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Installing Debian on a traditional desktop computer requires us creating a USB flash drive we can boot into during computer startup. Preparing a USB Boot Disk We need to create a USB flash drive that has everything required to boot into an operating system...

Docker provides a convenient script for quickly installing their software and getting it ready.  You can find the official Docker installation guide on their website.   Preparation First, we need to open our terminal to install a small application called c...

We will be installing Portainer, an open-source web application that makes it easy to manage Docker from your browser. Starting Portainer We are adding port 9000 which isn't used by default.  This allows Portainer to be accessed through HTTP instead of H...

We will be installing xrdp, a service that allows us to remotely access our computer over the local network.  This is an open-source implementation of Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol and will work with any software that supports RDP. Installing Remote D...

We will need to set our router to forward any requests it gets through port 80 and port 443 to our server.  This is how we'll connect our server to the Internet to accept request for web traffic. Web browser traffic uses port 80 for insecure HTTP requests as w...

On Debian, our user account cannot run commands as Root through the terminal.  We will be changing this for simplicity sake, allowing us to prefix commands with 'sudo' to run them as if they were run by root. Skip this step when using a Raspberry Pi. We need...

We will be installing Samba, a protocol that allows us to share your files over the local network.  This is open-source implementation of Microsoft's SMB protocol.   Installation We can install it by entering the following command:  sudo apt-get install -...

Graphic cards handle images and videos much more efficiently than a traditional processor.  While using Docker, some media services – such as Plex, Jellyfin or Stash – will run much more efficiently if they have direct access to your graphics card. This proce...

We've been requesting the same IP for our computer from the router, but this doesn't stop another computer on the network from requesting the same IP address and causing a conduct.  It's always best for security and stability to reserve the IP address for our ...

Anyone can make a home server and take back control of their data.  Self-hosting can improve your digital privacy and security by keeping your data in your home.  Host a personal website, build a private cloud, or share with an online community.  What is the ...

What you're planning on doing with your server will dictate the hardware you'll need to fulfill those requirements. Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Computer When you're running one or two services, a Raspberry Pi would probably suffice, while runni...

The Raspberry Pi computer series do not have a battery source to ensure that firmware settings are saved even if the computer loses power.  This means that they do not use a conventional BIOS or EFI architecture. Instead, these systems use a configuration f...

Once you've decided which services you would like to have running on your server, you can use the supplied Docker Compose code to create the stack using Portainer.    Installing Services Each available service has preparation instructions to ensure you ha...

These desktops offer the most versatility and can be upgraded over time. Desktop computers are reliant and extensible, making them a great option for always-on server.  They can be upgraded over time, making it easy to add more storage, RAM or a more powerful ...

Background  info Before getting started, we should know what we're building.  Running your own server is an excellent avenue to explore what it means to think like a designer and a developer.  By taking ownership of our own digital security and privacy, we c...

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.  What is the Cloud? Open-source software solutions can put us back in control of our digital experi...

The Raspberry Pi – who popularized this style of computer – currently sell three versions of their board: 3B+, 4, and 5.  Other options include: similar vendors such as Banana Pi, Orange Pi and Pine Board; the completely open hardware Libre Board; the Asus Tin...

Small form-factor traditional computers have become popular for creating your own personal media server and set-top boxes using Plex or Jellyfin.  These are sold by many notable PC manufacturers, such as Intel NUCs or Dell's OptiPlex and Precision series.  The...

Computer hardware has evolved over the years and the industry stardard have continued to shift.  This has led to computer hardware that leverage different mechanisms to achieve the same end.  For low-level firmware, there are two technologies widely availabl...

There are open hardware router options – such as Turris Omnia and the OpenWRT One – but they can either be expensive or require construction.  Many modern and legacy consumer routers work with open firmware like OpenWRT and FreshTomato.  Many modern consume...