So I have a retired but still very serviceable PC that I intend to use as my first home server. I gave two basic goals in self-hosting:
So the question is what OS should I set up to run that? My proof of concept was an immich container running in xubuntu on an old laptop. I chose Xubuntu because I like the availability of documentation and community support for Ubuntu like distros, but wanted a lower powered alternative for the older device.
It seems to be working well, but I’ve had a few hiccups trying to update it, and I’ve heard that once you get into it, Linux distros like Ubuntu are not very user friendly for self-hosting as a beginner.
So is it better on the whole for a beginner to have a popular distro with lots if documentation and step by step guides, or to have a purpose-built OS like TrueNAS that might be more straightforward, but with less support?
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Install Debian 11. Manage it with Yunohost. It gives you a GUI and automates most of the configuration.
I like yunohost but I think it is a independent image you install. It might be based on Debian but you start from scratch and don’t add it.
You can do either. I did add it to a stock Debian image because the image they provide didn’t work for me on several devices.
Interesting, TIL
Thanks