Home Server Configuration

If you are new to a Home server I recommend investigating it more, but it allows me to have a server that is on my local network so I don't have to pay external services for something this machine can do. There are some great resources when it comes to running a Home Server and you should definitely see if it's right for you!

Resources

Home Server Equipment

NUC8-i3 Short - Newer model here
32GB RAM
128GB NVME Drive - 1TB Drive for same cost I paid

Why and how is your home server in GitHub?

GitHub provides me a great place to store my configuration and share with the community the work I put into keeping this server up to date. Ansible let's me run this configuration deterministically so that my server can stay up to date and make sure that no configuration is done manually. I found when I started maintaining my server it became very apparent quickly that there was no way for me to replicate all of the changes I made and that's where Ansible comes in. I can write playbooks to make sure that things weren't done manually and give me the automate first mentality. Ansible does take some getting used to, but it does provide a huge benefit.

What all does it run? 🤷‍♂️

I have had some good luck with this NUC8-i3 machine. It has been with me since January 2019 and will upgrade to the newer model if I ever have the need. I would recommend this machine if you need a small low power server that has enough horsepower to get a lot of work done.

Applications

Docker - containerization for the machine
at - Common Role | similar to cron but more intuitive in my opinion
NUT (Network UPS Tools) - Common Role |this allows me to see my UPS in Home Assistant
Samba - Common Role | this allows me to file share to Windows/Mac on the network
PiHole - DNS Role | this allows me to use remove ads from my network. I put it under it's own role as I'm not sure I'll be using it but is easy to enable if I want later
Docuwiki - Docker Role | this creates a personal wiki page that is only accessible on your home network. I find this useful to put information to share with other people in the house
Mealie - Docker Role | this creates me a personal webpage to store all of my favorite recipes, it also allows you to put in a URL and get the recipe. It's nice that it ties into Home Assistant and can make a shopping list of items I need for the meal
Piwigo - Docker Role | a locally run and stored photo backup system. It has a pretty good iOS app and let's me sync them without having to pay for iCloud
Plex - Docker Role | a locally run media player with fantastic support
Portainer - Docker Role | Powerful dashboard for all things docker related
Swag - Docker Role | SWAG does a lot, but the main purpose I use it for is for external DNS (maintaining the DNS record if my DNS changes) so that I can VPN with an address rather than an IP. Also keeps my certificate up to date
Tautulli - Docker Role | Great for monitoring plex and seeing who is accessing it and watching what. I clean up my users to make sure the server isn't being too taxed.
Transmission - Docker Role | Great for downloading .isos and other large files using the BitTorrent transfer protocol
Uptime Kuma - Docker Role | A website that allows me to monitor things in my network. For instance other docker containers or if I have internet access. I use it when I'm unsure if the internet is working properly.
Watchtower - Docker Role | keeps all docker images up to date as long as they are tagged to keep them up to date. I find this extremely helpful and also automation first!

I also run Home Assistant, Node Red, ESP Home, and MQTT but way more information can be found here.

My Smart Home Configuration

zinknotthemetal / home-server-configuration Goto Github PK