Self-hosting has grown in popularity among tech enthusiasts, IT professionals, and even casual users looking to take control of their digital environment. Whether you’re looking to host your own media server, create a private cloud, or deploy a secure VPN, self-hosting allows you to maintain full control over your data and services.

This article is the first in a series that will cover self-hosting essentials, starting with the benefits of self-hosting, the hardware options available, and how to get your environment set up with a Raspberry Pi, Raspbian OS, Docker, and Nginx Proxy Manager.

Benefits of Self-Hosting

Self-hosting is the practice of running your own software services instead of relying on third-party providers. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Data Privacy: When you self-host, your data stays within your control. You don’t have to worry about third-party services selling your information or sharing it without your consent.
2. Cost Efficiency: Many self-hosted solutions are open-source and free to use. Even with the cost of hardware and electricity, self-hosting can be more affordable than subscribing to multiple paid services.
3. Customization: You have full control over the software, allowing you to customize services to suit your specific needs. This flexibility is often unavailable with commercial solutions.
4. Learning and Experimentation: Running your own services teaches you valuable skills in networking, system administration, and security. This hands-on experience can be invaluable for those looking to expand their technical knowledge.

Required Hardware for Self-Hosting

The hardware you choose depends on the services you plan to host, your budget, and your experience level. Here are some options to consider, with the Raspberry Pi as our default choice.

1. Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi is a small, affordable computer that’s great for beginners and versatile enough for many self-hosted projects. It is perfect for hosting lightweight services like media servers, ad blockers, or even small web applications. Raspberry Pi 4, with up to 8 GB of RAM, can handle multiple Docker containers and more demanding tasks than previous models.

Recommended Use Cases:

• Media server (e.g., Jellyfin, Plex)
• Network-wide ad blocker (e.g., Pi-hole)
• Personal cloud storage (e.g., Nextcloud)

2. NUC-like Mini PCs

Mini PCs like Intel NUCs or other small form factor computers are a step up from the Raspberry Pi. They offer more processing power, RAM, and storage options while still being compact and energy-efficient. These devices are capable of handling more demanding workloads, such as running multiple Docker containers.

Recommended Use Cases:

• Virtualization platforms (e.g., Proxmox)
• Self-hosted development environments
• Small-scale web servers

3. VPS (Virtual Private Server)

A VPS is a virtual server hosted by a cloud provider. This option is excellent for those who don’t want to maintain hardware or need to host services that require high availability. With a VPS, you can easily scale your resources, but keep in mind that your data will reside on a third-party provider’s infrastructure.

Recommended Use Cases:

• Web hosting for public-facing websites
• Backup and synchronization services
• Hosting applications with moderate resource demands

Popular VPS Providers:

• DigitalOcean
• Linode
• Vultr

4. Dedicated Server

For those who need to run more resource-intensive applications or want full control over a physical server, a dedicated server is the way to go. This option is suitable for hosting multiple virtual machines, handling high-traffic websites, or running a larger homelab setup.

Recommended Use Cases:

• Enterprise-level services (e.g., databases, large-scale web apps)
• Full-featured media servers
• Advanced virtualization and container orchestration

Popular Providers:

• Hetzner
• OVH
• Scaleway

Preparing Your Self-Hosting Environment on Raspberry Pi

Before diving into self-hosting, you need to prepare your environment. This section will guide you through setting up Raspbian (Raspberry Pi OS) as your host operating system, installing Docker, and setting up Nginx Proxy Manager for easier management of your self-hosted services.

Step 1: Choose Raspbian as Your Host Operating System

Raspbian, also known as Raspberry Pi OS, is a lightweight and reliable Linux distribution optimized for Raspberry Pi. It has excellent support for open-source software and is easy to maintain.

1. Download Raspbian: Visit the Raspberry Pi website and download the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS.
2. Flash Raspbian to SD Card: Use a tool like Raspberry Pi Imager or balenaEtcher to write the OS image to an SD card.
3. Install and Set Up Raspbian: Insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi, power it on, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

Step 2: Install Docker on Raspberry Pi

Docker simplifies the deployment and management of applications by packaging them in containers. This makes it easy to install, update, and scale services without worrying about dependency conflicts.

1. Update Raspbian:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt upgrade -y
   

2. Install Docker:

   curl -sSL https://get.docker.com | sh
   

3. Add Your User to the Docker Group:

   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   

4. Enable and Start Docker:

   sudo systemctl enable docker
   sudo systemctl start docker
   

5. Install Docker Compose:

   sudo apt install -y python3-pip
   sudo pip3 install docker-compose
   

Step 3: Set Up Nginx Proxy Manager

Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) simplifies managing multiple self-hosted services behind a single IP address. It provides an easy-to-use interface for setting up reverse proxies, managing SSL certificates, and more.

1. Create a Docker Compose File for NPM:

   version: '3'
   services:
     app:
       image: 'jc21/nginx-proxy-manager:latest'
       restart: unless-stopped
       ports:
         - '80:80'
         - '81:81'
         - '443:443'
       environment:
         DB_SQLITE_FILE: "/data/database.sqlite"
       volumes:
         - ./data:/data
         - ./letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt
   

2. Deploy Nginx Proxy Manager:

   docker-compose up -d
   

3. Access Nginx Proxy Manager: Open a web browser and navigate to http://<your-raspberry-pi-ip>:81. Use the default credentials ([email protected] / changeme) to log in and set up your services.

Conclusion

Self-hosting can be incredibly rewarding, giving you control over your data and services while also providing a great learning experience. By choosing Raspberry Pi as your primary device and preparing your environment with Raspbian, Docker, and Nginx Proxy Manager, you set a solid foundation for deploying various self-hosted applications.

In the next article, we’ll explore popular services you can self-host using Docker on your Raspberry Pi, focusing on media servers, network tools, and more. Stay tuned!

References

• Raspberry Pi Official Website
• Docker Documentation
• Nginx Proxy Manager GitHub

By following these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to building a versatile and powerful self-hosting environment that meets your needs. Happy hosting!