation 3.1.0 (DSM 7.2.2 only)

• addincards: Supports M.2 adapter cards like QNAP QM2 or Syno E10Mxx/M2Dxx

• arcdns: Enables ArcDNS (Dynamic DNS) service

• bootwait: Ensures all devices are ready before booting continues

• cpufreqscaling: Enables dynamic CPU frequency scaling (requires reboot after DSM setup)

• expands: Updates CA certificates & USB IDs

• fancontrol: Control the fanspeeds from inside DSM

• hdddb: Adds drives to DSM compatibility database

• hostspatch: Prevents DSM from calling home, protecting Syno services

• i915: Patches Intel iGPU (Apollo Lake and Gemini Lake only)

• ledcontrol: Enables LED control for Ugreen systems (SA6400 only)

• notification: You will get Discord or Webhook notifications about the system status

• nvmecache: Creates NVMe cache (supported models only)

• nvmevolume: Enables NVMe storage volumes in DSM

• nvmesystem: Allows DSM installation on NVMe disks (do not use this if other disks should be used / SA6400 only)

• powersched: Enables time-controlled power supply function

• sensors: Installs sensor package for CPU and component temperature monitoring

• storagepanel: Dynamically adjusts DSM display based on installed drives (can be changed in Arc Config Mode – Storage Panel)

• ups: Forces UPS shutdown during standby

• You can still use the Loader with all DSM Functions, except Syno online functions like Active Backup for Business, Advanced Media Engine, QuickConnect and Push Notifications.
• For AME 3.1.0 we have to use “amepatch” addon.

Register Your HardwareID

• Boot into Arc Config Mode.
• Select “HardwareID for Arc Patch”.
• Open https://arc.auxxxilium.tech/ and log in with your Discord account.
• Register the displayed HardwareID
  (No personal data such as IP address, name, or logs is stored).
• Continue to Loader Configuration.

Enable and use Arc Patch

• Ensure your HardwareID is activated (see above).
• In Loader Configuration, go to “SN/Mac Options” in Arc Config Mode to enable it.
• Rebuild your Loader.
• Boot and enjoy.

Most features can be activated directly using the AppInstaller in Arc Utils.

Portmap (For Non-DT Models Only — SATA Controllers)

• If you’re unfamiliar with SataPortMap, SataRemap, or AhciRemap, check Sysinfo in Arc to view your drive mapping and select the appropriate option.

• Avoid leaving empty SATA slots whenever possible — this simplifies configuration.

• In VMs with SATA controllers, map the loader to 0:0 and data drives to consecutive ports like 0:1, 0:2, 0:3 or 1:0, 1:1, 1:2, etc.

Portmap Options

• SataPortMap (Active Controller Ports):
  Automatically removes unused SATA ports after the last active port — typically the best choice.

• SataPortMap (Maximum Controller Ports):
  Sets the port map to the controller’s maximum number of ports, regardless of usage.

• SataRemap (Remove Empty Drives):
  Removes empty or dummy ports, useful if you see gaps on your controller.
  Note: On ESXi, this removes empty slots (like drive 1). All drives must be mapped to the SATA controller — SAS/SCSI ports won’t be accessible.

• AhciRemap (Remove Empty Drives):
  Same behavior as SataRemap, specifically for AHCI controllers.

USB Mount (Non-DT Models Only)

• USB Mount as Internal: true — USB drives mount as internal hard drives.

• USB Mount as Internal: false — USB drives mount as external devices.

Warning:

• Mixing “USB Mount: auto/internal” with external controllers (HBA, RAID) may cause USB drives to take priority, potentially causing drive count issues.

• Never create a storage pool spanning multiple ports or types (e.g., don’t mix USB and SATA drives in the same pool). DSM installs on all connected drives automatically; if USB controllers load late, system issues may occur.