I like systems that behave, docs that make sense, and fixes that don’t come back six weeks later with attitude. Automate the repetitive stuff, not because I’m lazy — but because I’d rather spend my time solving real problems than clicking the same buttons like a caffeinated parrot.
Clarity isn’t optional when people rely on your work. Tired engineers deserve clear logs and useful docs.
You're there for the end user. Period.
If their workflow is affected, work with them, understand where they're stuck and get them rolling.
This isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s about making sure the wheel rolls, doesn’t squeak, and someone else knows where the damn wheel is.
Duct tape belongs in the garage, not your production environment.
Free, easily configurable, command line driven and significant amount of support.
Linux requires lower resources than Mac or PC as you don't always need a GUI.
Not requiring a licence makes it much simpler to spin up and duplicate.
(NB: I use Mac and Windows too. Just not for servers)
Proxmox is a free and open-source virtualisation platform based on Debian Linux.
Much like VMWare ESXi it is a complete, centralised management platform for VMs and LXCs. It allows clustering, high availability, backup and disaster recovery. It supports zfs and iscsi as storage backends.
There's a slightly steeper learning curve if you're new to Linux, but it makes managing VMs and LXCs super easy.
The ability to spin up, tear down and battle test products without needing to install every single component is quite appealing. Often managed in something as simple as a docker-compose file, you can create, delete, rebuild and iterate very easily with Docker.
Docker makes your apps portable across multiple different operating systems
Whether it's code you've written, keeping scripts together and up to date or just managing versions, git makes that simple. It's ubiquitous and available across all operating systems.
I use it for scripting, apps I've written and version control.
I'm fairly privacy conscious and not a huge fan or leaving my private data exposed on the public internet. With limited hardware resources, a bit of knowledge and the help of the you-tubers above, you can run the services you want from home.
Many of them are free and open-source. There is so much knowledge out there to make use of.
Don't rely on the cloud if you can do it yourself!
Tailscale is free (for up to a certain number of users) and ties together the self-hosting. Making everything accessible on devices within a tailnet, but nothing available externally.
It's based on wireguard but is super easy to use but has a significant level of control.
No longer needing to run VPNs to interconnect devices, tailscale does all of that and more.
Definitely a big fan of tailscale.
Not everyone will agree with these statements, your mileage may vary.
These are my thoughts on these technologies
Learn by doing.
Get out there and make something.
Then iterate and make it better.
This is the first step in my public infrastructure/own cloud building.
The first draft isn't always pretty, neither is the first smart home or the home lab setup at the start. It's about getting out there, getting your thoughts known and getting started.
Just do it!
Experienced Infrastructure and Unified Communications professional with over 15 years delivering resilient, maintainable IT environments across healthcare, education, and enterprise sectors. Known for resolving complex issues under pressure, coordinating multi-vendor projects, and delivering upgrades without disruption. Strong bias toward practical documentation, proactive support, and treating everyone as a part of the same team, no matter the position or level in the organisation.
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