Home Server Build Log: Three Months of Brutal Trial and Error
I had an idle mini PC at home, so I turned it into a home server. It took about three months, working on it little by little each night. Here's a write-up.
1. Defining the purpose
The first thing I did was clarify the purpose. My three goals were: ① back up personal files ② automatically upload photos ③ automate torrents/downloads. If you don't set these, you'll install twenty services in a day.
2. Hardware
Idle power consumption is easy to overlook. Since it runs 24/7, you shouldn't look only at cost-effectiveness; you need to consider power usage too.
3. Operating system
I quickly removed Windows because of power-saving/update issues. Settled on Ubuntu Server.
4. Services
- Files: Nextcloud
- Photos: Immich (this one is really good)
- Media: Jellyfin
- Docker management: Portainer
5. Trial and error
My biggest mistake was losing a hard drive without having backups. I only felt relieved after setting up RAID.
Conclusion: If you have a PC lying around at home, it's worth trying. Just set your goals before you start. Otherwise, there comes a moment when the server becomes the goal itself.
6 answers
Fr, deciding on the purpose is really half the battle. I started without setting that, installed like 20 services, and then deleted them all lol
I use Immich too and it’s really great. The only thing is, every time I update, the DB migration gives me a heart attack. Backups are a must...
Since power came up, even if a mini PC idles under 10W, once you attach multiple HDDs it can jump past 30–40W in no time. I was shocked at my electricity bill after putting four 3.5-inch drives in a NAS case. Having a UPS hooked up does ease the fear of losing data during a power outage a bit. And you mentioned losing a hard drive in the post—real backup means keeping a copy somewhere else.