mikeroyal/self-hosting-guide

★ 19,976DockerfileAudience · pm founderComplexity · 1/5QuietSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Self-Hosting Guide))
    What it covers
      Containers and orchestration
      Databases and storage
      Media and files
      Privacy and security
    Categories
      Home automation
      Monitoring and dashboards
      Chat and messaging
      Development tools
    Getting started
      Hardware recommendations
      Operating systems
      Learning resources
    Use cases
      Home lab setup
      Privacy-focused data
      Cost reduction

mindmap root((Self-Hosting Guide)) What it covers Containers and orchestration Databases and storage Media and files Privacy and security Categories Home automation Monitoring and dashboards Chat and messaging Development tools Getting started Hardware recommendations Operating systems Learning resources Use cases Home lab setup Privacy-focused data Cost reduction

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Set up a home lab with Docker containers and monitoring dashboards to learn server administration.

USE CASE 2

Replace cloud storage and chat services with self-hosted alternatives to reduce subscription costs.

USE CASE 3

Build a privacy-focused home automation system using Home Assistant and local VPN access.

USE CASE 4

Deploy a media server and photo library on a Raspberry Pi to keep personal files offline.

Tech stack

DockerKubernetesWireGuardHome AssistantRaspberry Pi

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

License could not be detected automatically. Check the repository's LICENSE file before use.

In plain English

The Self-Hosting Guide is a large, curated reference document, an "awesome list", for anyone who wants to run software on their own hardware or private server instead of relying on commercial cloud services. Self-hosting means you install and operate applications yourself: your own cloud storage instead of Google Drive, your own chat server instead of Discord, your own password manager instead of LastPass. The guide collects tools and instructions for getting started with that approach. The guide covers an enormous breadth of categories: containers (Docker, Kubernetes), continuous integration and deployment pipelines, web servers, large language models you can run locally, home automation via Home Assistant, VPNs using WireGuard, databases, media servers, note-taking apps, photo libraries, password managers, DNS, monitoring dashboards, smart home devices, and much more. It also includes hardware recommendations (including Raspberry Pi builds), suggested operating systems, books, podcasts, and YouTube channels for learning. Someone would turn to this guide when they want to stop paying for cloud subscriptions, improve their privacy by keeping data on their own machines, or learn how to run server software at home. It is particularly useful for hobbyists setting up a home lab, small organizations wanting control over their data, or technically curious people wanting to understand the full self-hosting ecosystem. The guide itself is a Dockerfile-tagged repository, reflecting its focus on container-based deployment patterns.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I want to self-host my own cloud storage instead of using Google Drive. What are the best open-source options and how do I set them up with Docker?

Prompt 2

Show me how to build a home lab on a Raspberry Pi using this self-hosting guide. What hardware and software do I need?

Prompt 3

I'm looking to replace Discord with a self-hosted chat server. What tools does this guide recommend and what are the setup steps?

Prompt 4

Help me understand the difference between self-hosting with Docker vs. Kubernetes based on what this guide covers.

Prompt 5

What privacy and security tools does this guide recommend for a self-hosted home network setup?

Open on GitHub → Explain another repo

Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.