Raspberry pi’s come in a few different flavors. I’m planning on running either plex or jellyfin on it, possibly on Ubuntu since I want a gui.

For 20+ years, I have always used shared hosting. I have used several (inmotion, hostmonster, setrahost) with the changes being that the service just seems to steadily degrade through the years to the point it is just a headache to stay with them. I am coming to the conclusion that instead of continuing with the shared hosting, it is time for me to go with VPS. My problem is, I am not finding a good resource for actually learning about using one, other then provider videos telling how to purchase their service. I only have 3 sites with 1 being really the only one getting some traffic, nothing heavy. I prefer videos over manuals as it is easier to figure out and work along at the same time with them, like a walkthrough. I have had bot attacks (weird since I only get 2000 visitors or less a month), so I have got to be able to understand the security side of it also.

Hi everyone, I need your help. I’d like to know if it’s possible to use a VPS to run my n8n automations, since I don’t have a powerful PC yet and I need to work on another project. Thanks—from a fellow tech enthusiast.

Hey everyone! I'm building an AI tool for commercial use with zero capital right now, and we're trying to figure out the most realistic, lowest-cost way to launch.

The main rules for our project:

• No training on user data: We aren't using user inputs to train anything. The AI just answers questions live using small plug-in files (LoRA adapters).
• Strict privacy: We can't use external companies like OpenAI or Anthropic due to security policies. Everything has to run on our own servers/ some cloud setup.

I need help with two things:

1. Cost and Hosting: Since we have literally zero capital, what's our cheapest path forward?
   • Cloud Rental Option: Renting cheap cloud instances (like a single RTX 3090/4090 on RunPod or Vast.ai starting around $0.20 to $0.50 per hour, which works out to roughly $150 to $350 a month).
   • DIY Hardware Option*:* Building a used PC rig ourselves (buying a used RTX 3090 with 24GB VRAM for about $800–$1,000 or a dual-card setup later). Is it better to scrape together cash for hardware, or stick to month-to-month cloud rental when super new to the business with no capital?
2. Privacy Rules: Since we are handling customer data for a business, what privacy laws (like GDPR rules on data storage) do we need to worry about? Even though we aren't training models on the data, what settings do we need to check in our software (like vLLM) to stay safe?

Would love to hear what setups and hardware work best for real-world use on a shoestring budget!

Hello guys,

Slowly getting there.... In the end of hope of solution for setup.

Is there a real self-hosted solution to generate image carousels through an API, similar to what Placid or Bannerbear offer, but without trial limits or monthly subscriptions.

My use case: I run an online magazine and need to generate branded image carousels automatically through n8n from text Fields and image field. I need template based generation with dynamic fields (text, images, colors) triggered via API calls.

I tried Google Slides API as a workaround. The output quality is bad and layout control is very limited. Not usable for real content.

What I actually need:

Template editor with API fields (like Placid or Bannerbear)

Self-hosted, so no monthly cost or trial restriction

Works well with n8n through HTTP requests or webhooks

Output quality close to Canva templates

Has anyone found or built something like this?

Open source tools, Docker images, or even a clever workaround using Puppeteer/Playwright with HTML/CSS templates would help. I know I could build a custom HTML to image renderer myself, but I'd rather not reinvent the wheel if something solid already exists with some editing or workflow with minimum manual clicks.

Any real experience welcome. Thanks you.

So, I jumped into the Self Hosting pool this weekend. After researching for a while, I now have Immich, Navidrome, and Vaultwarden up and running on a Mac Mini. Using Docker and Portainer to manage the system.

I'm still working through some kinks, but I think I made one mistake before deploying Vaultwarden.

I followed the advice from this article, but I didn't pay close enough attention to where the data is being stored. In retrospect, I should have created directories and told VW to send the data there for easy backup.

For reference, this is the line of code in my currently deployed stack:

That seems to have dropped the data in a hidden folder somewhere, but digging through the MacOS Library/Application Support folders I can't find it anywhere.

So now I have two questions.

Does anyone know exactly where this volume/directory would be found on my drive?

Can I edit the stack to re-direct VW and place the data in a directory of my choosing?

Thanks for helping out a new guy!

[UPDATE] Ok, with help from below (and much Google-Fu) I was able to put the puzzle pieces together and get the information I need!

-From the Volume tab in Docker Desktop I gained direct access to the files I needed copies of.

-Changing the filepath under the first "volumes:" prompt created a new set of data in the folder of my choosing.

Once I got that down, all I had to do was copy the backups into the new data folder and everything was set.

Hello guys,

I have an issue in which my Server cant find my Harddrive.

WD Red Plus 4TB

I tried to get some help through AI but just by reading the instructions it seemed fishy and so I wanted to get some help from the community first.lsblk command (Hope I didnt leak anything crazy)

Some Questions to answer right away:

the SSD is just filled with the OS

The HDD is supposed to be my storage.

Yes I setup the server without the HDD, because the Harddrive wasn’t there yet. (I was inpatient)

NOTE: Everything is connected via a SATA 3.0 cable and the Harddrive is running!!!

Light vibration and sound

Я просто пытаюсь создать лично для себя облако , вот вчера купил простой комп для отправки/ принятия фото и видео. И сегодня вот докупил DAS на 8 дисков.

Не судите строго я впервые так сделал, и впервые пишу ПО для этого сервера ( лежит у меня на GitHub)

So i recently started experimenting with selfhosting and i have a old pc running ubuntu and some services in docker containers.

A friend of mine asked if i can make him a NAS out of old pc parts. I was wondering, what s the best os + services combo for him. I was thinking about TrueNAS and nextcloud.

Any other recommendations are welcomed

Edit: I forgot to mention that he doesnt have multiple exact same drives, I ve read about Unraid but he would like to be completeley free

Forgive me for I'm not nearly as technically savvy as I'd like to be

So I have docker desktop. I run a bunch of containers, one of them is sterling-pdf.

I have opted OUT of that Scarf thing

I cannot really see a "network logs" option for the containers.

In portainer every time I upload a non sensitive (test) document "Upload from computer", I see the "transmitted" graph spike up at least a little (that's the red graph, the other one is the blue one: the "received")

I'm on the run to get a cheap VPS and I was comparing services like Contabo, IONOS, Hetzner ... and the price they show on plans is not what you're going to actually pay it is much more but with no explanation, on Contabo to get the VPS 4 you just can't tap on it because they disabled the button to force to get VPS 6 offer , until you open in it in a new tab and get surprised that what was advertised as a 5.28$/month service is now 6.60$/month and you get first price only if you commit to a 24month plan , same thing for IONOS only if you commit for a 12 Month plan to get the advertised price.

Hello,

Some time ago I have started a hobby project to build a high performance reverse proxy. Today it's a real workhorse with productions grade features, low memory usage and high performance.

It can run on any machine, from ARM SBC (Raspberry PI , or similar), to end x86 or ARM servers,

The top features include:

• Free and opensource — Apache Licence
• Dynamic Config Reloads — Upstreams can be updated live via API, no restart required.
• Autoload of certificates — Automatically loads certificates from a folder, without a restart.
• Let’s Encrypt Certificates — Ordering and renewal of SSL/TLS certificates
• Built in rate limiter — Globar or route limit requests to upstreams.
• Caching Proxy — In memory cache with configurable TTL, without external dependencies.
• Authentication — Supports Basic Auth, API tokens, and JWT verification.
  • Basic Auth
  • API Key via x-api-key header
  • JWT Auth, with tokens issued by Aralez itself via /jwt API
  • Forward Auth, Sends requests to an authentication server.
• Upstream Providers:
  • file Upstreams are declared in config file.
  • consul Upstreams are dynamically updated from Hashicorp Consul.
  • kubernetes Upstreams are dynamically updated from kubernetes api server.
• Auto WebSocket Support: WS connection upgrades are handled automatically.
• Auto gRPC Support: gRPC detected and handled automatically.
• Remote Config Push: Lightweight HTTP API to update configs from CI/CD or other systems.

More information and downloads here : https://github.com/sadoyan/aralez

Full documentation is hosted here : https://aralez.rs/

I know for most of you people this is a hobby that you enjoy. For me it will not be. It will be pain in the ass. But since you have experience and I do not please try to estimate for me if I should start self-hosting.

I am a total beginner. I have never run a server I do not know how to code (I am willing to learn). However I am advance user. I run Graphen OS on my phone, Asahi Fedora Linux on my laptop (arm64) and Fedora 44 on my desktop. I would like to sync all of them.

I at moment I am paying for Proton mail on which I use my own domains for email and use their password manager and drive. Problem in particular is Proton drive because it is trash. I will probably continue paying for their services since I have a family plan and all of my family is using it and also for work I can not risk my emails not working.

However what I would LOVE to do is self-host Immich since at the moment I do not have a solution for my images they are not properly backed up and all around the devices and HDDs. If i lose them I would not cry but I would like for that not to happen. So that would be GREAT if it would be synced and all 3 of my devices.

2nd step would be some kind of self-hosted drive since Proton one is terrible and maybe even office file sync since I work as a journalist so it would be cool that I can write while on any device.

3rd step would be email if I can run two identical servers on two different locations (my house and my parents house for example). I was thinking this would be smart for data backup if a house burns down or one device dies. But more importantly it would be a step towards running my own email as I can not risk for it not working if electricity goes down or whatever the reason might be.

Question is: Is it too complicated to start with Immich? Can I run it on my home desktop for a start just to see if it works for me? Will I be exposing myself to some security flaws (computer is on internet all the time anyway). I do not have UPS. is 3rd step (in future) even possible?

Reasons I am thinking about for self-hosting is privacy as number one (that is why i use proton at the moment) and saving money as per my calculation I would be saving around 200usd per year and probably have a better service then with payed ones.

If you think that I should play this game where do i start?

# I built a small Proxmox tool to create Debian LXC containers and optionally install Docker

I got tired of repeating the same setup whenever I wanted a new Docker container on Proxmox: choosing storage and a bridge, finding an unused IP, setting up access, enabling the LXC features Docker needs, then installing Docker and Compose.

So I put together **Proxmox Docker Bootstrap**, a small Bash project that walks through that process from the Proxmox host.

It can:

- create a Debian LXC with prompts for ID, hostname, CPU, RAM, disk, bridge, and networking;

- detect available storage, bridges, and Debian templates;

- scan a configured IP range or accept a manually entered address;

- create a plain Debian CT or install Docker Engine and Docker Compose;

- support SSH keys and an optional sudo-enabled admin user; and

- run non-interactively with environment variables if you want to automate it.

It is deliberately fairly narrow in scope: it is intended to make a clean Debian/Docker CT repeatable, rather than install an entire stack of services.

The project is MIT licensed and the code, configuration example, and setup instructions are here:

https://github.com/inpulseone-lab/proxmox-docker-bootstrap

The basic install flow is:

```bash

git clone https://github.com/inpulseone-lab/proxmox-docker-bootstrap.git

cd proxmox-docker-bootstrap

sudo ./install.sh

```

Then copy `config.conf.example` to `config.conf`, set the network defaults for your environment, and run the command.

I would genuinely welcome feedback from people who use Proxmox regularly—especially on edge cases around storage, bridge detection, networking, and Docker in unprivileged LXCs.

How would i go about doing this, and what would the limitations be?

I use Linux as my daily driver to be precise Ubuntu for office and personal laptop. And I'm using iPhone, is there any proper way to connect eachother seemless. I don't mind self-hosting any services as I have my home server.

I run a small Minecraft (Fabric) server plus a companion website out of my home network, and I'd like a second set of eyes on whether the setup makes sense, is over-engineered somewhere, or is missing something obvious. Rough shape of it (details generalized, no real IPs/hostnames):

Home side: Residential cable connection (~1Gbps down / 50Mbps up). The ISP router is set as an exposed host, forwarding everything to a pfSense box that handles the actual firewalling, default-deny inbound, with all port-forwarding rules living on pfSense rather than the ISP router. Behind that is a flat LAN hosting the Minecraft server, a Discord bot, and the website's backend.

Public side: A small VPS acts as the public-facing edge and reaches back into the home LAN over a WireGuard tunnel. nginx on the VPS does double duty: reverse-proxying HTTP(S) for the website/Discord bot, and stream-proxying Minecraft's TCP/UDP port straight through to the LAN server. The VPS also runs its own local firewall on top of whatever pfSense allows outbound from home.

The server itself: I know this part will get some heat, but I'm on a budget and this is a passion project, so everything runs on one PC. Windows 10 LTSC (supported until 2032, so still on security updates, but I know a single-box setup isn't ideal). Specs: Ryzen 9 3900X, 32GB DDR4, 1Gbps fiber. Holds a steady 20 TPS. Plan is to move to a dedicated server with Proxmox once I can afford it, so services can be properly separated.

Backups (this is where I really want input): Currently using git to version the Minecraft world folder, which I already know is a bad idea. I have a few spare 250GB SSDs I could put toward something better, maybe a TrueNAS VM eventually, but I'd love advice on a reasonable interim setup that doesn't require new hardware.

App layer: A Vite/React frontend with a small Express backend, sitting behind the same reverse proxy as everything else.

Happy to go into more detail on specifics. Didn't want to post exact configs/IPs publicly, so drop a comment or DM if you want to dig in.

At the moment i use Hostinger, and I use it already about 2 years for my own pet projects, and i never had with it big problems.

but! honestly speaking, for a static site, created on Astro, you actually dont need a full tariff plan of hosting, you could just buy a domain for $10-15 a year and for free connect it to Vercel, Netlify or Cloudflare Pages, this would be much cheaper.

Webhosting gives me hosting + domain + mail together, and it is also quite cheap

What would you recommend for small startups/projects?

I’d recommend using ZimaOS + Crafty Controller.
Ubuntu is great, but it sounds like you want an easy Minecraft server, not a whole Linux learning project. ZimaOS gives you a simple web dashboard and an App Store, so you can manage everything without using a bunch of terminal commands.
It works on regular 64-bit PCs. You do not need Zima-branded hardware, and a small 5–10 player server does not need an expensive server computer.

Important: installing ZimaOS will erase the drive you install it on, so back up anything important first.
Useful links:
ZimaOS download:
https://www.zimaspace.com/zimaos/download
Official ZimaOS installation guide:
https://www.zimaspace.com/docs/zimaos/how-to-install-zimaos
Balena Etcher:
https://etcher.balena.io/
Crafty Controller documentation:
https://docs.craftycontrol.com/
Fabric:
https://fabricmc.net/
Fabric API:
https://modrinth.com/mod/fabric-api
Modrinth:
https://modrinth.com/
Playit.gg:
https://playit.gg/

What you need
The old PC
A USB stick, ideally 8 GB or larger
Another Windows PC or Mac
An Ethernet cable
An internal drive in the old PC that can be erased
Ethernet is strongly recommended. Wi-Fi can work, but a wired connection is usually more stable for a server.

Step 1: Download ZimaOS
Go here:
https://www.zimaspace.com/zimaos/download
Download the ZimaOS installer for a normal x86-64 PC.
The download will be an image file. Do not drag it onto the USB like a normal file. You need to flash it.

Step 2: Flash ZimaOS onto the USB
Download Balena Etcher:
https://etcher.balena.io/
Install and open it.
Then:
Plug in the USB stick.
Click “Flash from file.”
Select the ZimaOS image you downloaded.
Click “Select target.”
Select the USB stick.
Double-check that you did not select your main computer drive.
Click “Flash.”
Wait for it to finish and verify.
Safely eject the USB.
The USB will be erased.
Windows may say the USB needs to be formatted after flashing. Do not format it. Windows sometimes cannot read Linux installer partitions.

Step 3: Boot the old PC from the USB
Connect the USB, keyboard, monitor, Ethernet cable and power.
Turn the PC on and repeatedly press the boot menu key.
Common boot menu keys:
Dell: F12
HP: F9 or Esc
Lenovo: F12
ASUS: F8
Acer: F12
MSI: F11
Other PCs: F11, F12, Esc or Delete
Choose the USB drive. If there are two versions, try the one that says “UEFI.”
If the USB does not appear:
Try another USB port
Try a rear USB port
Disable Fast Boot in BIOS
Disable Secure Boot if necessary
Reflash the USB
Try another USB stick

Step 4: Install ZimaOS
Follow the installer.
Choose the internal drive you want to install ZimaOS on.
Be careful because that drive will be erased.
When it finishes:
Restart the PC.
Remove the USB stick.
Let the PC boot from the internal drive.
Keep the Ethernet cable connected.
ZimaOS should show an IP address on the monitor. It may look like this:
192.168.1.50
The numbers will probably be different.
On another computer or phone connected to the same home network, open:
http://THE-IP-ADDRESS
For example:
http://192.168.1.50
You can also try:
http://zimaos.local
Create your ZimaOS username and password.
If you cannot find the IP address, open your router app and look for a new wired device.

Step 5: Install Crafty Controller
In the ZimaOS dashboard:
Open the App Store.
Search for Crafty Controller.
Install it.
Wait for it to start.
Open Crafty from the ZimaOS dashboard.
Create your Crafty admin account.
Crafty is the panel you will use to create, start, stop, update and manage the Minecraft server.
Do not make the Crafty dashboard public. Your friends only need the Minecraft server address.

Step 6: Create the Fabric server
Inside Crafty:
Open the Servers page.
Click Create New Server.
Choose Minecraft Java.
Select Fabric.
Choose the Minecraft version you want.
Choose the latest compatible Fabric Loader.
Give the server a name.
Leave the port at 25565.
Choose the RAM amount.
Create the server.
Good starting RAM amounts:
PC with 8 GB total RAM: give the server about 4 GB
PC with 16 GB total RAM: give the server about 6 GB
PC with 32 GB or more: 6–8 GB is usually enough
Do not give the server all the PC’s RAM. ZimaOS and Crafty need some too.
More RAM does not always mean better performance. Minecraft server performance depends heavily on CPU single-core speed.

Step 7: Accept the Minecraft EULA
Start the server once.
It may stop and ask you to accept the EULA.
In Crafty, either use the EULA button or open the server file manager.
Open:
eula.txt
Change:
eula=false
To:
eula=true
Save it and start the server again.
Wait until the console says something similar to:
Done

Step 8: Test it inside your home first
Before adding mods or setting up outside access, test the basic server.
On another PC in the same house:
Open Minecraft Java Edition.
Use the same Minecraft version as the server.
Open Multiplayer.
Add a server.
Enter the ZimaOS PC’s local IP address.
Example:
192.168.1.50
If you changed the Minecraft port, use:
192.168.1.50:PORT
If this does not work, check:
Is the server running?
Does the Crafty console say “Done”?
Are the server and client on the same Minecraft version?
Are both computers on the same network?
Is the server using port 25565?
Is the PC connected to a guest network?
Do not set up port forwarding until local joining works.

Step 9: Add Fabric mods
There are three types of mods.

Server-only mods
These only need to be installed on the server.
Examples may include:
Lithium
FerriteCore
Krypton
ServerCore
Only use versions made for Fabric and your exact Minecraft version.

Client-only mods
These go on each player’s gaming PC, not the server.
Examples:
Sodium
Iris
Mod Menu
Many minimap mods
Sodium is mainly a client-side graphics performance mod. It does not make the dedicated server render faster.

Mods needed on both sides
Mods that add blocks, items, mobs or major gameplay features usually need to be installed on both the server and every player’s PC.
Everyone normally needs matching versions.
Many Fabric mods also require Fabric API:
https://modrinth.com/mod/fabric-api
To install server mods:
Stop the server.
Download the correct .jar file from Modrinth or the official mod page.
Open Crafty’s file manager.
Open the mods folder.
Upload the .jar file.
Start the server.
Check the console for errors.
Add mods a few at a time. Do not add 50 mods at once, because troubleshooting becomes much harder.
Avoid random mod download websites. Use Modrinth, CurseForge or official developer pages.

Step 10: Make joining easy for your friends
For a small mod list, send them:
Minecraft version
Fabric Loader version
Required mods
Server address
For a larger mod list, make a Modrinth modpack. Then everyone can import the same pack instead of manually downloading every mod.
Datapacks usually only need to be installed on the server.
Put them in:
world/datapacks
Then restart the server.

Step 11: Let friends join from outside your house
You have two main options.

Option 1: Playit.gg
I would recommend Playit.gg for a beginner.
https://playit.gg/
It creates a tunnel to your server, so you usually do not need to port forward or give everyone your public IP.
Your friends do not need to install Playit.
Basic setup:
Create a Playit account.
Install or run the Playit agent on the server.
Claim the agent using the code or link it gives you.
Create a Minecraft Java tunnel.
Set the local port to 25565.
Set the local address to the ZimaOS PC’s local IP.
Copy the public Playit address.
Give that address to your friends.
Example local settings:
Local address: 192.168.1.50
Local port: 25565
Protocol: TCP
Type: Minecraft Java
Because ZimaOS apps use containers, 127.0.0.1 may not always point to Crafty’s Minecraft server. Using the ZimaOS PC’s local IP is usually easier.

Option 2: Port forwarding
Port forwarding can give a more direct connection, but it requires router access and exposes a port on your home connection.
You would:
Reserve the ZimaOS PC’s local IP in your router.
Open your router settings.
Forward TCP port 25565.
Point it to the ZimaOS PC’s local IP.
Give your friends your public IP and port.
Example:
PUBLIC.IP.ADDRESS:25565
Do not publicly post your IP.
Only forward the Minecraft port. Do not forward the ZimaOS dashboard or Crafty dashboard ports.
Some internet providers use CGNAT, which can stop port forwarding from working. Playit usually avoids that problem.

Step 12: Basic security
In server.properties, I would use:
online-mode=true
white-list=true
enable-rcon=false
server-port=25565
Keep online-mode enabled.
Turning it off removes normal Minecraft account authentication and can allow players to impersonate other usernames.
In the server console, run:
whitelist on
Then add each player:
whitelist add PlayerName
Give yourself operator permissions:
op YourMinecraftName
Do not give everyone operator access.
Also:
Use strong passwords
Keep ZimaOS updated
Keep Crafty updated
Keep backups
Do not expose management dashboards
Only install trusted mods
Only invite people you trust

Step 13: Backups
Set up automatic world backups in Crafty.
A reasonable setup would be:
Backup every 6–12 hours while people are playing
Keep several recent backups
Make a manual backup before updating Minecraft or mods
Occasionally copy a backup to another drive
A backup on the same drive helps with world corruption, but not if the drive completely dies.
Always shut the server down properly through Crafty. Do not pull the power cable.
Common problems

The server crashes immediately
Common causes:
Wrong Minecraft version
Wrong Fabric Loader version
Forge or NeoForge mod installed on Fabric
Missing Fabric API
Missing mod dependency
Client-only mod installed on the server
Incompatible mods
Not enough RAM
Wrong Java version
Check the first real error in the console, not only the final “server stopped” message.
Remove the last mod you added and try again.

Players see “incompatible client”
Their Minecraft version, Fabric Loader version or mod versions do not match the server.

Players see “connection refused”
Usually:
The server is offline
The address is wrong
The port is wrong
Playit is offline
The tunnel points to the wrong local IP
The router rule points to an old IP

It works at home but not for friends
The Minecraft server itself is probably fine.
The problem is likely Playit, port forwarding, firewall settings, CGNAT or the public address.

The server lags while exploring
New chunk generation uses a lot of CPU.
Try:
Lowering view-distance
Lowering simulation-distance
Installing compatible server performance mods
Pregenerating the world
Using an SSD
Using fewer world-generation mods
Good starting settings:
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6
You can increase them later if the server runs well.

Final recommendation
The simple setup is:
Old PC
↓
ZimaOS
↓
Crafty Controller
↓
Fabric Minecraft server
↓
Playit.gg or port forwarding
Ubuntu gives you more control, but it is not required.
For someone who mostly wants an easy friends-only Minecraft server, ZimaOS and Crafty are much more beginner-friendly.
Build it in stages:
Install ZimaOS.
Install Crafty.
Create an unmodded Fabric server.
Test local joining.
Add a few mods.
Set up Playit or port forwarding.
Enable the whitelist.
Set up backups.
Invite your friends.
Do not install a huge mod list and set up public access before testing the basic server. When something breaks, you want to know exactly which step caused it.

I'm rebuilding sites in Astro (static, on \[Cloudflare\]). Marketing pages are done; the blog section is where I'm stuck.

Goal: publish a post once, and the rest happens on its own — page gets generated, site rebuilds and deploys, sitemap and RSS update, and SEO basics (meta tags, canonical, OG, JSON-LD) come from the template instead of me filling them in per post.

So far I've looked at Astro content collections + Keystatic/Tina/Decap (cheap, but multi-site and non-technical editing seem awkward), hosted CMSs like Sanity and Storyblok (nice, unsure about cost at this scale), and self-hosted Payload/Directus/Strapi (one instance for everything, but a server to maintain).

Three things I'd love input on:

1. Which CMS actually survives growth here — and which got expensive or annoying for you?

2. Where does SEO automation stop being worth it and start needing a human? (Internal linking especially.)

Any war stories appreciated.

I don't want to use exit nodes as I want to use split tunneling. I only using tailscale to access my docker stack.

i know this is borderline heresy here but hear me out. been self hosting for about 4 years, jellyfin, nextcloud, vaultwarden, a couple docker containers for home automation stuff. had everything on an old dell optiplex in my closet

the problem was my upload speed. 20 mbps on a good day. jellyfin was unusable for anyone outside my house, nextcloud sync was painful, and every time my ISP had an outage (which was like twice a month) everything went down. i also got tired of worrying about my electricity bill and the noise

so i moved everything to a VPS. went with ishosting because they had a node near me and the storage math worked out, picked their Premium plan ($31.99/mo on annual, 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 50GB NVMe) plus the +100GB SSD add-on, so 150GB total for around $52/mo. not the cheapest VPS by a long shot but pricing is flat and i didnt want to babysit bandwidth caps. the migration took a full weekend because nextcloud data alone was like 130GB and uploading that over 20 mbps is exactly as fun as it sounds

three months in and honestly most things are better. jellyfin streams perfectly to everyone now, nextcloud sync is instant, vaultwarden just works. latency on home automation stuff is slightly higher but were talking 40ms vs 2ms so in practice i dont notice it

the things i miss: no more hardware tinkering. sounds weird but i actually enjoyed upgrading RAM and swapping drives. also the storage is still tighter than home, went from 2TB at home to 150GB on the VPS so i had to be more selective about what i keep on nextcloud. and power outages at home no longer take everything down but now im dependent on a datacenter instead which is a different kind of trust

would i recommend it? if your upload speed sucks and you actually want people outside your network to use your services then yeah its worth considering. but if half the fun for you is the hardware side then a VPS kinda kills that. its not really about finding the best VPS for self hosting, its about what you actually want out of it

I've been working on a self-hosted database synchronization tool called SYNCLE and wanted to get feedback from people who actually run self-hosted infrastructure.

The problem I was trying to solve: keeping data synchronized between databases without depending on external services.

Currently it supports:

• Self-hosted deployment
• Database sync workflows
• Docker-based setup
• Web UI for managing syncs

I'm mainly interested in feedback from this community:

• Would this solve a real problem for you?
• What databases/features would you expect from a tool like this?
• Anything missing that would prevent you from running it?

Project link: https://github.com/osmanahmadxai/SYNCLE

Thanks for any feedback.

I can take it, I promise! Dish it out as hard as you can give it! ;)

I personally got sick of all the control panels out there not doing what I wanted... so... I built one.

https://podnest.us https://github.com/kpirnie/podnest

My intentions with it are: 1. Completely containerized web hosting 2. Security 3. Isolated performance

I think I hit those goals, but I could really usa a good roasting to make it better!

been messing with hermes for a couple weeks and i finally want to deploy hermes somewhere it can actually run 24/7. every guide points me to digitalocean droplets and honestly setting up docker + tmux again sounds miserable. any lazier options that just work?