The choukalos.org Home Lab

This repository is a collection of configuration files for the family home lab. Each subdirectory has a README.md outlining what the service is, how to run it, and service particular information.

Installation

The Docker directory uses docker-compose.yml file that will spin up the appropriate containers for you.

Installation is as simple as:

cd <project directory>
sudo docker-compose up -d

Some docker-compose.yml files are made for a specific architecture (x86-64, arm64, etc), so please keep that in mind if you are going to re-use these containers.

The Home Lab

TODO Pic/Diagram

Inspiration

I'm on my 5th major version of a home lab having started in the late 90's with older desktop machines. I'd like to thank all those who've helped me along the way and provided guidance/insight. A few folks have Github repos that I've borrowed from that should be called out.

Some sources of additional inspiration

Cool tidbits, Raspberry Pi Clusters, FAAS, Oh My!

• Hosting a static site in Minio
• Self Hosted Repo
• K3s Ansible
• Alex Ellis for RPI/Clustering Goodness
• Alex Ellis FAASD for function as a service on RPIs

Docker Based Homelabs

• Brooks Homelab
• OhMyMndy Homelab
• Tom Moulard's Make My Server repo

History of my Homelabs

Late 90's

• Goals: Play network games, listen to music while working
• Hardware: 10MB ethernet hub for 2 desktop machines (AMD K2s); connected to a 14.4kbaud modem
• Software: Various 90's networked games, file share (SMB)

2001 - 2004

• Goals: DVR TV, no DVD fumbling, listen to music while working, network drive
• Hardware: 100MB wired home, 100MB ethernet switch, RF modulated broadcast (broadcast TV station from server), Dual Socket Pentium 3 server with 12 JBOD array, TV Tunner card (STD resolution only), 2 work stations (one with video editing; aka clip commercials), one work/video games, 2 XBOX's for video game parties, Linux Mame Cabinet/Jukebox
• Software Linux on server, evolving to MythTV, windows on client/desktop machines, 2 MythTV media computers

2005 - 2007

• Goals: Have a backup strategy, consolidate to one server, public web page and web tools via https
• Hardware: 100MB ethernet switche(s), AMD FX/Linux based server with 8 drives in RAID6, 3 MythTV media computers, OSX Laptop, 2 windows workstatios, windows work laptops
• Software Linux on server/MythTV boxes, windows on client/desktop machines, 1 OSX laptop

2007 - 2019

• Goals: Low Power/Quiet; Low effort streaming media, simple public web site, remote access to files/streaming media, file share
• Hardware: 100MB ethernet switche(s), Netgear --> Synology NAS, Boxee Box(s) --> AppleTV(s), on/off Desktop --> Raspberry PI cluster (RPIs -> RPI2s -> RPI3b/b+s), multiple clients (mac desktop/laptops, work windows laptops, chromebooks, mobile phones, tablets)
• Software: File Share (SMB), Infuse (AppleTV), Plex (Docker), Ubooquity (Docker), LAMP Stack (RPI Magento, Public Web Site, Reporting Tool(s) -> various/self made), MySQL

2019 - current

• Goals: Continue last version of goals, while staying low power; add in market research/experimentation with Home Security/Home Automation, 4K streaming
• Hardware: 1GB Ethernet in home, Orbi WiFi Router, Edge Router Lite, 24 port switch, several wifi access points, several home security/home automation in lab environment, updating to 4K TV/streaming devices, 2xXBOX Ones, multiple laptops, tablets, smart phones
• Software: Synology suite, Plex, Infuse (AppleTV), Ubooquity, MySQL, MongoDB, Minecraft, Docker, K3S cluster*, Prometheus, Grafana