Guides
Reverse proxies, remote access, backups that restore, identity, updates, storage layout and hardware. The cross-cutting parts you have to get right once, then stop thinking about.
Getting started
Docker Compose conventions that survive year two
One directory per service, bind mounts under one root, pinned tags, and why latest is a data-loss risk.
Getting startedYour first self-hosted server: the decisions that are hard to undo
The OS, the disk layout, remote access and backups are hard to undo. Everything else is an afternoon.
Getting startedWhen not to self-host
Five categories where self-hosting is a bad trade, one decision test, and the cases where it genuinely wins.
Access and networking
DNS, subdomains and split horizon for self-hosters
The naming scheme decision, wildcard records, split-horizon resolution, and the rebinding protection that breaks all of it.
NetworkingRemote access without port forwarding
Four routes into your home network, what CGNAT does to three of them, and the mistake almost everyone makes first.
NetworkingReverse proxy and TLS, done properly
One proxy in front of everything: the ACME challenge decision, the headers that matter, and working Caddy and Traefik config.
Data, backup and recovery
Backups that actually restore
The difference between a backup and a sync, append-only repos, snapshot ordering, and a restore rehearsal with a number attached.
DataBacking up a running database without corrupting it
Torn reads, WAL files, pg_dump versus snapshots, and why a filesystem snapshot is safe when a copy is not.
DataMoving a self-hosted service to a new machine
The six-step move, the file ownership trap that breaks most migrations, and the keys you must bring with you.
StorageStorage layout: ZFS, btrfs, mdadm, or just one disk
The write hole, the resilver window, the RAM appetite, and one recommendation per situation.
Running it day to day
The minimum viable monitoring stack
Tier one is an off-box uptime check, disk alerting and one channel you read. Most homelabs stop there.
OperationsA security baseline for a home server
Nine things, in order of what actually gets people compromised. Plus the popular advice you can skip.
IdentitySingle sign-on for self-hosters: the honest state of it
Three mechanisms, one of which actually works. Plus the account-linking trap and the lockout you have not planned for.
OperationsAn update strategy that does not lose data
Notify, do not auto-update. Pin tags, snapshot before upgrading, and know which projects cannot be rolled back.
Hardware and cost
Choosing hardware for a home server
Three builds, real prices, and why CPU cores are the last thing you should pay for.
HardwareGPUs, transcoding and local AI: what hardware you actually need
Quick Sync handles your 4K streams for 10 W. A model that fits in VRAM is a different purchase entirely.
HardwareMini PC, NAS or used enterprise gear
Watts, dollars per year and drive bays, for the three shapes a home server comes in.
HardwareWhat a home server actually costs to run
The five-year arithmetic, and the point at which self-hosting stops losing money.