1c:Tb20,After the remote access setup, it is finally time to start hosting actual services. For me, self-hosting is about `control`, `privacy`, and `flexibility`. Services like photo backup and media streaming are things I use often, so running them on my own hardware gives me more ownership over my data and how these tools work. This is the point where the homelab starts becoming practical, not just configured. We'll start with using `Docker` to containerize these services. > If you are not familiar with Docker, you can check out this [article](https://blog.xsooi.com/posts/what-is-docker). --- ## Install Docker On macOS, I recommend using **Docker Desktop**. ![docker desktop](https://www.docker.com/app/uploads/2025/05/DD-hiroko-2320x1456.png.webp) It is the easiest way to get Docker working properly on a Mac, and it gives you a simple interface to manage containers, images, volumes, and Compose projects. > On Mac, just use Docker Desktop. Recommend CLI-only setups unless you already know exactly what you are doing. Once Docker Desktop is installed and running, you are ready to start using Docker Compose. > Again, if you are not familiar with Docker Compose, you can check out this [article](https://www.xsooi.com/blog/posts/what-is-docker). --- ## Hosting ### Immich For image backup, I use **Immich**. ![immich image](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSeBtPlg25Y9CvBeVVwbordCW0905AkM9VWXA&s) Immich is one of the best self-hosted options for photo and video backup. It feels modern, is easy to use, and works well as a personal Google Photos alternative. The setup is simple: - use **Docker Compose** - follow the official setup instructions - run it through **Docker Desktop** on macOS > If you want to plug and play, you can refer to my [Immich setup](https://github.com/xs1128/xs-homelab/blob/main/immich/docker-compose.yml). Comment the [traefik](https://traefik.io/traefik) labels, [.env file](https://upsun.com/blog/what-is-env-file/)(try learning, kinda unavoidable) if you don't know about them. --- ### Jellyfin For media streaming, I use **Jellyfin**. ![jellyfin logo](https://jellyfin.org/images/logo.svg) Jellyfin has some problems on macOS, according to the documentation, when using Docker Compose, so we will install it manually for the app here. > You can check [this post](https://xsooi.com/blog/posts/what-is-yt-dlp) if you want to start downloading media online and host it on your server. --- ## Final Notes With Docker installed, it becomes much easier to try new services without messing up the base system. And with Immich and Jellyfin running, the Mac mini starts doing useful work. In the following episode, I will continue with more services and start organizing the stack properly with cleaner Docker Compose files, a reverse proxy, and better storage layout. 1d:T18d7,## What is a homelab? A homelab is a small personal IT environment that you build and run at home. It can be as simple as an old laptop or as advanced as a rack full of servers, networking gear, and storage devices. --- ## Why I want to build one? For me, a homelab is the perfect environment to learn, test, and experiment with tech in a convenient and practical way. Reading documentation is useful, but actually running services yourself teaches a very different kind of lesson. You start to understand how systems behave, how things fail, and how different tools fit together. What makes a homelab especially attractive is the level of control it gives you. Instead of relying entirely on third-party platforms, you get your own piece of hardware to configure the way you want. You decide what runs on it, how services are exposed, and how your data is managed. ![Docker Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Docker_Logo.png) The biggest turning point for me was discovering [Docker](https://www.docker.com/). The idea of spinning up services quickly and cleanly felt almost magical. Once I realized how easy it was to deploy applications, I became obsessed with the idea of hosting my own stuff. I wanted to try everything. That excitement, however, came with a problem: my laptop was not built for that kind of workload. What started as fun experimentation quickly turned into resource stress, heat, and the constant feeling that I was pushing the machine too far. That was the moment I realized I did not just want a place to experiment — I needed a dedicated server for it. So this homelab is not just a side project. It is the natural next step in my curiosity about self-hosting, containers, and building systems I can truly call my own. --- ## Hardware Setup Right now, my homelab setup is intentionally simple. > I will probably build an Intel/AMD PC and set it up as a server within a year. If that happens, I may write a follow-up post about that version too. For now, the machine behind everything is: ![Apple M4 Mac Mini](https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/1/as-images.apple.com/is/mac-mini-chip-unselect-202601-gallery-2_FMT_WHH?wid=690&hei=720&fmt=p-jpg&qlt=80&.v=d1pXNGRPZVVoYmlPOFhNR3g4R2wxUGFyNWMrRXhVOURuN2tLWDJRa3lPZ0JpQ2RubXY3eVkrZUNmUzYvdjJJNnNQSmo4S3Y2K1lXWjJLUjd2dkU2MDJ5aFM4QSthSG1nSUl6WXJQME1SZ2sycFFlbkZQaFlJd2daM3A2R2I3RU5GQlRRRytmTHd2bTlDU2RZMUtqVTRR&traceId=1) - An `arm64` **Apple Mac mini M4** (256 GB storage / 24 GB memory) It may not be the most traditional homelab choice, but it is compact, efficient, quiet, and powerful enough for the services I want to run at this stage. For a starting setup, those qualities matter more to me than having a huge or complicated server. One thing I like about starting small is that it forces me to think more carefully about what I actually need. Instead of overbuilding from day one, I can focus on learning the fundamentals: deploying services, organizing containers, handling routing, and monitoring system health. Later on, if my needs grow, I can always scale the hardware with a better idea of what I actually want. --- ## Service Stack The most exciting part of a homelab is the service stack — the collection of tools and applications that turn a machine into something genuinely useful. Here is what I am currently running or planning to run in my homelab setup. ### Dashboard A good dashboard makes a homelab feel alive. It gives you a single place to see what is running and quickly jump into the services you use most. Below are the dashboards I stumbled upon during my journey. - [glance](https://github.com/glanceapp/glance) - [glances](https://github.com/nicolargo/glances) - [homepage](https://gethomepage.dev/)

### Media backup Backing up personal media is one of the most practical reasons to self-host. ![Immich](https://immich.app/img/social-preview.png) - [Immich](https://immich.app/)

### Media server A homelab also gives me a place to centralize and manage media. > The container of this application is not fully supported on macOS. I downloaded the application for it. - [Jellyfin](https://jellyfin.org/) Plex media server is also a popular choice. It has better UI :)

### Utilities Sometimes the most useful services are the small ones you keep coming back to. - [it-tools](https://github.com/CorentinTh/it-tools) Mines hosted on: https://tools.xsooi.com

### Container management Once multiple services are running, visibility and management become much more important. - [Portainer](https://www.portainer.io/)

### Proxy and networking As soon as you host multiple services, routing becomes a core part of the setup. - [Traefik](https://traefik.io/traefik) — for reverse proxying and service routing - [WireGuard](https://www.wireguard.com/) — for secure remote access through VPN when I'm abroad

### Monitoring A homelab becomes much easier to maintain when you can actually see what is happening. ![Grafana dashboard](https://prometheus.io/assets/docs/grafana_qps_graph.png) - [Prometheus](https://prometheus.io/) — for metrics collection - [Grafana](https://grafana.com/) — for turning those metrics into useful and beautiful dashboards

Together, these services form the foundation of a setup that is both practical and enjoyable to build. It is still evolving, but that is also part of the appeal — a homelab is never really finished. --- ## Why this setup matters to me What I like most about building a homelab is that it sits at the intersection of curiosity and usefulness. It is a place where I can learn new tools, break things safely, and slowly build a system that supports things I actually care about. This setup may be small right now, but it already represents something bigger: the shift from just using technology to actually owning and shaping it. And honestly, that is what makes self-hosting so exciting. --- ## Closing thoughts This is my homelab setup at the start of **2026** — a small but meaningful beginning. I expect it to change over time as I learn more, outgrow certain tools, and move toward more dedicated hardware. For now, though, this setup is enough to let me explore, build, and enjoy the process of running my own services. That is exactly what I wanted. 1a:[["$","script",null,{"type":"application/ld+json","dangerouslySetInnerHTML":{"__html":"{\"@context\":\"https://schema.org\",\"@type\":\"BlogPosting\",\"headline\":\"What is Docker?\",\"description\":\"A concise and comprehensive guide to familiarize you with Docker!\",\"image\":[\"https://external-preview.redd.it/it-works-on-my-machine-v0-kPQ__at4fKKgnYwxUE1Y50bSW7dMyypwpCgPUmFRg04.jpg?auto=webp&s=979047d3563f15b9ccd16676c95e6f98733829ac\"],\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-10T19:11:50.468+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-17T13:49:02.345004+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"xs1128\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Blog\"},\"keywords\":\"docker, docker compose\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https://www.xsooi.com/blog/posts/what-is-docker\"}}"}}],["$","script",null,{"type":"application/ld+json","dangerouslySetInnerHTML":{"__html":"{\"@context\":\"https://schema.org\",\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"All Posts\",\"item\":\"https://www.xsooi.com/blog/?expanded=true\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Docker\",\"item\":\"https://www.xsooi.com/blog/series/docker\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What is Docker?\",\"item\":\"https://www.xsooi.com/blog/posts/what-is-docker\"}]}"}}],["$","$L19",null,{"post":{"id":36,"slug":"what-is-docker","title":"What is Docker?","content":"Still drafting, kindly wait for the interesting content!","excerpt":"A concise and comprehensive guide to familiarize you with Docker!","published_at":"2026-08-10T19:11:50.468+00:00","created_at":"2026-03-17T13:49:02.345004+00:00","updated_at":"2026-03-17T13:49:02.345004+00:00","featured_image":"https://external-preview.redd.it/it-works-on-my-machine-v0-kPQ__at4fKKgnYwxUE1Y50bSW7dMyypwpCgPUmFRg04.jpg?auto=webp&s=979047d3563f15b9ccd16676c95e6f98733829ac","tags":["docker","docker compose"],"read_time":1,"author_name":null,"view_count":4,"date":"2026-08-10T19:11:50.468+00:00","summary":"A concise and comprehensive guide to familiarize you with Docker!"},"seriesData":[{"id":13,"title":"Docker","slug":"docker","description":"Guide, Tips, and Tricks on Docker","posts":[]}],"headings":[],"relatedPosts":[{"id":38,"slug":"episode-4-first-services-with-docker-immich-jellyfin","title":"Episode 4: First Services with Docker: Immich & Jellyfin","content":"$1c","excerpt":"This is where the homelab starts becoming useful: install Docker on macOS, then spin up Immich for photo backup and Jellyfin for media streaming.","published_at":"2026-08-13T09:13:17.671+00:00","created_at":"2026-03-17T14:15:07.573441+00:00","updated_at":"2026-03-17T14:15:07.573441+00:00","featured_image":"https://fopmnlxsudpgsdpaqrzd.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/1773756890173.png","tags":["homelab","macOS","docker","docker compose","Immich","Jellyfin","self hosting"],"read_time":4,"author_name":"xs","view_count":14,"date":"2026-08-13T09:13:17.671+00:00","summary":"This is where the homelab starts becoming useful: install Docker on macOS, then spin up Immich for photo backup and Jellyfin for media streaming."},{"id":31,"slug":"my-homelab-journey-why-i-started-self-hosting-at-home","title":"My Homelab Journey: Why I Started Self-Hosting at Home","content":"$1d","excerpt":"My homelab setup starting in 2026: how Docker pushed me from experimenting on a laptop to building a dedicated self-hosting environment at home.","published_at":"2026-03-16T05:25:31.249+00:00","created_at":"2026-03-16T04:13:41.06625+00:00","updated_at":"2026-03-16T04:13:41.06625+00:00","featured_image":"https://i.imgflip.com/6nv9bd.jpg","tags":["homelab","self-hosting","docker","home server"],"read_time":4,"author_name":"xs","view_count":4,"date":"2026-03-16T05:25:31.249+00:00","summary":"My homelab setup starting in 2026: how Docker pushed me from experimenting on a laptop to building a dedicated self-hosting environment at home."}],"prevPost":null,"nextPost":null}]]