Best of Homelab — 2025

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   Article

   Hacker News·1y

   Self Hosting Like Its 2025

   Self-hosting has become a popular alternative to using data-collecting services. The post discusses the benefits of self-hosting, highlights helpful yet lesser-known software, and provides insights into container runtimes like Docker, Podman, and Kubernetes. It also covers web-based tools for managing containers such as Portainer and Dockge, and discusses reverse proxy and VPN solutions like Pangolin and NetBird. Additionally, it references resources for finding more applications and tools to enhance the self-hosting experience.

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   Video

   NetworkChuck·45w

   You NEED to Use n8n RIGHT NOW!! (Free, Local, Private)

   n8n is a powerful open-source automation platform that allows users to create workflows connecting various services and APIs. The tutorial demonstrates setting up n8n both locally and in the cloud, creating automated news aggregation workflows that pull from RSS feeds, integrate AI summarization, and send notifications to Discord. Key features include visual workflow building, extensive service integrations, AI agent capabilities with tools and memory, and the ability to execute system commands for home lab automation.

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   Article

   selfhosted·29w

   What to do with an old laptop?

   A developer seeks advice on repurposing a 2014-2015 laptop (Intel i5, 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD) into a home server for running scripts, cron jobs, and self-hosted services. Key considerations include choosing a lightweight Ubuntu-based Linux distribution, enabling SSH access, minimizing resource usage and noise, optimal placement near the router, and whether to disconnect the screen for power savings. The goal is a 24/7 server for automation tasks, data storage, and services like Pi-hole, self-hosted cloud storage, and workflow automation tools.

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   Article

   The New Stack·46w

   Build Your Own Private Cloud at Home With Docker

   Docker containers can transform your home network into a private cloud alternative to third-party services. Key applications include Nextcloud for file storage and office suite functionality, Grocy for household management and meal planning, Tududi for task management with Telegram integration, Bitwarden for password management, and Portainer for container management through a web interface. These self-hosted solutions provide greater control, security, and privacy compared to cloud-based alternatives.

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   Article

   selfh.st·48w

   Self-Host Weekly (20 June 2025)

   Weekly roundup of self-hosted software updates and new releases for June 20, 2025. Notable updates include Immich v1.135.0 with iOS widgets and Google Cast support, FileBrowser v2.33.0 with community maintenance, and various new tools like Cardholder PWA for loyalty card tracking and Cloudy Pad for cloud gaming. The newsletter covers 18 software updates, 20 new projects, and highlights Homarr as a modern dashboard solution for self-hosted services.

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   Article

   Hacker News·41w

   Over engineering my homelab so I don't pay cloud providers

   A detailed guide on setting up a home virtualization environment using Proxmox Virtual Environment on encrypted Debian, with full automation through Ansible playbooks. The author migrates from cloud VPS to a local mini PC setup, implementing disk encryption, bridged networking, and infrastructure-as-code practices to create a flexible homelab for experimenting with Kubernetes while maintaining production service stability.

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   Article

   Hacker News·38w

   Why I Ditched Spotify, and How I Set Up My Own Music Stack

   A developer shares their journey from Spotify to building a self-hosted music streaming solution using Navidrome, Lidarr, and other open-source tools. The setup provides lossless audio quality, complete ownership of music files, privacy, and direct artist support through purchases. The stack includes automated music management, synced lyrics, and discovery features while eliminating monthly subscription costs and corporate data collection.

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   Article

   Jeff Geerling·1y

   Project Mini Rack - compact and portable homelabs

   Project MINI RACK is an open-source initiative aimed at helping users build compact and portable homelabs, RF/wireless rigs, and other electronics projects into mini 10" racks. The project provides resources, compatibility testing, and showcases different mini rack builds. It highlights the cost and space efficiency of mini racks compared to full-size rackmount equipment and offers detailed guides for various setups. Enthusiasts can explore different configurations and even participate in giveaways.

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   Article

   Hacker News·43w

   The Future is NOT Self-Hosted

   Self-hosting offers digital independence by running personal cloud services at home, but it's technically complex and creates isolated systems that lack the convenience of shared cloud services. The author argues for community-hosted infrastructure instead - publicly funded, encrypted cloud services that combine the benefits of cloud computing with user ownership and privacy. This approach would provide accessible digital services through libraries or cooperatives, avoiding both corporate control and the inefficiency of individual self-hosting setups.

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    Article

    Atomic Spin·1y

    How to run the Homepage app via its Docker image

    This post provides a guide on running the Homepage app using its Docker image within a Docker Compose environment. It includes configuration snippets for Docker Compose files and discusses how to manage environment variables and port mappings. The configuration mainly relies on YAML files and allows for customization of services and widgets. The setup aims to create a visually appealing and easy-to-use application dashboard.

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    Article

    selfh.st·49w

    Self-Host Weekly (13 June 2025)

    Weekly roundup covering self-hosting news including AList's controversial commercialization and community fork creation, FileBrowser maintainers' departure, new releases like Bibliotecha book tracker, macOS 26 native Linux container support, and dozens of new self-hosted applications spanning analytics, media management, development tools, and productivity platforms.

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    Video

    Christian Lempa·35w

    Self-hosted automation for EVERYTHING! // n8n Tutorial

    A comprehensive tutorial on setting up and using n8n, a self-hosted automation platform that enables users to create workflow automations through a visual, drag-and-drop interface. The guide covers Docker installation, connecting various applications like Notion and social media platforms, using triggers and data transformation nodes, implementing conditional logic with switch cases, and setting up error handling for production workflows.

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    Article

    Noted·28w

    The 10MB Discord Limit Drove Me to Build a Self-Hosted GPU Video Compressor

    A developer built 8mb.local, a self-hosted video compression tool that solves Discord's 10MB file size limit. The single Docker container includes a SvelteKit UI, FastAPI backend, and Celery worker queue with automatic GPU detection for NVIDIA, Intel, and AMD hardware acceleration. It features target-size-first compression with automatic retry logic, real-time progress streaming via Server-Sent Events, and seamless CPU fallback. Installation requires choosing the appropriate docker-compose configuration for your hardware, with special attention to NVIDIA driver capabilities and reverse proxy buffering settings for proper SSE streaming.

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    Article

    selfh.st·50w

    Self-Host Weekly (6 June 2025)

    Weekly newsletter covering self-hosted software developments, featuring Tinyauth as a simple authentication middleware alternative to complex platforms like Authelia and Authentik. Highlights include U.S. government's Direct File tax software release, Wyze's new camera light bulb for homelabbers, and a JSON formatting tip using jq command line tool.

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    Article

    selfh.st·44w

    Self-Host Weekly (18 July 2025)

    Weekly newsletter covering self-hosted software updates and community discussions. Features Subtrackr, a new self-hosted subscription manager with Docker deployment, and highlights ongoing debates about AI-generated projects in the self-hosting community. Includes mentions of Homelab Launchpad guides for beginners and Dashix for Docker Compose assistance.

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    Article

    Community Picks·1y

    What is a Homelab and Why Should You Have One?

    A homelab is a local server setup for hosting various applications and virtualized systems for learning, development, or home usage. It provides a playground for technical skills, privacy-conscious backups, and engaging projects for families. Essential uses include media servers, development/test environments, DVR systems, remote access servers, and personal backups. Setting one up involves basic hardware and software like Linux, VirtualBox, or ProxMox.

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    Article

    selfh.st·42w

    Self-Host Weekly (1 August 2025)

    Weekly roundup of self-hosted software updates and new releases, featuring major updates to popular applications like Navidrome's multi-library support, Tandoor Recipes v2 frontend rewrite, and Immich's custom share URLs. Covers 18 software updates, 19 new tools, and recently discovered projects spanning categories from media streaming to container management, plus community content and tutorials.

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    Article

    Hacker News·1y

    Please Don't Sell Space In Your Homelab

    Hosting services for others on your home server is fraught with numerous challenges, including hardware reliability, internet bandwidth, public IP requirements, legal risks, and customer support needs. Legal issues such as GDPR compliance and the risk of data breaches can create significant liabilities. Additionally, isolated and secure environments are necessary to avoid complications stemming from malicious activities. Instead of selling server space, consider other uses such as hosting media servers for personal use or friends, donating CPU cycles to research projects, or downsizing your setup.

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    Video

    Veronica Explains·29w

    I stream nothing, and I am happy.

    A personal account of abandoning streaming services in favor of physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs) and paper books. Covers the technical setup for ripping and managing media using tools like MakeMKV, Handbrake, and Jellyfin on Linux, while critiquing algorithmic recommendations and advocating for more deliberate content consumption and ownership.

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    Article

    Hacker News·33w

    Why Self-host?

    Explores the motivations for self-hosting personal services, focusing on privacy and digital sovereignty. Discusses how calendar, contact, and location data reveal sensitive information about users, and argues against relying on big tech companies. Provides practical recommendations for self-hosting calendar/contact servers (Baïkal), email (Stalwart, Mailcow), smart home automation (Home Assistant), RSS aggregators (FreshRSS), and location tracking (dawarich). Shares a personal journey from single server to a 3-node Kubernetes cluster setup.

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    Article

    selfh.st·41w

    Self-Host Weekly (8 August 2025)

    Weekly roundup of self-hosting news featuring Proxmox VE 9.0 release with Debian 13 upgrade and mobile interface improvements, Proxmox Backup Server 4.0 with S3 support, Ghost 6.0 with integrated analytics and ActivityPub support, and spotlight on iSponsorBlockTV for automatically skipping YouTube sponsored segments on network devices.

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    Video

    Community Picks·1y

    My New Found Addiction!

    Ardens, a part-time YouTuber, IT intern, and full-time student, discovers an interest in home labbing. He explains how to set up a NAS server using a Raspberry Pi and Open Media Vault to create a personal cloud storage solution. Ardens further explores virtualization using Proxmox to host a music server, enabling an ad-free music streaming experience. Throughout his journey, he aims to build a sophisticated and efficient home lab setup.

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    Article

    Hacker News·33w

    Leveling Up My Homelab

    A detailed account of rebuilding a personal homelab from a basic setup with limited compute and manual configuration into a production-grade Kubernetes cluster. The new infrastructure features 8 worker nodes, Talos Linux with PXE boot, GitOps via Argo CD, 10G networking, and plans for GPU workloads and multi-site clustering. The rebuild addresses previous limitations around orchestration, disaster recovery, scalability, and remote access while enabling serious experimentation with modern cloud-native technologies.

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    Article

    Lobsters·29w

    A prison of my own making

    A developer reflects on how adopting best practices like GitOps, immutable infrastructure, Kubernetes, and declarative systems turned their homelab from a relaxing hobby into an overwhelming burden. They realized that enterprise-grade tooling (NixOS, Fedora Silverblue, CI/CD pipelines) made simple tasks impossibly complex for a solo project. The author shares their decision to simplify by abandoning immutable distros, reducing automation, accepting stateful backups, and prioritizing ease of use over architectural purity.

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    Article

    Hacker News·1y

    Build a Tiny Certificate Authority For Your Homelab

    Build a small, standalone Certificate Authority (CA) for a homelab using a Raspberry Pi, YubiKey, and the step-ca software. Set up TLS certificates for secure internal network communication, automate renewal using the ACME protocol, and enhance security with an open-source True Random Number Generator (TRNG). The tutorial includes detailed steps for system setup, PKI creation, CA configuration, and various tips for maintaining and using the CA.

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