How I fell into the self-hosting rabbit hole in 2022

Cloud servers Source: Microsoft

In some corners of the Internet, self-hosting is a big thing. There's a huge customs to exist found in places like Reddit, some smashing podcasts and and then many helpful resource to acquire from.

Just what does self-hosting actually mean?

In simple terms, it'due south all well-nigh hosting your own services over reliance on a public cloud, wherever that comes from. It could be file storage, it could exist a media server, a habitation automation system, security cameras, y'all name it, there'south probably someone who's at least tried to cocky host it.

I've been very happy with my little dwelling house setup and the journeying information technology took me on. I've started to learn some skills along the style and as we go into 2022, here's a little about the what, the why, and the even so to come.

Why carp self-hosting at all?

Homer Dashboard Source: Windows Central

Public cloud services are extremely user-friendly. That's why they're and then popular. And I'thousand non saying services like OneDrive are bad; far from it. Simply for reasons I don't fully understand (perhaps getting older and angrier, perhaps lockdown colorlessness), through 2022 I started taking more interest in which companies had access to my data.

Some of information technology is about privacy, but there's besides a growing skepticism deep within me nigh reliance on a few big cloud providers for likewise many services. The recent AWS outages serve equally a stark reminder that when something goes wrong, I can't access my doorbell properly. This seems like a ridiculous problem to take.

So, I started looking at what I could do to both be more mindful of my data and the rabbit hole then led to self-hosting. I oasis't replaced everything that relies on someone else's infrastructure, but I've fabricated a start. And perhaps I'grand a lilliputian surprised at how enjoyable the whole process has been.

Learning new skills along the way

Bashtop Source: Windows Central

1 of the best parts of this whole procedure has been starting to learn some new skills. I'm inappreciably an adept in whatsoever of them, merely without getting into self-hosting I'd probably never have touched whatsoever of this.

I've been learning to use Linux since the first great lockdown of 2022, when I got bored and thought I'd requite it a endeavour. Only that'due south always been on a desktop level like Windows 11. Through self-hosting, I've started to dabble in the world of servers and Docker containers while learning more about tools like SSH and fifty-fifty networking basics.

I love learning new Information technology skills, simply in recent years I've definitely been a bit of a slacker. In contempo months I've dabbled with Ubuntu Server, Docker, Portainer, building my own configuration files and the wonders of VLANs, all through getting into cocky-hosting. And the great thing is that it actually is an endless rabbit hole. Ane thing leads to another which leads to another and and so on.

A twelvemonth agone, even though I'd been spending more than time using Linux, in particular WSL on Windows 10, the command line yet daunted me. Going into 2022 I find that working in a terminal is strangely satisfying.

What I'm really self-hosting

Portainer Source: Windows Fundamental

And so, to the adept stuff: what am I actually cocky-hosting? I've tried a agglomeration of different apps and services across a number of devices. I started out on my Synology NAS before branching out a little and repurposing old hardware. I accept a 2022 Apple Mac Mini that's useless as a Mac now, simply it makes a fantastic footling server box. My old Raspberry Pi 3 was constitute in a drawer and that's doing work every bit well.

The main service I've roughshod in love with this twelvemonth is AdGuard Home. I've used Pi-Hole in the past but never really got fastened to information technology. Equally proficient as it is, my inner noob is much more than at home with the slick user interface and more than beginner-friendly approach yous get from AdGuard Home. Information technology'south running on my Raspberry Pi correct now, though 2022 may see information technology relocated when I finally go proper fiber.

Adguard Home Source: Windows Key

Too running on that aforementioned Raspberry Pi is a rudimentary local file server. It's a simple Samba setup, mostly in existence considering I read a blog mail service on it and idea I'd give it a try. It'southward prepare up with a small-scale USB flash drive connected to the Pi and I've been using it to share files beyond my home network that I don't need long-term or syncing to all my devices. It probably won't exist around also much longer, but it's been handy.

On the old Mac Mini is where the bulk of the load lives correct now. It's non running macOS of course, instead using Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS. Even for a computer approaching 10 years old, Ubuntu Server is extremely lightweight with no desktop environment weighing it downwardly. And currently, everything on here lives in a Docker container which is managed through the Portainer GUI.

Portainer is especially good for Docker novices like me, every bit it removes the need to handle Docker Compose files directly. You can either use one of the pre-selected app templates or only point it at the Docker prototype for the service you want to gear up and leave it to do the rest. To access the apps, all that's needed is a web browser.

Currently being hosted there is:

Podgrab - A local podcast server that allows streaming or downloads and can generate OPML or custom RSS feeds to use on other devices.
Whoogle - Google search but without Google'south crap. The search results are identical merely it's faster and much cleaner without ads and trackers.
Libreddit - A tracker-costless, extremely fast front-cease for Reddit. Yous tin't log in, but if you lot never comment, like me, the experience is pretty perfect.
YouTube DL - A GUI for the well-known YouTube DL command-line app.
Homer - A customizable dashboard for accessing self-hosted services and more.
Guacamole - A clientless remote access gateway that allows piece of cake SSH access to my various devices from a web browser.

And over on my Synology NAS, I've finally got round to setting up a Plex server over again with alive TV and DVR thanks to HDHomeRun integration. I've also been using Nextcloud these last couple of months, set up upward on a DigitalOcean remote instance. Nextcloud is really fantastic and I use information technology for a number of purposes, including syncing offline copies of my work for the site, managing calendars and email, file backups and sync, and even handling RSS.

All of the services I'thousand self-hosting, with the exception of Plex, are free and open-source, which has been some other priority throughout 2022.

2022: Homelab

Mac Mini Source: Windows Central

To say I'chiliad hooked on self-hosting is an understatement. It's addictive, and much like building a gaming PC, there's ever the "next footstep" with hardware and software.

In 2022, I'chiliad determined to bear on what I've learned and build upon it, developing more skills and trying things I previously would take run abroad from like Forrest Gump at full tilt. Then I'll be dipping my toes into the earth of homelabs, which goes mitt-in-hand with self-hosting.

A homelab tin be a giant server rack full of thousands of dollars of gear, or it can be a Raspberry Pi. And anything in between. Most of the services I've been using are incredibly lightweight which means at that place's really no need to spend money on new, expensive hardware.

ESXi Source: VMWare

I am looking to expand though. On the list of things to showtime learning in 2022 is virtualization with Proxmox/VMWare ESXi, Kubernetes, and (finally) starting to acquire to code, well, something. I program to option up some other 2022 Mac Mini or something similarly old, small and cheap, to maybe cluster together, and at least a Raspberry Pi four.

I've already built a inexpensive habitation server rack from an IKEA Lack table of all things (post coming on that in the new year's day) and grabbed some ex-enterprise network gear for peanuts to set up a fully wired network in my office, dissever from the dwelling Wi-Fi.

We've no idea if 2022 is going to exist meliorate or worse than 2022 and 2022 at this signal, only I'chiliad going into it with a new hobby and a pretty massive to-do list.

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