Core Infrastructure

The goal here will be to acquaint users with the foundational services. Making them aware that they can use the core operational services that function as the operating system of the microdatacenter versus spin up their own.

• Operating System: Linux (https://www.debian.org/, https://www.talos.dev/, https://docs.armbian.com/, etc...)
  • systemd service layer
  • Cockpit
• Orchestrator: https://kubernetes.io/
  • metal installation: https://kubespray.io
• Container registry: https://zotregistry.dev/v2.1.5/
• IaC:
  • https://opentofu.org/
  • https://fluxcd.io/flux/use-cases/helm/
  • https://semaphoreui.com/
• Block Storage: ZFS (Smaller Pool of Drives)
  • alt: Longhorn https://longhorn.io talos support, storage classes
  • alt: OpenEBS https://openebs.io ZFS valero integration
• Object Storage: https://min.io/ (Larger Pool of Drives XFS) https://min.io/docs/minio/linux/operations/install-deploy-manage/deploy-minio-single-node-multi-drive.html#minio-snmd (ideal object storage for small to large object storage outside of the traditional cloud solutions, great community but they are locking their licensing down quickly)
  • alt: rustfs https://docs.rustfs.com/en/introduction.html (direct minio competitor built on rust and Apache v2 license but very new)
  • alt: seaweedfs https://github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs (swiss army knife without glut, small but awesome community, high learning curve)
  • alt: glusterfs https://www.gluster.org/ (similar to seaweedfs but not quite as flexible which offers better developer experience, community is dying and development is slowing down 😥)
  • alt: garage https://garagehq.deuxfleurs.fr real world installation cookbook, k8s install, config
  • alt: ceph https://docs.ceph.com/en/latest/ (highest learning curve, feature glut and hard to manage but covers everything from enterprise to small fries, largest community but definitely overkill for most applications)
  • Cyberduck Storage interface: https://docs.cyberduck.io/cyberduck/
• Identity/Access Management:
  • https://kanidm.com/ (OIDC SSO auth, OIDC identity management, Oath, WebAuthn Attestation)
  • https://tinyauth.app/
  • https://www.keycloak.org
  • https://github.com/authelia/authelia
• Identity/Secrets Management: https://openbao.org/ (Object Storage)
• Cert Manager: https://cert-manager.io/
• web 2fa: https://docs.2fauth.app/ (Is this a good idea? feels like it defeats the purpose of having a physical device.)
• Transactional store: PostgreSQL using Neon https://neon.com/docs/introduction/architecture-overview (points to object storage)
• Search/Vector: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch
  • alt: https://www.meilisearch.com
• Git: https://forgejo.org/ (uses neon and )
• Backup/Git Archive: https://git-annex.branchable.com/ (points to object storage) Overview from Josh
  • alt: https://duplicati.com/
  • alt: https://www.borgbackup.org
  • alt: https://restic.net
  • alt: https://duplicacy.com
• Monitoring:
  • https://prometheus.io
  • https://beszel.dev/
  • https://www.netdata.cloud
  • https://tianji.dev/
  • https://netalertx.com/
• Observability: https://grafana.com

Networking

This can take the DIY Router which can be optional if using Firewalla or other open router.

• Routing/DHCP: pfSense/OpenWRT
• VPN: OpenVPN
• DNS:
  • FreeDNS: https://controld.com/free-dns
  • https://pommee.github.io/goaway/
• DDNS: https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/projects/2025/decentralized-domain-name-system-ddns
• AdBlocker: pfBlockerNG / PiHole
• Speedtest: https://docs.speedtest-tracker.dev/
• Wake-on-Lan: https://github.com/seriousm4x/UpSnap
• VoIP (SIP): https://github.com/fonoster/routr

Local AI

AI usage has surged in the homelab community, this enables a lot of capabilities to have home assistants that we have gotten used to, while adding privacy and no subscriptions and full freedom of software integration.

• Inference UI: https://www.librechat.ai/
• Model backend: https://ollama.com/
• Transcripting: https://scriberr.app
• Home Assistant Device: https://www.home-assistant.io/voice-pe/
• STT/TTS models: https://www.home-assistant.io/voice_control/voice_remote_local_assistant/
  • whisperX = faster-whisper + whisper-jax w/longer audio batch
• Web scraper: https://www.maxun.dev
• RAG infra ideas: https://github.com/enscrypted/rag-infrastructure
• Code assistant: https://www.all-hands.dev/

NAS / Media Server

• Open Hosting Platform (PaaS):
  • Coolify: https://coolify.io/docs/get-started/introduction
• Files frontend:
  • https://github.com/mickael-kerjean/filestash
  • https://erugo.app/
• Collaborative Docs: https://cryptpad.org
• Photos Frontend: https://immich.app/
• Media Server: https://jellyfin.org
  • *arr apps: https://trash-guides.info/
• Scribbler: https://foxxmd.github.io/multi-scrobbler/
• Photo Metadata Editing: https://www.digikam.org/
• e/audiobooks: https://storyteller-platform.gitlab.io/storyteller/
• Restic Backup: https://github.com/garethgeorge/backrest
• File Converter: https://github.com/C4illin/ConvertX
• Web Desktop: https://github.com/heyputer/puter
• Video Games: https://retroassembly.com/

Home / Energy

• Monitoring: https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/electricity-grid/
• Monitoring Device: https://www.zuidwijk.com/product/slimmelezer-plus/
• Dashboard: https://emoncms.org
• UPS:
  • https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/nut/
  • https://github.com/Brandawg93/PeaNUT
• Solar: https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/code-compliant-48v-offgrid-system.html
• Solar Panels: https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/300w-solar-panels.html
• Invertor Battery: https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/server-rack-lifepo4.html

Home / Family

• Connected Home: https://www.home-assistant.io/
• Home email: https://mailinabox.email
• Anonymous email forwarding: https://addy.io
• Home Search: https://docs.searxng.org
• PersonalCRM: https://www.monicahq.com/
• Antivirus: https://docs.clamav.net
• Linktracking: https://linkwarden.app
• Feed aggregator: https://www.freshrss.org/
• CalDAV/CardDAV server: https://radicale.org/v3
• Garden organizer: https://plant-it.org
• Home inventory: https://grocy.info
• Health Tracking: https://github.com/fastenhealth/fasten-onprem
• Fitness Tracker: https://wger.de/en/software/features
• Calorie Tracker: https://github.com/xdpirate/calorific
• Scheduler: https://cal.com
• Time Tracker: https://www.solidtime.io/
• Trip Planner: https://adventurelog.app
• GPS:
  • https://owntracks.org/
  • https://www.traccar.org
  • history: https://dawarich.app
• Workflow Engine:
  • https://n8n.io
  • https://docs.xyops.io/
• Frontends:
  • Youtube: https://invidious.io
  • Reddit: https://eddrit.com
• Open Source Intelligence: https://github.com/lissy93/web-check
• Remote Support: https://rustdesk.com/
• Translation app: https://libretranslate.com
• Grammar Reviewer: https://languagetool.org/
• Everyday tools: https://omnitools.app

Finance

• Monero node: https://github.com/monero-project/monero-gui, https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/06/12/monero-server-using-truenas/
• Bitcoin node: https://apps.umbrel.com/app/bitcoin
• Lightning node: https://apps.umbrel.com/app/lightning
• Budget: https://actualbudget.org/
• Portfolio Management: https://ghostfol.io
• Expense Calculator: https://github.com/spliit-app/spliit
• Subscription Tracker: https://github.com/ellite/Wallos

Social Media / Community

• Audio Fediverse Server: https://www.funkwhale.audio/
• Instagram Alt Fediverse Server: https://pixelfed.org
• Twitter Alt Fediverse Server: https://joinmastodon.org
• YouTube Alt Fediverse Server: https://joinpeertube.org
• Tiktok Alt Fediverse Server: https://joinloops.org
• Goodreads Alt Fediverse Server: https://joinbookwyrm.com
• Strava Alt server: https://docs.endurain.com/
• Events Server: https://github.com/lowercasename/gathio
  • Shared agenda: https://gancio.org
• Hubzilla nomadic identity server: https://hubzilla.org/page/info/home
• Fediverse Bookmarks Manager: https://sr.ht/~bouncepaw/betula/
• Federated personal profile: https://codeberg.org/socialhome/socialhome
• Podcasting Server: https://castopod.org

Education

• Live video / chat: https://owncast.online
• Whiteboard: https://github.com/pad-ws/pad.ws
  • https://www.drawio.com
  • https://excalidraw.com
• Notes: https://affine.pro
• Grammar Reviewer: https://languagetool.org/

Developer

• Web IDE: https://coder.com
• Remote SSH UI: https://www.shellhub.io
• Remote Apps: https://www.wiredoor.net
• Reverse Proxy: https://traefik.io
• IT Tools: https://it-tools.tech
• Webhook: https://github.com/adnanh/webhook
• Tor Snowflake: https://snowflake.torproject.org/
• Ssh manager: https://xpipe.io/
• 3D Printer Web Interface: https://octoprint.org/

Business

• ecommerce platform: https://medusajs.com
  • https://github.com/antiwork/gumroad
• Invoice: https://invoiceninja.github.io/
• Email: https://docs.postalserver.io/
• Web
  • https://wordpress.org/
  • https://www.gatsbyjs.com/
  • https://www.getzola.org
• PDF Tool: https://www.stirlingpdf.com
• Document Signing: https://documenso.com
• Spreadsheet: https://nocodb.com
• Documentation Manager: https://docs.paperless-ngx.com
  • AI companion: https://clusterzx.github.io/paperless-ai
• Antivirus: https://docs.clamav.net
• Video confrencing: https://jitsi.org/jitsi-meet/
• Customer Relationships: https://marmelab.com/atomic-crm
  • https://www.espocrm.com
• Automated Marketing: https://mautic.org/features/
• Design Tool: https://penpot.app/
• Social Marketing: https://mixpost.app
• URL Shortener: https://kutt.it
• Graphic Design: https://invent.kde.org/graphics/krita
• SEO Ranking: https://docs.serpbear.com
• Web analytics: https://umami.is
• QR-Codes: https://github.com/lyqht/mini-qr
• Budget: https://actualbudget.org/
• Knowledge repo: https://appflowy.com
• IT ticket Support: https://www.chatwoot.com/
• Feedback: https://formbricks.com
• Product voting: https://fider.io
• Kanban: https://wekan.fi
• Grammar Reviewer: https://languagetool.org/
• Content Management System (CMS): https://directus.io
• WebSQL: https://github.com/dbeaver/cloudbeaver

Specific Businesses

• Health EMR/EHR
  • Healthcare: https://www.open-emr.org
  • Dental: https://clear.dental/
• Physical Fitness Trainer: https://github.com/Snouzy/workout-cool

Projects

Beginner (Consumer)

• Hosting your personal website
• Setting up file storage (NAS/FileServer)
• Setting up a backup server
• Using KeepassXC with file server
• Setting up photos service
• Setting up a private connected home
  • Setting up voice assistant
  • Home Energy Management
  • Security Camera setup
  • Smart devices setup
  • Set up Home Assistant dashboard
• Set up Home Calendar
• Setting up your no-code automation platform
• Setting up home AI inference server
• Setting up home media server
  • movies
  • music
  • books
  • games
• Set up a social media suite for your community
  • Mastodon
  • Discourse
  • PixelFed
  • Gathio
  • Loops
  • Funkwhale
  • Matrix

Intermediate (Prosumer/Small Business)

• Setting up your own Git-based devops platform
• Setting up monitoring/observability tools
• Setting up home energy management
• Setting up Monero and Bitcoin miners
• Setting up health record system
• Setting up business services
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Website
  • Feedback
  • Document Manager + AI
  • Video conferencing + transcriptions and summary
  • Calender/Scheduling
  • Customer Relationship Manager
  • URL shortener

Advanced

- TBD

Other Resources

• https://awesome-selfhosted.net/index.html
• https://codeberg.org/pluja/awesome-privacy
• https://www.opensourcealternatives.to/category
• https://pluja.github.io/awesome-privacy/
• https://opensourcealternative.to/
• https://openalternative.co/categories

Apps to avoid

Here are apps we should avoid and specify the reasoning and what our alternatives are. The community can support these but we won't have these in our suggested templates.

• Nextcloud - way too much all-in-one and everything is a bit bad never quite gotten to something smooth (instead split this up and use docs, file viewer, immich, calendar etc..)