Part 2: Why I Built a homeserver / homelab
In my last post, I detailed the how of my homelab setup—the dual-access system of reverse proxies and Cloudflare Tunnels that securely opened my digital world. But the how is only half the story. The more interesting question is the why. Why spend hours wrangling YAML files and IP addresses when I could just click "subscribe" on a dozen different cloud services?
Digital De-Growth and Ownership
The answer, for me, lies in a philosophy of digital de-growth and ownership. It’s not about rejecting technology, but about cultivating it intentionally, like a garden. In a world that pushes us to constantly consume, my Proxmox server has become a digital homestead—a small plot of the internet that is entirely my own. And on this plot, I’ve planted a few core, open-source services that have fundamentally changed my relationship with technology.
Silence: Reclaiming Attention
It all starts with silence. The first service I deployed was AdGuard Home, a network-wide DNS sinkhole. With one LXC container, I silenced the constant, nagging chatter of advertisements and trackers across every device in my home. This wasn't just about blocking annoyances; it was about reclaiming my attention. It’s a small act of defiance that creates a pocket of digital tranquility, proving that a quieter internet is not only possible, but achievable.
Resilience: Home Assistant as the Central Nervous System
If AdGuard is the gatekeeper, Home Assistant is the central nervous system. This incredible open-source platform orchestrates my entire smart home, from lights to sensors. But its real power isn't just automation; it's resilience. My home runs on my terms, locally. If my internet connection goes down, my lights don't suddenly become dumb. This local-first approach is the antithesis of the cloud-dependent gadgets that turn into expensive paperweights without a constant link back to a corporate server. It's a declaration that my home's logic belongs in my home.
Intentional Tools: Owning My Data
This philosophy extends to the smallest corners of my digital life. I used to use services like Pocket to save articles, feeding my curiosity into yet another algorithm. Now, I run Karakeep, a simple, self-hosted bookmarking service. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s mine. The links I save build a private library of my own interests, not a profile to be monetized. It’s a small shift from being a data point to being a librarian of my own mind.
The Journey: Becoming More Than a Developer
Of course, the journey itself was the real reward. Building this homestead forced me to become more than just a developer. I wasn't just installing apps; I was becoming a sysadmin, a network engineer, and a security architect. The abstract concepts from tutorials suddenly became tangible realities. I wrestled with DNS propagation, configured firewall rules, learned the crucial difference between containers and VMs, and navigated the intricate dance of a multi-layered proxy chain. The "400 Bad Request" errors weren't bugs; they were lessons in how applications establish trust.
Conclusion: A Conscious Choice

My Proxmox server isn't just a powerful machine running in a corner. It's a conscious choice—a vote for open-source communities, for data privacy, and for a deeper understanding of the technology that shapes our lives. It’s my workshop, my classroom, and my quiet corner of the internet. And it all started with wanting to own a little piece of it for myself.