Step-by-step tutorials to help you design, build, and expand your own home lab from scratch.
To install Immich in our Proxmox Homelab previously, we had to first install a Docker LXC and then Immich. This changed with the introduction of a new LXC Helper Script that was released. Let's look at installing Immich a bit easier.
Any homelab, be it big or small, mature or starting out, will have quite a few Docker containers running. Today we will look at keeping these containers up to date via Portainer by using Watchtower.
Any growing homelab will surely start to notice updates for the services they are running. Let's see how easy it is to update services that were installed with the help of helper-scripts.com.
Now that we have successfully installed a VM with Turnkey Linux's Nextcloud , we can get it set up. While the helper scripts simplified the process, the installation itself presented...
Installing Nextcloud in our Proxmox environment is a bit more hands-on than our normal installs, so we are going to be using multiple sources to make our lives easier.
Now that Immich is running in a separate LXC with a load of space, let's start using it by setting up a reverse proxy and access rules.
Let's start saving some money with a service that the majority of smartphone users have: a service that backs up their photos and videos to the cloud. This is something that is very easy to self-host with the help of Immich.
Let's add a reverse proxy so that we can access Plant-it when we are not connected to our home network and secure it with SSL
After installing a new Plant-it server, there is still quite a few things we need to get done before our Plant-it service will be secure and useful. Let's take a look at the configuration of Plant-it.
Using Portainer, it is very easy to install Plant-it in our Docker environment. If you prefer to rather have it in an existing environment instead of creating another LXC, the install is very straightforward and easy.
Install Plant-it 0.10.0 in an LXC using the demonstrated ports and startup notes, then configure it through the series and test backups and recovery.
The last part of our Headscale installation - getting exit nodes set up and routes activated to be able to access network resources
Follow the Android Headscale registration screenshots using the techdecode example, with separate compatibility notes and peer, subnet and exit-node checks.
Once Headscale is installed, there is quite a bit of intricate setup and config to complete before we will be able to connect to our VPN. Let's get it sorted and set up so we can start using our VPN.
Install Headscale in Proxmox using the demonstrated helper workflow, with separate explanations of coordination, reachability, policy and recovery.
Having a domain name for our homelab will enable us to give a unique subdomain address for each of our services that we want to expose to the world wide web. We can also secure this with SSL certificates.
We need to take a step back to explain how to access our local-only services via the secure channel provided by a VPN. This is quick, easy and one of the most secure ways to access our home network services.
Now that we have Uptime Kuma running in our Docker LXC Container , we can start monitoring our other services in our Homelab. We can also alert us if one of the services goes down,...
Any respectable homelab has quite a few services running that we need to be notified of if they go down. This is where Uptime Kuma is our best friend, so let's get it included in our Home Lab.
Follow the ntfy HTTPS screenshots, update browser and phone subscriptions, and optionally configure Web Push, iOS delivery and renewal checks.
Seeing as our ntfy is open to all guest users to send and receive, we need to lock it down behind a username and password. Let's get the default changed and some credentials set up.
Follow the demonstrated NGINX and HTTP notification test, then continue to authentication and HTTPS, with optional proxy tuning and troubleshooting.
Install ntfy in a Proxmox LXC and test local phone notifications, then follow the series to external access, authentication and HTTPS.
Now that we can create a Minecraft server, how do we create multiples? And how do we manage them all? Today we take a look at a single LXC that can run multiple Minecraft servers at once.
Now that we have core infrastructure services up and running in our homelab, it is time for something that is a lot more fun — hosting our own Minecraft server in our Proxmox Homelab.
We have two separate editions of MySQL Up and running in our homelab, so now we will complete the trio with the awesome SQL Server 2022 from Microsoft to ensure we can deploy any type of database for any of our services or apps.
Although we have already installed a MariaDB instance of MySQL via Turnkey Linux, there might be a need for a Vanilla MySQL instance to be installed. Let's get that done today via the amazing helper-scripts.com
Install Portainer to manage Docker containers and stacks through a web interface, with practical setup, access and backup guidance for your homelab.
If running Docker in an LXC Container is not for you, it can also easily be run in a full Virtual Machine for stronger kernel isolation. This has slightly more overhead, but is the officially recommended path for complex storage and networking stacks.
Most of the services and apps we are going to run will be inside Docker containers. We can install Docker in an LXC container for a lightweight implementation that can handle most workloads.
Let's install a new LXC container that can help with the display of our Prometheus Node Exporter data so we can make informed decisions on the resource usage of our services and apps.
We have quite a few services already running in our Build Your Homelab series, and with our SSL certificates up and running, we need to start monitoring our nodes and containers using Prometheus.
We can finally start securing our sites with the help of Let's Encrypt free certificates. In this article we will generate a certificate for our WordPress site after getting our NGINX VM ready to install certificates
Now that we have a dedicated VM up and running, it is time for us to install and set up NGINX on the newly created VM. This adds extra isolation and increases security.
We're migrating NGINX from an LXC container to a dedicated Ubuntu VM for enhanced security and control, paving the way for easier SSL certificate implementation. This crucial step ensures better isolation and prepares our homelab for further security measures.
Now that we can access our network from the outside, we configure an NGINX reverse proxy to safely route external traffic to our internal WordPress server, laying the foundation for a secure, accessible online presence.
Connect a homelab service to a domain with Dynamic DNS, understand port forwarding, and plan safe access when your public IP address changes.
One of the most valuable additions to any homelab is a MySQL instance, a powerful and widely used relational database system. But why would you want to run MySQL at home?
Now that we have a DNS server, what about accessing our Proxmox server? Currently we still have to to 192.168.1.2:8006 to access Proxmox (your IP address may be different). How about we change that to something easier to remember, like proxmox.local?
One of the first (if not the first) apps you can self host (run in your homelab) will probably be your own personal DNS server. Today we will look at running our own DNS server and how to set it up for the entire network
Our first LXC Container! Let's get a self-hosted WordPress server up and running inside Proxmox VE using the TurnKey Linux WordPress template.
Now that we have our homelab hardware sorted and Proxmox installed, it is not a bad idea to keep an eye on CPU temperature seeing as we will probably (hopefully) keep the machine powered on 24/7.
Now that we have the hardware up and running, it is time to start installing our operating system for our homelab. We have decided to run Proxmox . Proxmox is an open-source...
When getting ready to set up your home lab for better security management, taking control of your data or just hosting your own apps, the first thing you need to look at is getting a host machine up and running. We look at the hardware we are going to be using for this series.