explaingit

abhi1693/homelab

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

2HCLAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 5/5Setup · hard

TLDR

A fully documented Raspberry Pi Kubernetes homelab that manages everything through code: Ansible bootstraps the cluster, Rancher Fleet deploys apps via GitOps, and shared services support media, home automation, and developer workspaces.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Homelab))
    What it does
      Raspberry Pi K3s cluster
      GitOps with Rancher Fleet
      Self-hosted applications
    Platform services
      Cilium networking
      Longhorn storage
      PostgreSQL and Valkey
      Traefik ingress
    App categories
      Media automation
      Home automation
      Developer workspaces
      Monitoring and logs
    How it works
      Ansible bootstrap
      Fleet GitOps sync
      SOPS secrets
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Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Set up a self-hosted home server cluster on Raspberry Pi hardware running multiple applications through Kubernetes.

USE CASE 2

Learn how to structure a small GitOps-managed Kubernetes environment with clear separation between platform, shared services, and applications.

USE CASE 3

Use the manifests as a pattern library for how to organize Kubernetes apps into namespaces, network policies, storage, and monitoring bundles.

What is it built with?

HCLAnsibleKubernetesK3sCiliumRancher FleetLonghorn

How does it compare?

abhi1693/homelabfaizanfirdousi/alchemyst-assigngnana997/periscope-demo-eks-antipatterns
Stars211
LanguageHCLHCLHCL
Setup difficultyhardhardhard
Complexity5/54/54/5
Audienceops devopsops devopsops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Requires multiple ARM64 nodes (Raspberry Pi), a home router supporting BGP, domain ownership, and significant Kubernetes and networking knowledge to operate.

License not stated in the README.

In plain English

This repository documents and operates a home server cluster built on Raspberry Pi computers running ARM64 chips. The cluster uses Kubernetes (specifically a lightweight distribution called K3s) to run self-hosted applications including media management, home automation, databases, monitoring, and developer workspaces. Everything is managed through code: Ansible handles the initial setup of each node and the cluster bootstrap, and Rancher Fleet handles ongoing application deployment by reading Git as the source of truth. The design covers the full path from bare hardware to running applications. That includes how nodes are prepared and joined into a cluster, how networking is set up with Cilium (which handles traffic routing, load balancing, and network policies), how storage is provided through Longhorn, how shared services like PostgreSQL and a Redis-compatible cache are made available to applications, and how secrets are managed with SOPS. Applications are organized into separate Rancher projects (applications, media, home automation, databases, system services, and developer tools) so that a problem in one area does not cascade into others. The repository explicitly describes itself as a reference implementation rather than a one-command installer. It shows how a small Kubernetes environment can be layered and structured, but it does not pretend to handle site-specific details like your home network configuration, domain names, or hardware inventory. The README is exceptionally detailed, covering topology diagrams, traffic models, storage design, and the reasoning behind specific technology choices like why Cilium was selected over simpler networking options. One notable inclusion is Coder, a tool for running cloud-style developer workspaces inside the homelab, with HCL templates for defining workspace environments. The README is lengthy and the full content was not provided. The license is not mentioned in the available portion of the README.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I want to build a homelab similar to this repo using three Raspberry Pi 5 units. Walk me through the high-level steps to go from bare hardware to a working K3s cluster managed by Ansible.
Prompt 2
Explain how Rancher Fleet works in this homelab. How does pushing a change to the Git repo result in a Kubernetes deployment updating?
Prompt 3
What is Cilium and why was it chosen over simpler Kubernetes networking options? What does it provide that the default K3s CNI does not?
Prompt 4
I want to add a new self-hosted app to a homelab structured like this repo. What files do I need to create and where do they go to follow the existing bundle pattern?

Frequently asked questions

What is homelab?

A fully documented Raspberry Pi Kubernetes homelab that manages everything through code: Ansible bootstraps the cluster, Rancher Fleet deploys apps via GitOps, and shared services support media, home automation, and developer workspaces.

What language is homelab written in?

Mainly HCL. The stack also includes HCL, Ansible, Kubernetes.

What license does homelab use?

License not stated in the README.

How hard is homelab to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is homelab for?

Mainly ops devops.

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