Self-Hosting

Setting Up BookStack for Documentation Management Good documentation is the backbone of any project, whether it’s a home lab setup, a small business wiki, or technical notes for your team. But where do you store it? Google Docs lacks structure, Notion locks you into their platform, and Confluence is overkill (and expensive) for most self-hosters. Enter BookStack—a free, open-source, self-hosted documentation platform that strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and power. Built with PHP and MySQL, BookStack organizes content into Books, Chapters, and Pages, making it intuitive for both writers and readers. ...

Automating Backups for Your Home Server: Complete Guide You’ve spent hours setting up your perfect home server with Docker containers, configuration files, and precious data. But what happens when a drive fails, ransomware strikes, or you accidentally delete something critical? Without automated backups, you’re one mistake away from losing everything. This guide will show you how to implement rock-solid automated backups for your home server using proven tools and the industry-standard 3-2-1 backup rule. ...

How to Set Up Portainer for Docker Management If you’re running Docker containers on your home server, managing them through the command line can become tedious. Portainer is a lightweight management UI that makes it easy to manage your Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes through a web browser. What is Portainer? Portainer is an open-source container management platform that provides a simple web interface for Docker. It’s perfect for beginners who want a visual way to manage containers, and powerful enough for advanced users who need quick access to container logs, stats, and console. ...

Tired of trusting your passwords to third-party services? Vaultwarden (formerly Bitwarden_RS) lets you run your own password manager with full Bitwarden client compatibility. Your passwords stay on your server, under your control. In this guide, we’ll set up Vaultwarden using Docker with HTTPS and automatic backups. Why Vaultwarden? Bitwarden compatible — Use official Bitwarden apps on all devices Lightweight — Runs on minimal hardware (even Raspberry Pi) Full featured — Organizations, attachments, 2FA, and more Free — All premium Bitwarden features at no cost Self-hosted — Your data never leaves your server Prerequisites A server running Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, etc.) Docker and Docker Compose installed A domain name (required for HTTPS) Basic command line knowledge Step 1: Install Docker If you don’t have Docker installed: ...

If you’re looking to break free from Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, Nextcloud is one of the best self-hosted alternatives available. It gives you complete control over your files, calendar, contacts, and more—all running on your own hardware. In this guide, we’ll walk through installing Nextcloud on Ubuntu Server from start to finish. What is Nextcloud? Nextcloud is an open-source, self-hosted file sync and collaboration platform. Think of it as your own private cloud that you fully control. Key features include: ...