INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Self-hosting is having a moment, even if it's hard to define exactly what it is.It's a niche that goes beyond regular computing devices and
networks but falls short of a full-on home lab
(Most home labs involve self-hosting, but not all self-hosting makes for a home lab.) It adds privacy, provides DRM-free alternatives, and
It's often touted as a way to get more out of your network-attached storage (NAS), but it's much more than just backup and media
streaming.Is self-hosting just running services on your network for which most people rely on cloud companies? Broadly, yes
But take a look at the selfh.st site/podcast/newsletter, the r/selfhosted subreddit, and all the GitHub project pages that link to one
another, and you'll also find things that no cloud provider offers.Ethan Sholly, proprietor of the selfh.st site, newsletter, and occasional
podcast, recently walked me through the current state of self-hosting, and he shared some of the findings from his surveys of those people
doing all that small-scale server administration.
Ethan Sholly, proprietor of the selfh.st media mini-conglomerate.
Ethan Sholly, proprietor of the selfh.st media mini-conglomerate.
Credit:
Ethan Sholly
Sholly works in finance, not tech, but he was a computer science minor with just enough knowledge to get Plex working on a
desktop PC for his friends and family
server with 10 terabyte drives
Once he had his media-serving needs covered, the question inevitably became "What else can I self-host?" He dug in, wandered around, and
found himself with tons of bookmarked GitHub repos and project pages.Sholly, a self-professed "old-school RSS junkie," wanted one place to
find the most commonly recommended apps and news about their changes and updates
It didn't exist, so he assembled it, coded it, and shared it
He also started writing about the scene in his newsletter, which has more personality and punch than you'd expect from someone in a largely
open source, DIY-minded hobby.After Plex increased subscription prices and changed its business model in March, Sholly wrote in his
newsletter that, while there were valid concerns about privacy and future directions, it would be a good time to note something else: The
majority of people don't donate to a single self-hosted project.
