Homelab Setup
Overview
Setting up a personal homelab using a ThinkPad laptop running Arch Linux to move away from cloud providers like Google.
Goals
- Linux installation (Arch Linux on ThinkPad)
- SSH remote access (hostname: homelab)
- Dotfiles and development environment setup
- Network domain setup
- Self-hosted cloud storage (ownCloud/Nextcloud)
- Self-hosted git repository (Gitea/Forgejo/GitLab)
- Gradual migration from commercial cloud services
Hardware
- Main Server: ThinkPad laptop
- Development: Windows PC with WSL (for AI experimentation)
- Android tablet: Not good for long-term work but can be useful for short SSH sessions
- Runs Manjaro in a VM, same OS like the laptop
Inspiration & Resources
- PewDiePie homelab setup video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Lxkt50xOg
- Need to collect tips and inspiration from this video
Current Status
- ✅ Arch Linux installed on ThinkPad
- ✅ SSH access configured (accessible as
homelab) - ✅ Dotfiles management with yadm configured and merged
- ✅ Development environment setup completed
- Next: Network domain setup and self-hosted services
Documentation & TODO Lists
troubleshooting.md - General troubleshooting for any issues found
- arch-install-notes.md - Installation process and core system setup
- arch-linux-setup.md - General Arch Linux configuration tasks
- yadm-setup-notes.md - Dotfiles management and development environment setup
- ssh-setup-guide.md - SSH configuration and security hardening
- network-planning.md - Network setup, DNS, and security planning
- self-hosted-services.md - Planning for git hosting and cloud storage