Proxmox on Chrizzle23.net

Let's Talk about NAS

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Bad News from Synology

In previus posts I have talked about the necessity of a cheap NAS appliiance, but then I also mentioned a Synology as a pricey but decent device for your homelab. I need to be clear that I no longer recommend Synology. I use mine because I already have one, but I would not buy a new Synology system today.

New Synologies require you to buy your disks from Synology, (a form of _enshittification _) so unless you can buy a “pre-cataclysm” relic from eBay, go with something else, because “screw Synology and screw enshittification.

Installing Docker on your Linux Virtual Machine

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A major piece of self-hosted infrastructure is https://www.docker.com/. I have a love/hate relationship with Docker. On the one hand, it makes installing and running applications easy, but on the other hand, it feels like wasteful abstraction. The point of virtualization and containerization is to make deploying applications easier. I like to do this with [https://www.turnkeylinux.org/](Turnkey Linux) containers and VMs. Like all application libraries, there is always some app that isn’t available in the flavor that you’d like. Docker has the largest library of things, so it’s basically a necessary evil.

Adding Infrastructure to Proxmox

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In a previous post, I talked about the “AK-fortyserver”, a cheap NAS appliance that I added Proxmox VE to. I named mine “Scratchy”.

I got my Synology NAS backed up to Scratchy, so that I could remove the disks in it and replace them. I was buying 8tb disks for it, but I decided to go in another direction. I will discuss the that larger project in another post. Right now let’s focus on the apps I am setting up on Scratchy.

An Introduction to how I use Proxmox VE

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In a previous post, I talked about the cheap NAS appliance as a component for self-hosting. For me, a server lab consists of two elements: storage and compute power. I have a Synology NAS that I use for the storage system. Once you get your storage centralized on a NAS, adding memory and CPU to your compute power is simply a matter of adding servers.

The AK-fortyServer

The AK47 is a symbol of revolution, so much so, that some countries have it on their flag. I like to think of a cheap mass produced server is a digital equivalent of the AK47, a tool for digital revolution.

Selfhosting as Liberation

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 11:30:47 -0400

In my last writing about The Gentrified Web, I conjured the image of the Soviet AK-47 as a symbol for self hosting. The rifle is a symbol of revolution, but also of liberation. Yeah, I know the Soviet Union sucked. But authoritarianism aside, commodity hardware in the hands of ordinary people can make a difference in people’s lives. By using commodity hardware to free yourself from the gentrified web, you can also begin thinking about other ways to free yourself from other forms of corporate control.