Homeserver, was kann man alles damit anstellen?
Moin,
ich habe in letzter Zeit einige Male gehört und gelesen, das aktuell Homeserver sehr beliebt werden. Sprich einen alten Client-PC aus dem Enterprise als Server wiederzuverwerten, da diese sparsam und günstig sind. Nun bin ich auch neugierig.
Was kann man damit alles Anstellen, neben den oft genannten Media-Libraries, Backup-Zielen und DNS-Server bzw. Werbeblocker?
Und vor allem was ist das beste Software-Grundgerüst aus eurer Erfahrung?
(1 votes)
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A home server is not limited to “old enterprise client PCs”. It’s just a server you run at home.
This can be a laser-proof computer as you usually use it. Mini PCs such as Intel NUCs are also popular due to the small form factor and possibly more economical CPUs. However, there are also enough people who set up a “right” Enterprise server
In principle, you can host everything via a home server, which is also possible via other servers. Only you have full control over the hardware
A large collection of software for many categories can be found here: https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted
I currently host, among others, but not exclusively:
planned at least paperless-ngx
This is always just a personal preference. I would install a hypervisor like Proxmox on the device itself and operate the services you want to deploy via virtual machines or LXC. In one of these VMs I would install Docker
Basically, you can host anything at home on your own server.
Of course:
Something more exotic would be, for example, generative AIs Tim generating images or as LLM (like Chat GPT)
Can be done, but is not necessarily the most sensible hardware stand.
You want to keep your home server as energy-saving as possible and equip it as powerful as necessary. No one is helped no one wants to have a server 24/7 home that only unnecessarily boosts power consumption.
For amazingly many things, a halfway current Raspberry Pi is enough. With its ARM64 processor, the barely needs energy (2-10W) but has enough power to host fileserver, smarthome control and streaming services like Jellyfin.
An equally good alternative would be thin clients and NUCs, these mini PCs have a better software compatibility with their X86-64 architecture and are similarly energy-saving (5-25W)
Office PCs, on the other hand, already need 20-50W and under load, energy consumption can also be three-digit. But for this, you have the power to host even demanding server services on it and you can extend the device via plug-in cards to add more hard disks, for example with a SATA HBA, or to install a graphics card for media encoding (streaming) or AI calculations.
True server hardware is cool, with this very much performance, expandability and redundant hardware you also have an unequally higher reliability. But for this you also have a disproportionately higher energy consumption, higher purchase costs and a device that is so loud that the neighbors may complain. This is really just for enthusiasts who know what they’re getting into.
*Hust*
On the RasPi or a NUC I would just install a Debian and then install the corresponding server services on it. Samba for the file server, Jellyfin for Media streaming … what you want.
An alternative would also be to Libre Elec to use the device in parallel in living room as Media PC (KODI). You can also make file releases and install Jellyfin.
On desktop or server hardware, I would then go so far to implement a server roll separation with virtualization. Either via a Level 1 hypervisor such as Proxmox or with a simple Debian installation on which you then set up Docker Container. Of course, you can also set a VM with a Linux for Docker in Proxmox.
Thank you for the detailed answer. The client PC was an example and is actually a popular solution in the USA where the current is virtually in vain.
I would also like to focus on ThinClients, NUCs or ARM solutions.
My background thought was honored if the effort would be worthwhile for me personally through interesting new applications, the SMB and PiHole I had already been in operation for some time…
For example, I came to the above server very cheaply (for free), including two Xeon bronze.
I’m still waiting for a graphics card, then I want to make dröhni known with Ollama to host with a private LLM.
I don’t know. Even in the broom and with a closed door you hear the stop. I am very tempted to slaughter the server and replace it with a workstation that then takes over the services.
You can do pretty much everything with a HomeServer.
Here are a few things I did with it:
Another server is responsible for some more critical applications. That means things like Vaultwarden.
As an OS, I would take what is based on Linux and what gets regularly and often security updates. I would recommend Fedora.
Do you pack the individual applications in your own docker or do you run directly in the naked Linux?
Docker. Wär without virtualization and/or isolation lets this happen on a device, has no idea what he does. This is extremely dangerous and a security problem when you run so many applications unprotected.
*Who?
All that you mentioned, it is questionable whether it would not be cheaper to use a Raspberry Pi instead of an old PC
Depending on which software you want to run for your service, it is then possible to use idR Debian.
Less about hardware, more about software and the possible applications. Raspberry Pi are still virtually unoptaimium, so you prefer to take old MiniClients and Nucs
What?
For DNA and the pure media libraries, the Pi is completely enough. As a Bacp server, the Pi 5 (if not even the 4’s) should also be completely sufficient.
For example, ne Pi3 is loose.
Ah okay, but they’ve been back for a long time Raspberry Pi – buy at BerryBase
All and nothing
Legal errors on my part: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtainium
Further… It is not about hardware, but the software possibilities. So what can you do with OTHER NOCH?