---

Alias: ["Self host", "Self hosting", "Self-host", "Self-hosting"]
Tag: ["Server", "Computer", "Security", "Privacy", "Web"]
Date: 2021-08-26
DocType: "Personal"
Hierarchy: "Root2"
Parent: [[@Networks|Networks]]
TimeStamp:
location: [45.8714213, 2.3970385]
CollapseMetaTable: Yes

---

Parent:: [[@Networks|Networks]], [[@Computer Set Up|Computer Setup]]

&emsp;

```button
name Save
type command
action Save current file
id Save
```
^button-SelfHSave

&emsp;

# Self-hosting

&emsp;

```ad-abstract
title: Summary
collapse: open
This note explores self-hosting through its infrastructure and associated services.
```

&emsp;

```toc
style: number
```

&emsp;

---

&emsp;

### Infrastructure

&emsp;

This section sums up required infrastructure for self-hosting online services.

&emsp;

#### Hardware

An option is to look at a **Virtual Private Server** (VPS) service. This also solves the issue of the access to the Internet, that is more and more advised to not come from a home connection.

```ad-tip
title: Tip
A good aggregator for low-cost VPS [here](https://lowendbox.com)
```

Otherwise, **physical hardware** include:

Product | Type | Price range
--------|-------|-----------
<p style="color:green">**Synology (DS218/220+)**</p> | NAS | £250/300
<p style="color:cyan">**Dell Poweredge Tower Server T30**</p> | Server | £300/400
<p style="color:maroon">**HP Z420**</p> | Workstation | £400

==WIP==

&emsp;

#### OS & Applications

**Linux** is the most common OS for servers. **Ubuntu**, **Debian** or **CentOS** the most common distributions.
**MacOS** would require a Virtual Machine to run properly.

&emsp;

#### Internet connection

More and more literature point that a home Internet connection may not be the most appropriate way for a server to connect to the Internet. ISPs limit traffic to manage bandwidth and comply to legislations.

&emsp;

#### Domain

Domain management is important for several reasons: email and email routine can only be defined once per domain. As such, email services (self-hosting, email aliasing) need to be run on separate domains.

For self-hosting, the folllowing domain will be used: **mfxm.fr**

```ad-warning
title: Warning
Sub-domains to be defined with **webhost**.
```

&emsp;

#### Security

Security is paramount at the points of connection to the server. SSH protocols are secured but csn be intercepted. Two different ways of protection can be implemented:

&emsp;

##### RSA Key

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[SSH Key Tutorial](https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/use-public-key-authentication-with-ssh/)
[SSH Key Tutorial 2](https://upcloud.com/community/tutorials/use-ssh-keys-authentication/)
```

All documentation to implement such control can be found [[VPS Console Dialogue#Securing Server access|here]].

&emsp;

##### VPN

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[SSH VPN](https://openvpn.net/community-resources/how-to/)
```

Not tested.

&emsp;

##### Other security considerations

Additional measures can be found below and are in majority described [[VPS Console Dialogue#Editing the Server's SSH config|here]].

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Securing SSH](https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/eight-ways-secure-ssh)
```

&emsp;

#### Continuity & backups

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Local backup](https://blog.ssdnodes.com/blog/vps-backups-simple-overthinking/)
[Hot Copy](https://programmerbear.com/how-to-backup-your-entire-server-or-vps-while-its-running-using-linux-hot-copy/)
```

Backups are managed through the **tar** command and dispatched over the network with **rclone**. Instructions can be found [[VPS Console Dialogue#Backing up a server|here]].

&emsp;

#### Server Monitoring

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Monit](https://mmonit.com/)
[Performance Co-Pilot](https://pcp.io/)
[Nagios](https://nagios.org)
```

Monitoring is implemented through a free and open-source tool called [[Configuring Monit|monit]].

&emsp;


---

&emsp;

### Running multiple services on the same hardware

&emsp;

```ad-tip
title: Considerations to start
[Tutorial](https://cyberhost.uk/getting-started/)
[Caddy tutorial](https://cyberhost.uk/caddy-setup/)
[Nginx Proxy Manager tutorial](https://cyberhost.uk/npm-setup/)
```

In essence, to run multiple services on the same hardware, a few basic steps need to be taken to ensure that each service runs properly.

&emsp;

| Consideration | Tool | Description
|---------------|------|------------
<p style="color:cyan">**Compartimentalise services into containers**</p> | **docker** | Creates containers that can be run independently
<p style="color:turquoise">**Simplify docker commands**</p> | **docker-compose** | Enables to create 'script' for docker commands
<p style="color:teal">**Route internet traffic appropriately**</p> | reverse proxy: **nginx**, **Caddy2** | Enables to route addresses to the appropriate containers and manage SSL certificates (and https forcing)

&emsp;

---

&emsp;

### Self-hosted services

&emsp;

A list of FOSS services can be found [here](https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted)


Service | OS | Technical reqs |  Description
--------|----|----------------|--
<p style="color:orange">**Email service**</p> | Linux |  2GB RAM recommended | self-host an [[#Email service]]
<p style="color:green">**Email aliases**</p> | Linux  | 2GB RAM; ports: 22, 25, 80, 443  | an [[#Email alias service\|alias service]] like [SimpleLogin](https://simplelogin.io)
**[[Nextcloud]]** | Linux | 500M RAM; MySQL & SQL Lite; PHP 8.0; Apache 2.4 with PHP or nginx with PHP |  [[#Personal cloud syncing]] instance
<p style="color:purple">**Instant Message**</p> | Linux | 2/4GB RAM; ports & other extensions |  [[Element]] instance for [[#Instant Messenging]]
<p style="color:violet">**VPN**</p> | Linux | 500MB RAM | Host a private [[#VPN]]

&emsp;

#### Email service

Email service can be fully built but has many components to it: server, database, imap, caldav, carddav, DNS specificities, spam whitelisting as well as security (server access & spam filtering). It can therefore be tideous to build an email service from scratch. Pre-packaged solitions exist to manage all components:
1. [IRedMail](https://www.iredmail.org/)
2. [Mail-in-a-Box](https://mailinabox.email/)
3. [Docker-mailserver](https://hub.docker.com/r/tvial/docker-mailserver/) which is command-line-only and to be built more extensively than the two other alternatives


```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Reddit Documentation](https://reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/6h88qf/on_selfhosted_mail_servers/)

[Tutorial](https://github.com/ajgon/self-hosted-mailserver/blob/master/docs/nsa-proof-your-e-mail-in-2-hours.md)
```

&emsp;

#### [[Email alias]] service

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Tutorial](https://github.com/simple-login/app)
```

&emsp;

#### Personal [[/Nextcloud|cloud]] & syncing

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Tutorial](https://nextcloud.com/athome/)

[Tutorial2](https://blog.ssdnodes.com/blog/installing-nextcloud-docker/)
```

```ad-tip
title: Build your own
[Web interface](https://github.com/mickael-kerjean/filestash)
```

&emsp;

#### Instant Messenging

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[[Element]]
```

&emsp;

#### VPN

Easy service to set-up through [WireGuard](https://www.wireguard.com/)

```ad-info
title: Documentation
[Tutorial](https://www.makeuseof.com/how-host-own-vpn/)
```

```ad-note
title: VPS plans
[Cheap single-location VPN VPS](https://my.webhorizon.in/order/config/index/nat/?group_id=24&pricing_id=282)
[With multi jurisdiction option](https://natvps.net/)
```

&emsp;

#### ShortURL

Through Wordpres with [Thirsty Affiliates](https://thirstyaffiliates.com): free of charge.

&emsp;

#### Self hosting ideas

##### Photos

```ad-info
title: Photoprism
Self-hosted photo management solution: [here](https://photoprism.app/)
```

```ad-info
title: Piwigo
[Website](https://piwigo.org/)
```

&emsp;

##### CMS

```ad-info
title: Hugo
Open source CMS solution: [here](https://gohugo.io/)
```

&emsp;

##### Tools

| Tool | Self-hosted service | Link to tutorial | Sub-domain
|------|---------------------|---------------|----------
<p style="color:orange">**Password manager**</p> | **Bitwarden** | [here](https://cyberhost.uk/selfhost-bitwarden/) | pw-manager
<p style="color:orangered">**[[NextDNS|DNS resolver]]**</p> | **AdGuard Home** | [here](https://cyberhost.uk/adguard-setup/) | dns-resolver
<p style="color:coral">**Note-taking app**</p> | **[Notea](https://cinwell.com/notea/)**, **[Turtl](https://turtlapp.com)**, **[Boost Note](https://boostnote.io)**, **[Trilium](https://github.com/zadam/trilium)** | [Notea](https://cyberhost.uk/notea/), [Turtl with docker](https://github.com/turtl/server#running-the-server) | notes
<p style="color:lightsalmon"> **Git instance**</p> | **[Gitea](https://gitea.io/en-us/)** | [for Gitea](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-install-the-self-hosted-git-server-gitea-on-ubuntu-18-04/), [Gitea with docker](https://www.how2shout.com/linux/gitea-on-docker-installation-of-self-hosted-git-service/), [Gitea with docker-compose](https://docs.gitea.io/en-us/install-with-docker/) | git


Database: MySQL, MariaDB, Postgres

| App | Database
|-----|:----------:
**Turtl** | Postgres
**Gitea** | MariaDB
**AdGuard** | *none*
**Bitwarden** | *none*

```ad-info
title: VPS ideas
[MikroVPS - FR](https://my.mikrovps.net/cart.php?a=checkout&gid=34&language=English&pid=584&promocode=LEB2021LXC50&utm_source=lowendbox&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=lbpromo2021)
```

&emsp;
&emsp;