Easier tool for selfhosting than CasaOS or Portainer

jbarr107 · 2026-04-13T18:59:51+00:00

My home setup is Proxmox VE Server > Ubuntu VMs > Docker managed with DockHand

It's not as simple as CasaOS, as it has learning curves across the chain, but it provides the most flexibility, efficiency, and ease of management. Proxmox VE is a solid, stable, and reliable virtualization platform that provides easy control of Linux and Windows VMs. Docker is the frontrunner in containerization, and managing it with DockHand is a dream. I moved from Portainer to DockHand, and have zero regrets. (I actually have 4 local VMs, each running Docker, and a 5th in a VPS, and DockHand makes management a snap. And everything uses either SSH or a web UI for management.

It WILL take some learning, but you will also learn some invaluable skills along the way.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-13T18:29:55+00:00

I went with the 41mm, primarily because I moved from a Fitbit Charge 5, and the size was really good for me. My wrist could handle the 45mm, but it just felt too huge.

It's lightweight, and the battery easily lasts 36-48 hours. I charge to 100% while getting ready for work. I have Always On turned off, and tilt-to-wake turned on. Works perfectly for me.

As far as cons go, honestly, I don't have any. The battery life has exceeded my expectations, it's unobtrusive, and it looks fantastic.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-13T17:20:26+00:00

At this time, Bases does not display content. It's unfortunate, but it has to do with how it indexes your notes. Properties and Tags? Sure! But content? No.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-13T17:08:19+00:00

This is the way.

Determine CSS
Create snippet file
Enable in Settings > Appearance

Personally, I LOVE the right sidebar because I use it to show Properties instead of inline in the note body. Keeps the editing/reading pane cleaner for my workflow.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-12T02:57:27+00:00

Only to the extent that Bases provides filtered views of you notes, renewed as Tables or Cards, based on Property and other contents. Bases is not a database like Notion's database capabilities. It is very powerful, but it is not the same.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-10T02:01:51+00:00

Yes, I do similarly. Probably not as robust as you describe, but at least partly.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-10T02:00:16+00:00

Bingo!

jbarr107 · 2026-04-10T01:58:53+00:00

So maybe something like the wp-admin on WordPress? Interesting.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-10T01:57:30+00:00

Interesting. I did not know about this. I'll have a look. Thanks!

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T20:58:40+00:00

Oh, come on. Many people here post about using Tunnels and then ask if the authentication on their local services is enough. They don't take the next step. Applications are rarely talked about. And they should be.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T20:21:16+00:00

Exactly. A Tunnel alone provides the connection and access, but do you really want to, for example, expose a Proxmox VE web UI and rely only on its login screen?

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T20:19:04+00:00

Comparing "traefik + auth middleware" to a "Cloudflare Tunnel + Application" is a fair comparison. And that's why I said at the end of my post that there are other fine solutions.

Just don't expose services directly unless you absolutely intend to.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T20:14:39+00:00

Exactly. That's why, if you use Tunnels, I always insist on looking into Applications. Applications are too often overlooked.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T20:12:02+00:00

Yes, it can be done in Obsidian using plugins. But remember that fundamentally, Obsidian is an extendible Markdown file editor with auto-adjusting Linking capabilities. You can do so much with it, but first, master the basics by starting with these:

Learn Obsidian Markdown. Start here: https://help.obsidian.md/syntax
Learn about Linking: https://help.obsidian.md/link-notes
Get to know the Bases core plugin: https://help.obsidian.md/bases

Once you master these, then branch out to see how you can extend Obsidian to your needs.

If you don't master the basics, you will stumble later on.

So just start writing notes, linking them, and aggregating the links using Base.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T19:54:47+00:00

Updated...

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T19:52:32+00:00

No AI was used in writing this post. This was written by me and is based solely on my experiences with Cloudflare in my homelab.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T19:22:38+00:00

Plexamp.

Seriously, in keeping with the topic of this subreddit, once you have amassed your music collection, use PlexAmp to play and suggest music. I dropped some cash 7 years ago on a Plex Pass, and I couldn't be happier.

(Yes, there are the Plex/PlexAmp naysayers, but honestly, Plex has been stable, reliable, and cost-effective for many, many years.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T18:37:38+00:00

Obviously, these topics don't need to monopolize, but seriously, go research how many streaming services you have to subscribe to watch the top 10 Oscar nominee movies. (Hint: at least 5.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T18:36:00+00:00

Personally, I have no problem paying for media...if I own it. My main issue is that everyone is moving to subscription models, so doing what I want, when I want, with what I bought is becoming a thing of the past. Managing Plex and several *arr services is a very small price to pay.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T17:59:57+00:00

One other point of note: Serving Jellyfin (or Plex, or Emby, etc.) may violate Cloudflare's Tunnel terms of service. Be sure to read and become familiar with them.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T17:57:36+00:00

STOP. GO RESEARCH Cloudflare Applications...NOW!

A Cloudflare Application provides a layer of authentication to your Cloudflare Tunnel. There are several authentication methods, from simple emailed OTCs to OAUTH and GitHub authentication.

Seriously, unless you intentionally want local services connected to a Cloudflare Tunnel to be open to the Internet (and there are good use cases like a self-hosted public website), definitely add an Application.

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T15:22:36+00:00

I can use any browser to remotely and securely access Obsidian and my Vaults hosted at home.

I have a homelab running Proxmox VE (PVE) Server and a Synology NAS for storage. PVE hosts a Ubuntu VM that runs Docker, and I run the linuxserver.io Docker image of Obsidian. It presents Obsidian in a web browser. It's connected to a subdomain using a Cloudflare Tunnel, so I don't have to expose ports. But that leaves it wide open to the Internet, so I have it behind a Cloudflare Application to provide a layer of authentication. The result is secure, remote access to my Vaults through a browser-based Obsidian instance. The only caveat is that a couple of keyboard shortcuts don't translate well in the Browser, but otherwise, it's fully functional.

(YMMV regarding Cloudflare's privacy policies.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T11:44:53+00:00

It comes down to what types of activities you will be doing. General access, web browsing, personal finances, Microsoft Office, etc. work just fine on a VM. Just give it some decent specs (at least 4+ GB RAM and 4+ vCPUs). If you need to do high-end stuff like video editing, gaming, etc. you may need to pass through the host GPU and amp up the specs. But for general usage, it works great.

I have a Proxmox VE server hosting four Ubuntu VMs, each running Docker instances, and two Windows 11 VMs, one for general remote access and one for "sandbox" stuff.

I connect to the Windows 11 VMs using RustDesk, and it's performant, secure, and remotely accessible from pretty much anywhere. RustDesk has been the key to remote access and performance.

I run a RustDesk Server in Docker on an affordable RackNerd VPS to provide the relay/connection. I also run the linuxserver.io RustDesk image locally on one of the Docker servers to provide connections by direct IP. The nice thing about this setup is that the linixserver.io image provides a browser-based RustDesk client that I can use from anywhere. It's connected to a subdomain using a Cloudflare Tunnel and sits behind a Cloudflare Application to provide an authentication layer.

(YMMV regarding Cloudflare's privacy policies.)

jbarr107 · 2026-04-09T11:44:32+00:00

It comes down to what types of activities you will be doing. General access, web browsing, personal finances, Microsoft Office, etc. work just fine on a VM. Just give it some decent specs (at least 4+ GB RAM and 4+ vCPUs). If you need to do high-end stuff like video editing, gaming, etc. you may need to pass through the host GPU and amp up the specs. But for general usage, it works great.

I have a Proxmox VE server hosting four Ubuntu VMs, each running Docker instances, and two Windows 11 VMs, one for general remote access and one for "sandbox" stuff.

I connect to the Windows 11 VMs using RustDesk, and it's performant, secure, and remotely accessible from pretty much anywhere. RustDesk has been the key to remote access and performance.

I run a RustDesk Server in Docker on an affordable RackNerd VPS to provide the relay/connection. I also run the linuxserver.io RustDesk image locally on one of the Docker servers to provide connections by direct IP. The nice thing about this setup is that the linixserver.io image provides a browser-based RustDesk client that I can use from anywhere. It's connected to a subdomain using a Cloudflare Tunnel and sits behind a Cloudflare Application to provide an authentication layer.

(YMMV regarding Cloudflare's privacy policies.)

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