I was using webmin, but since my last server died and I’m making a new one, I decided I’d look into something different, personally I liked webmin but didn’t use most of its functionality and felt a little clunky for my basic use. I’ve also testran casaos but felt weirdly limited and couldn’t smoothly migrate docker containers to interact with its interface.
I can do with just the terminal, but it’s nice having a gui that I can glance at my phone and quickly do stuff like update and reboot.
I personally haven’t seen or found much conversation into the topic so I figured I’d ask and see what you peeps use and why.
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- Proxmox GUI for restarting hosts or vms
- Komodo for restarting containers
- Forgejo for configuring and updating containers (deployed by komodo)
- Ansible for OS updates
- Prometheus + Grafana for monitoring
Those for basic stuff, ssh for everything else.
Ansible or ssh
Exactly this! Oh, and gatus for the nice view (mostly own php talking to gatus api)
My setup is a barebones Alpine Linux with ssh and docker, and everything I run on it is a container (except backups).
Those I manage remotely (remote Docker context), so the only time I have to log in is to do an update for the few system packages and that’s it. And for that ssh is more than enough
I’m currently in the process of setting up my home server again but this was basically my setup before. Alpine Linux + SSH + Docker and I kept everything to a minimum.
This time I’m setting up rootless Podman in place of Docker and as of today the switch over is complete.
I’m thinking of trying to use wireguard as a way to secure my ssh port but I’m still trying to learn and figure out if that’s possible.
With all the security and trust issues hitting the self-hosting headlines, less and simple is completely fine with me.
SSH and Ansible using SSH
Ansible using SSH
The moment you discover anything else, you’re gonna be so pleased. It’ll seem so modern! So fast!
Hey, you’re the “Ansible is toxic” guy.
What do you use?So what’s your preferred solution and why?
ssh
Power button
Ssh, dockhand, beszel. They have nice GUI and setting up notification providers is easy. I am using ntfy, so if my CPU is peaking at 90% for a while, or I if any of the containers become unhealthy I get notification to my phone.
NixOS and SSH I guess?
ssh and portainer.
- Portainer for Docker containers
- ssh for most real administration tasks
- Olive Tin for repetitive tasks like sudo apt update
- Netdata for server metrics and ntopng for metrics on standalone pFsense box
For system and docker stats I can only recommend beszel. Portainer for docker management and anything else ssh.
I second Beszel, it’s such a clean interface, and I can also have it send alerts through Gotify if my shit breaks!
ssh
🤔 yeah, that and I guess docker?
Opentofu for all the looking after the config on my proxmox boxes and networking gear. Ansible for everything else.
I don’t currently have any monitoring set up but it’s in the to do list when I feel like it.
Check out gatus. Super easy to get up and running depending on what type of monitoring you want to do.
The cli.
I have used management interfaces like coxkpit in the last but i do not really like it that much. I have E-Mail Notifications setup for updates via aptitude and monitor using prometheus and grafana and get additional notifications via prometheus alarm manager.
For an easy to use docker interface i use dockge, since i found it in this use case to be faster with a good, working, independend Interface.
But for the Linux underneath, for all 10-20 servers i managae, CLI.
So many things. Mostly Kubernetes and FluxCD, but also doco-cd for managing a few deployments on my NAS with GitOps.
@Fierro @selfhosted I mostly use YunoHost as I’m a beginner in self-hosting, but if needed I have command line. Ssh, then even one docker container or two. Mainly on Windows system with powershell or ordinary command line.
nothing wrong with yunohost. We all started out as noobs at one point in time. My advice though: Don’t think that’s the end point. Branch out when you have motivation/time/etc, and see what happens. The best way to learn is to break shit, then have to fix it. at least IMHO
@osanna The problem in breaking the system and building it back manually, is documentation.
I am a visually impaired person and many instructions are provided by screenshots.
I can’t deny that lately AI has helped me through image description, but it allucinates often. So it means, AI or not, that for us (blind and visual impaired) a 5-minutes operation becomes one hour, and one hour becomes one day. Or week.one thing i really really hate is videos/screenshots of instructions. I just want to read text damn it! i can only imagine how much more frustrating it is being visually impaired.
@osanna Especially when you have commands. I was born with commands as I used ms-dos at the beginning of 90s. But now, I honestly prefer something semi-automated for the “dirty” activities, as for configuration files it’s very difficult to find the issue if you have a conf file made of dozens of lines, a long serie of indentations, punctuation signs and apostrophes everywhere, just forget one and you are screwed.
I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’m saying that this can take double time of work, than an ordinary sighted administrator. I’m somehow envious of those who create a self-host platform on their very own, starting from a blank page.
