A self-hosted FOSS “cloud” (step 0)

So it all started from a simple need, really: being able to share files on my local network. Usually for this type of needs, you buy a NAS, and that’s it. But then you add in a bit of privacy concerns, the will NOT to put all your eggs in the same basket, and you end up looking at buying a Synology NAS. Since I had an old PC lying around, I looked at the project call “XPEnology“, which is basically a “grey area fork” of the synology DSM software (it’s not entirely clear whether you can do that according the licence).

And while Xpenology provided a nice way to test the software and a very convenient experience, I ended up with a problem in one of the disk array, and instead of rebuilding the whole thing again (which was running on an old netbook at the time), I decided that I needed something more reliable.

Excited by the “cloud” possibilities present in the DSM software, I started to look at the various possibilities for self hosted “cloud”. To add sugar on the cake, I wanted to try to use FOSS bricks to replace DSM.

I have identified the following services / needs that I would like to replicate:

Note: tables suck with WordPress.

I might also add some interesting functions that are not present in DSM (to my knowledge):

• Read it Later: Wallabag
• Add free network: Pi-hole
• A personal wiki: Dokuwiki
• An online repository with my ebooks, similar to the Calibre OPDS: COPS
• Note taking: Paperwork
• A way to scan and organise all my administrative papers: Paperless

The list is long 😉

The problem with this approach will be maintenance – maintenance – maintenance. If I end up with 42 instances of different stuff, it will soon become a nightmare to update/maintain.

Interesting resources:

• https://github.com/Kickball/awesome-selfhosted
• https://selfhosted.libhunt.com/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/