Self-hosting · Privacy · Local AI
Take back control of your data.
Step-by-step guides for pulling your files, photos, and AI off the cloud and onto hardware you own. Proxmox, self-hosted apps, local models, written so every command copies clean into a shell.
Now on the bench
Tutorial
Install Paperless-ngx on Proxmox LXC (2026)
Self-host Paperless-ngx in a Proxmox LXC to turn every document into a searchable, OCR'd archive. Full setup with PostgreSQL, Redis, and the web UI.
proxmox · paperless · self-hosted
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Blog
Minisforum N5 Air Review: More Power Than You Expect From a Barebones NAS
The N5 Air packs a surprising amount of power and expandability into a barebones NAS. The Ryzen 7 255 outperforms processors in NAS units costing significantly more, and the cooling keeps it running without throttling. The slide-out…

Blog
UGREEN NASync DXP6800 Pro Review: Built Like a Tank, Performs Like One Too
The DXP6800 Pro is the best-built consumer NAS I have handled. The all-metal chassis, dual 10GbE, Thunderbolt 4, and built-in PSU set it apart from the competition. The i5-1235U handles NAS duties without breaking a sweat, though it will…

Tutorial
Proxmox Backup Server 3-2-1 Part 3: Cloudflare R2 Offsite Backup
Add the offsite tier to a 3-2-1 backup: sync Proxmox Backup Server to a Cloudflare R2 bucket over S3, with scoped API tokens and group-filtered sync jobs.
proxmox · proxmox-backup-server · backup

Tutorial
Proxmox Backup Server 3-2-1 Part 2: PBS-to-PBS Pull Sync
Add hardware redundancy to your backups: stand up a second Proxmox Backup Server that pulls from the primary over an API token, and see why pull beats push.
proxmox · proxmox-backup-server · backup

Tutorial
Proxmox Backup Server 3-2-1 Part 1: USB Removable Datastores
Start a 3-2-1 backup: pass a USB drive to your Proxmox Backup Server VM, create a removable datastore, and run a real disaster-recovery drill to prove it works.
proxmox · proxmox-backup-server · backup

Tutorial
Caddy + Cloudflare SSL on Proxmox — HTTPS for Every Service (2026)
Put trusted HTTPS on every homelab service. Build Caddy with the Cloudflare DNS module in a Proxmox LXC and get automatic SSL certificates for internal domains.
proxmox · caddy · ssl
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Series
Paperless-ngx on Proxmox
Self-hosted document management with Paperless-ngx on Proxmox LXC. Part 1 covers bare-metal installation. Part 2 adds AI-powered document classification with Paperless-GPT.
1 partStart
Series
PBS 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
Three-part series covering the 3-2-1 backup rule for Proxmox Backup Server. Each part covers one tier of redundancy end-to-end: setup, backup, and restore validation. Part 1 covers USB removable datastores for local redundancy. Part 2 covers PBS-to-PBS pull sync for hardware fault tolerance. Part 3 covers Cloudflare R2 for true offsite cloud backup. Each video is standalone but cross-referenced.
3 partsStart
Series
OpenClaw on AMD Strix Halo
2-part series running OpenClaw AI agent on the GMKtec EVO X2 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB unified memory) with SGLang backend and ROCm.
5 partsStart