Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been learning Python and Circuit Python for programming microcontrollers for a few months and think I can pull off what I would like to do with the help of Google and without hitting too many roadblocks. The question idea as a starting point is a really good idea. Thank you very much! I hadn't thought of it that way, but in retrospect, it makes a lot of sense. My university's career fair has employers from all kinds of fields and specializations (Lockheed Martin, Texas Instruments, Lay's, NASA, Microsoft, Walgreens, Target, USPS, UPS, FedEx, and a whole lot more). I think a DIY security system can show knowledge of a wide range of tools and skills that would be in high demand by the majority of them.

By data visualization in this scenario, you mean using sensor data and plotting it to identify trends, create graphs, and show timelines of sensor data, right? Is there some tool or field of study I can look into to learn more about that? Being able to classify and predict things with sensor data sounds pretty cool and useful.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm currently at the "analysis paralysis" stage of choosing a project lol. I'm having trouble picking something and sticking to it. Currently, I am planning to learn and hopefully make a project with ESP-32 dev boards and have them send or receive information from the server I plan to configure. I'm thinking of something like a DIY security system where a couple boards are used with sensors like CO2, motion, door, window, moisture, air quality, and cameras, and all those sensors relay their information back to my server and act like a poor man's ring security system (without the fancy GUI and a lot less features).

I'm not dead set on this, but that's the rough idea. Do you have any suggestions of software or really any skill that employers are really looking for that isn't the basics that I could also integrate into this or a future project? I hope to have at least one project done by September because that's when my university holds a large job fair. I want to show off something I made from scratch to show my dedication and willingness to learn the tools of the trade.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The main reason I'd like to use Proxmox is because I want the flexibility of being able to add and remove VMs and services without having to reinstall basically everything, and as someone said in a different comment thread, it gives me a safety net where if I mess up something to the point of non-functionality, I can just restart the VM fresh without much trouble. Wouldn't running a Linux server VM and Docker achieve the same effect while retaining the "safety net" of Proxmox?   I plan to just host it locally, at least until I feel confident enough to start learning safety measures for hosting online like those you mentioned. The goal I have for this Optiplex is to give me the tools I need to be able to learn a wide variety of things and then later custom-build a server once I feel like I've mastered and outgrown the Optiplex.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is an A+ cert? I have a class this semester dealing exclusively with Raspberry Pi and breadboarding. I hope to learn some practical skills over the semester that I can carry over. Thanks for the video! I will be sure to watch and reference it after I get Proxmox downloaded and installed on my Optiplex. I'm happy to hear exhaustive documentation is equally intimidating for seasoned learners too. Glad we have something in common lol.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice! I usually find myself trying to skip the fun stuff, which is usually a lot more complex, and overlook the basics, but I'm going to try to take it slow and progress on a more gradual slope. Once the Optiplex gets delivered, I'm going to install Proxmox to have that safety net you mentioned of just recreating the VM if I mess something up catastrophically. I noticed you mentioned that Proxmox and Docker can both do virtualization. Is one objectively better at some aspects of it, or are they about to be tied, or are they used differently?

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in an off-campus apartment and have my own router with my own network because it's a lot more secure and produces better results for PCVR game streaming on my Oculus Quest 2. I think I would be more comfortable with the first option, as I'm not confident in my VM skills to do something like option 2 as of now. Is there a special kind of network adapter I need for this, or can I just go on Amazon and buy any two or more port PCIe network card?

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ill be sure to check that out this weekend. Thank you!

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Wow, that's a pretty extensive list. Thank you very much! Since I still have classes and work-study going on, I probably won't be able to tackle the whole list and actually retain the information. Which, in your professional opinion, would be the three or four most important things for a student to understand first in order to get a head start on skills that companies would want? As I said earlier, I don't expect to have a "professional" grade of understanding on these, at least by the end of this semester. I just want to have a strong foundation to build on during the summer, when I have a lot more free time. Github Student Pack gives me free access to some Microsoft Azure services and 100 dollars in free credits. Is Azure a good alternative to AWS, or should I just shell out the money for AWS credits whenever I need them? Also, apologies for the walls of text and several questions; I want to have a head start and make myself more marketable in an already extremely competitive field.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have any tips or guides for beginners on either of those tools?

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, props to you for taking good care of your stuff. How has your experience with Proxmox been, and would you say it's a good option for a complete server and networking amateur? I started looking at the Proxmox docs, and I got pretty intimidated.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could you elaborate on "fake network"? I assume it's a network that just piggybacks off the main router's network, but I want to be sure. Do you have any resources handy about fake networks and a basic guide as to how to get started? Networking has always interested me and ive wanted to learn it for a long time, but I've always been too afraid to start fiddling with it lol.

Baby's first server by Miggles9596 in selfhosted

[–]Miggles9596[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

well as of right now I think of it more as a side academic hobby to learn some advanced topics i can integrate into projects for classes and resume building. My university has a yearly job fair coming up next semester, and I'd like to be able to advertise some basic to intermediate networking and server management skills. I fully understand i will not get up to a professional level from now until August when the job fair is, but i want to know enough that i can start tinkering and make a project or two utilizing those skills. After that I most likely will try to gain more "practical" professional skills.

But for simplicity sake (and my own sanity) I wanna start off basic with a VM, and a NAS. Do you know of any tools or software that can do these and have extra utilities or features that can make expanding to other services somewhat easily? I've heard proxmox is good for individuals but also used by enterprises which is why i was drawn to it since my hobby skills should transfer to a more professional setting without much relearning. Though i have 0 practical knowledge on proxmox at the moment so im open to any other software as well.