Self-Hosting Guide
Learn how to self-host your services and data for maximum privacy and control. A comprehensive guide to running your own servers and services.
Understanding Self-Hosting
Why self-host your services: - Complete control over your data - Enhanced privacy and security - Independence from third-party services - Customization flexibility - Cost-effectiveness long-term - Learning opportunity - Data sovereignty
Getting Started
Essential requirements for self-hosting:
1. Hardware Options - Dedicated home server - Raspberry Pi - Old computer/laptop - Virtual Private Server (VPS) - NAS device
2. Network Setup - Static IP or Dynamic DNS - Port forwarding - Basic firewall configuration - SSL certificates - Reverse proxy setup
3. Basic Software - Linux operating system - Docker and containers - Web server (Nginx/Apache) - Database system - Backup solution
Essential Services
Popular services to self-host:
1. Storage & Sync - Nextcloud (files, contacts, calendar) - Syncthing (file synchronization) - MinIO (S3-compatible storage)
2. Communication - Matrix (chat) - Jitsi (video conferencing) - Mail server (Mailcow/Mailu)
3. Productivity - Gitea (git hosting) - Jellyfin (media streaming) - Paperless-ngx (document management)
4. Security - Vaultwarden (password manager) - Pi-hole (network-wide ad blocking) - WireGuard (VPN)
Security Considerations
Essential security measures: - Regular system updates - Strong authentication - Firewall configuration - Intrusion detection - SSL/TLS encryption - Regular backups - Access logging - Network segmentation - Security auditing
Maintenance
Ongoing maintenance tasks: - System monitoring - Performance optimization - Storage management - Backup verification - Security updates - Log review - Service updates - Resource planning - Documentation updates