Process
Modern technology has made it easier than ever to host your own personal cloud and website using a home server.
Your Personal Cloud Server
Self-host from home and access all of your digital resources remotely. Free and open software allows you to replicate many paid services while simultaneously improving digital privacy and security.
Requirements
Depending on your needs, these components can range from refurbished and commodity hardware all the way to a purpose-built server.
Computer:Provides the foundation for hosting your own services.Router:Handles traffic between your server and the outside internet.Domain:Forwards requests from the outside internet to your home server.Internet:The connection between your server and the world wide web.
Process
We need to install Debian Linux onto our computer to form a foundation. We will use Docker to create secure, self-contained "virtual machines" that are easy to monitor and keep up-to-date. Through Portainer, a browser-based interface, we will install our services using a simple structured syntax known as Docker Compose. Importantly, we need to create a backup solution and setup remote access for our server.
We will configure our local network through our router to prepare for connection. We will use SWAG, a community-driven project to assist everyday people create a secure, self-hosted server. This solution uses a reverse proxy server to route traffic from a domain address to your hosted services. Finally, we will configure your router to connect your server to the world wide web.
Background
As we come to rely more the Cloud, or digital services hosted on someone else's computer, we must consider how this affects our personal privacy and security. The rise of the digital licensing and encryption have eroded our right to access things we own. Open-source software solutions can help put us back in control of our digital experiences. By joining these open collaborative communities, we can include our diverse voices throughout their growth process.web