This Week in Self-Hosted (17 May 2024)

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This Week in Self-Hosted

It was a busy week for self-hosted-adjacent hardware and software given the latest rumors surrounding an imminent Raspberry Pi IPO and RealVNC's retirement of the software's free plan in exchange for a "lite" alternative. Meanwhile, other companies recently in the news for controversial subscription plans were busy trying to save face – although the products popular in the self-hosted community remain mostly untouched.

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, check out this Reddit thread on weird uses for smart home devices (posted by a user leveraging a contact sensor to automate a bathroom fan when a toilet is in use). I also recently dropped some updates to my directory of self-hosted software and alternatives at selfh.st/apps – tags are now visible on each tile (for better discovery) and filter/search parameters have been added to the URL for easier sharing.

Self-Hosted Applications and Alternatives

A directory of self-hosted software and applications for easy browsing

selfh.stEthan Sholly

Thanks, and happy selfh.st/ing!

In the News

Raspberry Pi prepares to go public and expand its lineup of supercheap computers

A lot of money for some very little computers.

The Verge

RealVNC is dropping its “Home” plan and barely noting its free “Lite” option

Some pretty dark patterns make free version of remote desktop tool hard to find.

Ars TechnicaKevin Purdy

European Commission (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image Our commitment to the fediverse is here to stay. Today, we launched our new Mastodon instance. It will ensure a privacy-focused space to engage with and get the latest from our Commissioners, departments, and the official voices of the Commission. We want to thank @[email protected] for stewarding us and helping us make this possible. Fostering European digital players is vital to our strategy for a stronger #DigitalEU. This is a unique opportunity to grow the community even more. Let’s get there!

European Commission on Mastodon

Software Updates

• BookStack v24.05 | Wiki: Upgraded framework, command-based PDF exports, OIDC/LDAP additions, audit log API endpoint, updated translations
• Dozzle v6.6.0 | Container Logs: Download only visible streams, sort homepage every 10 seconds, show hosts in cards, command for auto-generating users
• ESPHome v2024.5.0 | Home Automation: Valve component support, event entities, WeiKai Expander component support
• GitLab v17.0 | Git: General availability of CI/CD catalog, chart improvements, two database mode beta, display members from invited groups
• Grafana v11.0.0 | Data Visualization: New permissions for provisioning alerts and notifications, return to previous button, force lowercase login/email, moved add library panel view to drawer
• Grist v1.1.14 | Low-Code: New environment variable for improved self-hosting proxy support (APP_HOME_INTERNAL_URL)
• Hugo v0.126.0 | Static Sites: Pages from data (Content Adapters), extensions for additional Markdown syntax
• Immich v1.104/5 | Photos: External library editing from the web interface, initial support for SMTP email notifications, improved mobile sync
• Jellyfin v10.9.0 | Media Streaming: Live video scrubbing, more reliable web redirections, DLNA support transitioned from native to plugin, AVIF/WebP photo support, search tags, simultaneous subtitle tracks
• SFTPGo v2.6.0 | File Transfers: Rewritten web and admin interfaces, successful login event notifications, time-based access restrictions
• Stalwart Mail Server v0.8.0 | Email: Clustering support, auto-config and MS Autodiscover support, new queue expression variables, performance improvements
• Synapse v1.107.0 | Matrix Homeserver: Preliminary support for account suspensions and membership metadata on events
• ToolJet v2.42.0 | Low-Code: Added section for commonly used data sources

Breaking Changes

• Apprise v1.8.0: Potential impacts to import calls
• ESPHome v2024.5.0: Breaking changes for specific devices (see release notes)
• Immich v1.104.0: External libraries now set to read-write

New Software

• habits.txt: Plain text habit tracker
• Microw: Expense tracking bot via Telegram and Google Sheets
• Photobox: Google Photos clone for dynamic image galleries
• Pi-C.A.R.D: Raspberry Pi-based voice assistant
• URL to PNG: HTTP URL to PNG generator

Latest Apps and Companions

• Apache Answer: Q&A platform for teams and communities
• CTFreak: Centralized task management, scheduling, and notifications
• HAProxy: Reverse proxy and load balancer
• HiveDAV: Curlable free/busy scheduler with CalDAV integration
• MyHeats: Live leaderboards

Community Content

AlmaLinux OS - Kiosk Mode

You might have seen these displays where a video is played endlessly, an ad is shown on repeat or some useful data is made available for everybody. Or, have you used an ATM, a library PC or an info terminal? All of these are considered Kiosk solutions.

blog.while-true-do.ioDaniel Schier

The Best Media Server CPU... in the world.

After a solid 8 months of testing, I think we have a big enough sample size to draw some conclusions. The best media server CPU is…

ktz.Alex Kretzschmar

Welcoming a new member to my Homelab — A Orange Pi 5 Plus

Happy to share that I have added a new member to my homelab, a Orange Pi 5 Plus. In this post, I will share the specs and the initial setup process.

Akash RajpurohitAkash Rajpurohit

More From selfh.st

Self-Hosting Guide to Alternatives: Airtable

Self-hosted alternatives for the popular relational database platform

selfh.stEthan Sholly

Content Spotlight: Wag

Meet Wag, a WireGuard management interface with MFA for specified routes and clients. Like other WireGuard solutions, Wag simplifies deployment and device enrollment with an easy-to-use web interface. The software's stand out feature, however, is the ability to apply MFA to sensitive endpoints for additional security in the event a key is compromised. Upon connecting to a tunnel, users are required to navigate to the server's IP address to authenticate (using WebAuthn or OIDC) via web portal before accessing protected resources.

Wag can be installed via bare metal or Docker, and the project's repository outlines the various options available for building the configuration file.

Links: GitHub

What We're Watching

• Don’t run Proxmox without these settings! | Christian Lempa
• Never Lose Data AGAIN! Level Up with the Power of Proxmox Backups | DB Tech

Smart Home and Automation

Best Home Assistant Dashboard Themes in 2024

Collection of the 15 Best Home Assistant Themes made by the community to use with your dashboard in 2024. Includes light, dark and custom themes.

SmartHomeScene.comSHS

Thread - the tech we can’t use or teach - Dennis Schubert

Random thoughts, articles and projects by a chronic overengineer.

Dennis SchubertDennis Schubert

Easy Way To Install Home Assistant on Proxmox 8

UPDATED for Proxmox 8.2: Complete guide for easily installing Home Assistant Operating System on Proxmox VE 8, using a custom automated script.

SmartHomeScene.comSHS

Command Line Corner: mkdir -m

Use the -m flag when calling mkdir to simultaneously set the permissions of a new directory when creating it:

/$ mkdir -m 770 exampledirectory
/$ ls -l
  drwxrwx--- user group exampledirectory

Click here to view an archive of commands shared in previous newsletters.

Related News and Content

Using Tailscale for Android just got a whole lot better

Announcing a major overhaul that significantly enhances the Android app and brings some of Tailscale’s most widely used and requested features to the Android platform.

VMware Fusion, Workstation now free for home use, subscription-only for businesses

Free for personal use, but businesses will have to fork over $120 per year.

Ars TechnicaAndrew Cunningham

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