homelab/README.md

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