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Improving a HomeLab Privacy with OSS DNS

Improving a HomeLab Privacy with OSS DNS

March 1, 2026

Tl;DR

Pros tend to say its always DNS…

resolvectl status #here is how you check yours (DNS)

Agents from: stories, dev and deployment…and DAO?

Intro

AdguardHome is a good starter for any homelab.

But DNS is a rabbithole of its own.

With this post, I want to explore the latests on PiHole v6 and use it as the default DNS for a smart TV.

https://jalcocert.github.io/JAlcocerT/selfhosted-apps-nov-2025/#programmatic-dns-updates

ss -tulpn | grep :53 #most likely, you have sth running

Let me tell you a secret: whatever you have at /run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf

sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf #say algo hi to tailscale, the reason why you can go to uptime kuma via http://jalcocert-x300-1:3001

Is the one resolving this:

nslookup google.com #see that you have systemd doing this for you by default

You can change from nameserver 127.0.0.1 to nameserver 1.1.1.1 to free the port 53

docker pull pihole/pihole:2025.11.0
sudo docker compose -f 2603_docker-compose.yml up -d pihole
docker compose -f piholev6-docker-compose.yml logs -f

Then just go to http://localhost:500/admin/login, use the FTLCONF_webserver_api_password as password.

Once you are done:

#dig @9.9.9.9 google.com
dig @localhost google.com #this is using pihole right now, not the 1.1.1.1 or whatever is in the .config

; <<>> DiG 9.18.39-0ubuntu0.24.04.2-Ubuntu <<>> @localhost google.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 42021
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 6, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 1232
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;google.com.                    IN      A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
google.com.             196     IN      A       142.250.120.113
google.com.             196     IN      A       142.250.120.138
google.com.             196     IN      A       142.250.120.101
google.com.             196     IN      A       142.250.120.100
google.com.             196     IN      A       142.250.120.102
google.com.             196     IN      A       142.250.120.139

;; Query time: 107 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(localhost) (UDP)
;; WHEN: Mon Feb 09 15:15:33 CET 2026
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 135

Btw, now your tailscale ip number:port will work, but not the http://jalcocert-x300-1:3001/

Withing the dashboard, you will see queries done via: unless you change back to 127.0.0.1 which now is pihole

dig @localhost youtube.com

agpl 3 | Technitium DNS Server

Choosing a DNS for PiHole

Will you keep cloudflare 1.1.1.1, or wanna try sth?

Pihole regexp

Not blocking all you’d like to?

Not a problem, you can add more domains so that they dont resolve:

CategorySource URLNotes discourse.pi-hole+2
Ads/Trackershttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hostsReliable starter list.
Malwarehttps://mirror1.malwaredomains.com/files/justdomainsPi-hole default.
Comprehensivehttps://blocklistproject.github.io/Lists/everything.txtFull (ads + malware + NSFW); overlaps heavily.
Adulthttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/chadmayfield/my-pihole-blocklists/master/lists/pi_blocklist_porn_top1m.listFamily-friendly option.
YouTubehttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/anudeepND/youtubeadsblacklist/master/domainlist.txtBlocks YouTube ads.

Surprise, surprise, sqlite is around:

sudo apt install sqlite3
sqlite3 ./pihole/gravity.db "INSERT INTO adlist (address, enabled, comment) VALUES ('https://example.com/list.txt', 1, 'Scripted List');"
#docker exec pihole sqlite3 /etc/pihole/gravity.db "INSERT INTO adlist (address, enabled, comment) VALUES ('https://example.com/list.txt', 1, 'Scripted List');"
docker exec pihole pihole -g #update

You can interact with pihole sqlite with:

sqlite3 ./pihole/gravity.db "SELECT * FROM adlist;" #list all
sqlite3 ./pihole/gravity.db "DELETE FROM adlist WHERE address = 'https://example.com/list.txt';" #remove the fake

Link checker https://github.com/JAlcocerT/JAlcocerT/actions/runs/20968565017/job/60265649025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9NgRShXFgk

Cloudflare alternatives?

A lightweight and high-performance reverse proxy for NAT traversal, written in Rust. An alternative to frp and ngrok.

When creating websites for you and others, you have to learn about some basic DNS config:

dig guideventuretour.com

We can say that some domain name and their DNS management is the 101 basic for webs

Get an ebook with all Data Analytics concepts you needGet an ebook with all Data Analytics concepts you need
Learn the concepts and tools to land a job in D&A

You can blame the raspberry Pi on how ive started learning about DNS You also learn a lot about DNS when tinkering with networking and setting your own VPN - wireguard server

https://jalcocert.github.io/RPi/projects/rpi_wifi_ethernet_bridge/

Even Tailscale has its DNS so you can communicate with your devices appearing at tailscale status w/o their IP, but their name

RPi DHCP Server

https://radar.cloudflare.com/dns

https://awweso.me/dns/

DNSMASQ_LISTENING

https://github.com/pi-hole/docker-pi-hole/?tab=readme-ov-file#environment-variables

DuckDNS vs Traefikme

The DuckDNS service is pretty cool.

You can learn how domain and DNS works with it for free.

Even getting https on them is possible with NGINX.

And that setup can work together with your nextcloud.

docker exec nextcloud php occ config:system:set trusted_domains 1 --value=somesub.duckdns.org

That one I knew for some time, but I also heard about TraefikMe

Traefik

I havent talked about Traefik for a while.

But so far is my favourite way of having local https on my sub/domains.

DNS challenge | PorkBun 📌

With Traefik, you can also learn about protecting your web/apps:

Traefik | Docker Config 🐋 ↗ Tiny Auth Docker Config 🐋 ↗

PiHole

This service has been with my for a while.

But now PiHole is reloaded with its v6.

#git clone https://github.com/JAlcocerT/Home-Lab

##cd ~/Home-Lab
#git pull
#sudo docker compose -f ./z-homelab-setup/evolution/2601_docker-compose.yml up -d jellyfin

sudo docker compose -f ./z-homelab-setup/evolution/2603_docker-compose.yml up -d pihole
sudo docker compose -f ./z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml logs -f pihole

Replacing any v5 image (2024.07.0 and earlier) with a v6 image will result in updated configuration files.

These changes are irreversible.

DNS Config Files 🐳 ↗ PiHole v6 Config File 🐳 ↗

If you are looking for other Selfhosted DNS, see: GoAdblock

Pi-Hole can even be running into lower power SBCs

https://github.com/plaintextpackets/netprobe_lite

Simple internet performance tester written in Python

Verify DNS Server Functionality:

Test if the DNS server is reachable and functioning properly.

You can ping the DNS server:

ping 192.168.1.1

If the ping is successful, try using a direct DNS query to see if DNS resolution is working:

#sudo apt-get install dnsutils
dig @192.168.3.1 google.com

If dig is not installed, you can install it using sudo apt-get install dnsutils

Blocky

Fast and lightweight DNS proxy as ad-blocker for local network with many features

Blocky is a DNS proxy and ad-blocker for the local network written in Go with following features:

Really, Just Get Docker 🐋

You can install Docker for any PC, Mac, or Linux at home or in any cloud provider that you wish. It will just take a few moments. If you are on Linux, just:

apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade && curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sh get-docker.sh
#sudo apt install docker-compose -y

And install also Docker-compose with:

apt install docker-compose -y

When the process finishes, you can use it to self-host other services as well. You should see the versions with:

docker --version
docker-compose --version
#sudo systemctl status docker #and the status

Pi-Hole and DNS

PiHole + Wireguard - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R29YBmYxXAk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Fwyl73C7g

Stubby DNS

DNS over TLS

DNSCrypt

Unbound DNS

Bind9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IuNKK2y49s

CÓMO configurar tu DNS - Configuración de BIND [Parte 1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syzwLwE3Xq4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syzwLwE3Xq4&t=745s

You want a real DNS Server at home? (bind9 + docker)

CoreDNS

It is great for Docker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE9YjEV1T4E

ip route | grep default #see your CM/GW

See other local devices connected to the same router:

ip neigh

Conclusions

To configure your domains, you know you had: https://jalcocert.github.io/JAlcocerT/selfhosted-apps-nov-2025/#programmatic-dns-updates

See that everything is fine with your network:

sudo apt-get install dnsutils -y #dns resolution
nslookup github.com 
dig google.com

ip route | grep default #see your CM
ping -c 4 192.168.1.1 #gateway
#ip neigh #and other devices connected to the same CM
ping 9.9.9.9 #quad9

sudo apt-get install speedtest-cli
#curl -sS https://ipinfo.io/json #the command to use to see your IP
curl -sS http://ip-api.com/json/ #provides info about country, ISP, ...
#curl -6 ifconfig.me #ipv6 info

Optionally, have alook to Portmaster: just be aware that it might cause issues with tailscale

And check your uptime kuma monitoring: http://192.168.1.2:3001/dashboard/

Uptime Kuma | Docker Config 🐋 ↗ Beszel | Docker Config 🐋 ↗

Im sure that you are already using qb and prowlarr at 6011 and 9696.

## For Tinkering with more video parts from your action cam
ls *.MP4 | sed "s/^/file '/; s/$/'/" > file_list.txt #add .mp4 of current folder to a list
#Clean the LRF
##rm *.LRF #clean (if needed) all LRF files
#Generate a video from few parts and share it :)
ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i file_list.txt -c copy output_video.mp4 #original audio

How to test your ad-blocks?

If you are concerned about privacy and the use of LLMs, consider:

  • Proton Apps, like LumoAI
  • https://euria.infomaniak.com/
  • Go with Ollama x Goose fully local :)

From Portainer to homepage-lite

I got issues with Portainer couple of times.

So, gave a shot to HomePage-Lite: I like that it can be configured via yaml :)

#git clone https://github.com/JAlcocerT/Home-Lab
#cd ~/Home-Lab/homepage-lite
#sudo docker compose up -d

##cd ~/Home-Lab
#git pull
#sudo docker compose -f ./z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml up -d homepage-lite

docker ps -a | grep -i homepage-lite
#sudo docker stats homepage-lite
sudo docker compose -f ./z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml logs -f homepage-lite

If you are not 100% confortable with the terminal yet or need some place to bookmark your containers, these are good options.

HomePage Lite | Docker Configs 🐋 ↗ Dockge | Docker Configs 🐋 ↗

Proton for all?

Well, not for all as they dont have a proton drive linux desktop app….yet.

Rclone | Docker Config 🐋 ↗ STFP-Go | HomeLab Config 🐳 ↗

Dont confuse Rclone which can help you sync local to ProtonDrive, with rsync: same that to pull from weddings

#sudo ncdu /mnt/data2tb/testftp
#du -sh * | sort -rn #du -sh * | sort -h
rsync -avzP jalcocert@192.168.1.2:/mnt/data2tb/testftp/DJI_20250117084726_0009_D.MP4 ~/Downloads/ #~15MB/s
rsync -avzP jalcocert@192.168.1.2:/mnt/data2tb/IoT ~/Downloads/ #~15MB/s
rsync -avzP jalcocert@192.168.1.2:/mnt/data2tb/2tbe ~/Downloads/ #~15MB/s
#ot back to the server
rsync -avzP /home/jalcocert/Downloads/Music/ jalcocert@192.168.1.2:/home/jalcocert/Desktop/YoutubeMusic #https://lucida.to/

They have managed to integrate several apps: proton mail, authenticator, proton vpn…

choco install protonauth
choco install protonmail
choco install protondrive #maybe one day it will be so simple at Linux (maybe...)
curl -LO https://proton.me/download/authenticator/linux/ProtonAuthenticator_1.0.0_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i ProtonAuthenticator_1.0.0_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f
#rm ProtonAuthenticator_1.0.0_amd64.deb
#https://protonvpn.com/support/official-linux-vpn-debian/
wget https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-all/protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.8_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i ./protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.8_all.deb && sudo apt update
#echo "0b14e71586b22e498eb20926c48c7b434b751149b1f2af9902ef1cfe6b03e180 protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.8_all.deb" | sha256sum --check -
sudo apt install proton-vpn-gnome-desktop
sudo apt update  
sudo apt install thunderbird

# wget https://proton.me/download/mail/linux/1.9.0/ProtonMail-desktop-beta.deb
# sudo dpkg -i ProtonMail-desktop-beta.deb
# sudo apt-get install -f

If you are not sure, you can also go with NextCloud in your homelab, as I covered last month:

#sudo docker compose -f /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml exec nextclouddb env
#sudo docker compose -f /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml config
sudo docker compose -f /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml up -d nextcloud-app nextclouddb
#sudo docker compose -f /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml stop nextcloud-app nextclouddb
#sudo docker compose -f /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml rm -s -v nextcloud-app nextclouddb
nano /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml
nano /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/.env
docker exec nextcloud php occ config:system:get trusted_domains #see that now is added
#cd /mnt/data1tb/nextcloud/html/config
#cat config.php | grep -A 10 trusted_domains
docker exec nextcloud php occ config:system:set trusted_domains 2 --value=your.new.domain.com
docker exec nextcloud php occ config:system:set trusted_domains 1 --value=192.168.1.2

You should see at 192.168.1.2:8099 or your configured domain in the .env

If you are going to expose it to the open internet, make sure is at least accesible by one country with cloudflare WAF

Expose it via nextcloud-app:80 and give access to your family with https://wha.tever.com/settings/users

du -sh /mnt/data1tb/* #see the space taken
du -sh /mnt/data1tb/nextcloud/html/data/jelimoreli
#which user is taking how much space

Btw, surprise surpsie when trying to connect via the https one to a nextcloud desktop:

#docker ps --format "table {{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}" | grep nextcloud
docker exec -u www-data nextcloud php occ config:system:set overwriteprotocol --value="https"

docker exec -u www-data nextcloud php occ config:system:set overwrite.cli.url --value="https://nube.jalcocertech.com"
#docker logs --tail 100 nextcloud
grep data1tb /etc/fstab
docker compose -f /home/jalcocert/Home-Lab/z-homelab-setup/evolution/2602_docker-compose.yml down

So you can be more specific with: (http.host eq "nc.jalcocertech.com" and not ip.src.country in {"ES" "PL"})

curl -X PUT \
	"https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/abcdef123456/rulesets/phases/http_request_firewall_custom/entrypoint" \
	-H "Authorization: Bearer $CF_AUTH_TOKEN" \
	-d '{
    "rules": [
        {
            "description": "allow countries",
            "expression": "(ip.src.country ne \"PL\") or (ip.src.country ne \"ES\")",
            "action": "block"
        }
    ]
}'

Privacy and OS

How could I not mention this.

If you dont want random CPU spikes because someone has decided to record your screen

Or that your hardware is too old to allow for browsing the web.

Just…avoid been forced to generate electronical waste, try linux

  1. ZorinOS - If you come from Windows, this is for you. Zorin 18 requires >1.6GB of RAM
lsb_release -a #noble or the 24.04!

  1. Lubuntu - It requires just ~700mb of RAM with UI

  2. Ubuntu if you want the same, but with GNOME :)

You can have Ubuntu without UI, if you plan to use your server’s terminal only

For server, id recommend to have the previous to latest LTS release, as of now that ’d be 22.04, but 26.04 is coming soon

  1. If you want to say I use ARCH BTW.

Mind the steeper learning curve.

  1. A Gamer?

Plus, your home server / miniPC will consume less than if you keep it with W11.

Arent you eco yet?

The Tapo P100 shows you nicely.

Scared?

Try linux with a VM: like gnome boxes

#sudo apt install gnome-boxes
gnome-boxes

Once you are happy:

ℹ️
Have a look to Ventoy to create ISO Multi-Boots

Time to go to the x13 bios with F12?

Once you are done: there are some goodies waiting for you here, from the old big list

sudo apt install git
git config --global user.name "JAlcocerT"
git config --global user.email "JAlcocerT"

#flatpak install flathub app.zen_browser.zen
git clone https://github.com/JAlcocerT/Home-Lab

#sudo ./z-benchmarks/Benchmark_101.sh
sudo ./z-desktop-x-homelab/Linux_Setup_101.sh #You are good to go with browsers OBS tailscale etc https://brave.com/linux/
#wget -P ~/Applications https://github.com/jeffvli/feishin/releases/download/v1.4.2/Feishin-linux-x86_64.AppImage

#flatpak install -y flathub org.telegram.desktop
#flatpak install -y flathub org.kde.kdenlive
#flatpak install flathub org.electrum.electrum #BTC
sudo snap install ytdownloader

It shouldnt take you not more than 30 min and check that you need just ~15gb for the OS and typical software.

You can be back to business quickly:

flatpak install flathub it.mijorus.gearlever #great for appimages
lazydocker
#git clone https://github.com/JAlcocerT/my-logseq-notes

#as antigravity companion
sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/appimagelauncher-team-ubuntu-stable-noble.sources && \
sudo apt update && \
sudo apt install -y /home/jalcocert/Downloads/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

You can do ctrl+shift+P write user settings JSON and paste:

{
    "git.autofetch": true,
    "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash"
}

Amazon AWS workspace?

Not a problem via https://clients.amazonworkspaces.com/linux-install

Ubuntu 22.04 (amd64) - DCV only

wget -q -O - https://workspaces-client-linux-public-key.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ADB332E7.asc | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/amazon-workspaces-clients.asc > /dev/null

echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://d3nt0h4h6pmmc4.cloudfront.net/ubuntu jammy main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/amazon-workspaces-clients.list

sudo apt-get update

Ubuntu 24.04 (amd64) - DCV only

wget -q -O - https://workspaces-client-linux-public-key.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ADB332E7.asc | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/amazon-workspaces-clients.asc > /dev/null

echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://d3nt0h4h6pmmc4.cloudfront.net/ubuntu noble main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/amazon-workspaces-clients.list

sudo apt-get update

2. Install Amazon Workspaces

#Once the deb file has been downloaded, you can install Amazon Workspaces with the following command.

sudo apt-get install workspacesclient
git clone https://github.com/JAlcocerT/selfhosted-landing
cd ./selfhosted-landing/y2026-tech-talks/langchain-postgres
#sudo apt install npm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
nvm install 22
node -v # Should show v22.x.x

npm install
npm run build
#npm i -D playwright-chromium
#npm run export #default as pdf! http://localhost:3030/export

No longer using localsend via app image, just pairdrop via web :)

And after all this, you go to ~22gb taken, which I believe is what W11 takes for starters.

FAQ

What else am I running?

Via Termix: http://jalcocert-x300-1:8090

docker compose -f 2603_docker-compose.yml up -d nextcloud-app nextclouddb jellyfin qbittorrent umami umamidb....

docker ps -a --filter "name=umami"
#docker ps --filter "name=umami"
docker stop umamiweban-umami-1 umamiweban-db-1 #https://weban...#https://jsx-7jp.pages.dev/index1
graph TD
    %% Nodes
    FIREBAT[Firebat Mini PC
Nextcloud Desktop Client]
    LAPTOP[Laptop
Nextcloud Desktop Client]
    BROWSER[Web Browser
User Interface]
    
    subgraph Cloudflare_Infrastructure [Cloudflare Edge]
        TUNNEL[Cloudflare Tunnel
Cloudflared]
    end

    subgraph Home_Network [Local Network / X300]
        X300[ASRock X300 Server
Nextcloud Instance]
    end

    %% Connections
    FIREBAT <== "HTTPS (Sync)" ==> TUNNEL
    TUNNEL <== "Secure Pipe" ==> X300
    
    LAPTOP <== "Local/Remote Sync" ==> X300
    BROWSER <== "Web Access" ==> X300

    %% Styling
    style FIREBAT fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style X300 fill:#0082c9,stroke:#fff,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style TUNNEL fill:#f38020,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

If you have some permissions complication for the sync on your external drive:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nextcloud-devs/client
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nautilus-nextcloud
# sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /media/casa/Datos_copia_2/nube-jesusaa
# sudo chmod -R 755 /media/casa/Datos_copia_2/nube-jesusaa

If you want nextcloud desktop to start with your laptop automatically:

Syncthing or sftpgo where nice, but…

#du -sh .
docker compose -f 2602_docker-compose.yml up -d
docker compose -f 2602_docker-compose.yml up -d nextcloud-app nextclouddb
#sudo du -sh /mnt/data1tb/nextcloud/html/data/jelimoreli

When you delete Nextcloud Manual.pdf or Nextcloud into.mp4…

They will be at:

sudo find /mnt/data1tb/nextcloud/html/data -iname "*Nextcloud intro.mp4*"

See httops://what.ever.jalcocertech.com/status.php

docker ps --format "table {{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}" | grep jellyfin
docker compose -f 2602_docker-compose.yml up -d jellyfin metube navidrome qbittorrent prowlarr homepage-lite termix pigallery2 uptimekuma-monitoring neko logseq

Watching and sharing my oa5pro at :8096 is been great!

I wouldnt have done this without: Termix, UptimeKuma and…

sudo apt install glances
#sudo snap install astral-uv --classic
#uv tool install glances
glances #https://github.com/nicolargo/glances

lazydocker

#htop #btop
#sudo wget https://github.com/bcicen/ctop/releases/download/v0.7.7/ctop-0.7.7-linux-amd64 -O /usr/local/bin/ctop && sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/ctop
ctop
  1. https://github.com/hagezi/dns-blocklists
  2. https://github.com/blacklanternsecurity/baddns

Before LLMs, you might have needed: https://github.com/composerize/composerize 🏃→🎼 docker run asdlksjfksdf > docker-composerize up

Programmatic DNS updates

CF x Porkbun DNS API Py Scripts ↗

Wireshark - Checking which adds are going through

Business OSS Driven

The year has just started and you might be motivated to finally launch your business.

Make sure to understand the licenses.

MIT, Apache v2 will work.

Some examples?

You can get around with open source for:

  1. Creating Invoices: There are several ways to do so, but I like the simplicity of serverless-invoices.
Serverless Invoices | Docker Configs 🐋 ↗

Your invoices can be backed up with their PDF or just the JSON to save space.

  1. Receiving payments: Stripe API is great and simplify a lot of things.

Monitoring

So you are already having few SaaS.

Most of the sites are reciving no traffic.

But there is that idea taking over.

Is your VPS server fried already?

Figure that out with these OSS Monitoring Tools:

Monitoring for your servers, vendors, and infrastructure.

And for status pages, like the pros have:

You can also with Uptime Kuma pages or kener!

Chats

Just see this dedicated post.

Project Management

If you are already a BA/PM and are very mindful about your time and creation proper project docs like BRD’s

🔥 🔥 🔥 Open Source JIRA, Linear and Asana Alternative. Plane helps you track your issues, epics, and product roadmaps in the simplest way possible.

An open source business card designer and sharing platform

Billing

There will come a time to invoice someone.

Why not doing billing with OSS as well?

Open Source Metering and Usage Based Billing API ⭐️ Consumption tracking, Subscription management, Pricing iterations, Payment orchestration & Revenue analytics

See also

Invoice Ninja | Docker Config for HomeLab 🐋 ↗ Serverless Invoices | Docker Config for HomeLab 🐋 ↗

Browsers

  1. Librewolf vs Zen vs waterfox vs firefox

  2. Chromium vs brave vs Helium vs Tor browser

flatpak install flathub app.zen_browser.zen -y
#https://github.com/imputnet/helium-linux/releases
wget -P ~/Applications https://github.com/imputnet/helium-linux/releases/download/0.8.5.1/helium-0.8.5.1-x86_64.AppImage

Version 0.8.5.1 allowed me to use logseq via browser, unlike Brave 1.86.148 Chromium: 144.0.7559.133

If you want Chromium, minimal UI, and no crypto/ads stack: Helium is closer to your taste than Brave, as long as you accept rough edges and a smaller project.

If you want “it just works” privacy with maximal site compatibility and do not mind the BAT model existing: Brave is the pragmatic choice.

If you prefer Gecko and Firefox’s ecosystem with a nicer UI and no Mozilla telemetry: Zen is a good daily driver, but not a hardcore anonymity tool.

If you want the strictest privacy and are OK with friction and some breakage: LibreWolf is the strongest stance of the four.

  • TightVNC
  • Remote Ripple VNC Viewer

Extensions

Add-ons for firefox that I tried

  • Privacy Badger
  • https everywhere
  • ublock origin

How can I Check my DNS?

ControlD (Windscribe DNS)

Other Free Tools for monitoring Internet

Interesting Security Tools

What do I like to bring to my HomeLab?

HomeLab Essentials - https://jalcocert.github.io/JAlcocerT/docs/selfhosting/

As of now Im using:

sudo docker compose -f 2603_docker-compose.yml up -d uptime....pihole nextcloud ncdb.......

These have been apps that I have used at some point at my homelab and might also be of your interest

  1. Container UI’s 🐳: Portainer, Rancher, Dockge…

  2. Syncing 🐳: Syncthing

  3. Tools 🐳: IT-Tools, CosmosServer, OmniTools

  4. Webs 🐳: Wordpress, Ghost, LinkInBio selfhosted alternatives…

Wrote a post about the most popular CMS’s here and about LinkStack here

And Web Analytics like https://github.com/rybbit-io/rybbit

  1. Productivity Tools 🐳: Get proper focus

  2. GenAI Tools 🐳

  3. HTTPs Tools: via proxies like NGINX, Traefik or tunneling solutions like Cloudflare Tunnels …

I also enjoyed DuckDNS.

  1. PaaS Tools, like Dokploy

  2. Photo Tools

The docker related files are here 🐳

  1. SSGs combined with a headlessCMS and selfhosted static server 🐳

If you are starting, just use static web hosting for those and forget about servers.

F1 Data Animations