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Replying to myself to add...

This was all while installing this and that dependency and troubleshooting it. Docker was a complication I didn't want to learn yet.

And then tinytinyrss moved to docker only which forced my hand. I can say installing Docker and Portainer (as someone who prefers a GUI more than command line) has made self hosting so much easier for me, and hugely reduces the need to think about dependencies.

Absolutely. I had a similar journey. I started with Yunohost and DietPi. Then plain Raspbian, then plain Debian. Each time nuking and starting from scratch. You learn quickly when you've got to retrace the same steps again on a fresh install after messing something up.

Eventually, I tried and stuck with Proxmox (running a Debian VM) and Proxmox Backup Server. With that, you have your regular backups, and if you mess up, you simply revert to a previous backup version.

Others will recommend Ansible - I haven't got that far yet.

I use Google Assistant a lot. I tried the Gemini Assistant on my phone and it was an exercise in frustration.

Me: (after pausing the tv) "Resume TV"

Google: (resumes playback on TV)

Gemini: "TV not recognised. Please say the device name" or even worse... "A resume is essential when you're looking for a job in television. Your resume should blah blah..."

Me: (with phone locked) "set a timer for xxx"

Google: "setting a timer for xxx, starting now"

Gemini: "I'm unable to set timers, please unlock your phone, open xxx and (lengthy step by step instructions)", or "setting a timer for yyy" (completely wrong time).

The caps lock thing hurts my feelings (ಥ_ʖಥ)

Tasker - for automating anything, everything.

I was tempted by these n100 mini PCs, but worried about the no-name components. I saw many people on reddit/lemmy recommending Dell, Lenovo, HP micro form factor PCs. You can pick them up used from eBay as companies clear out "old" computers. The advantage of the known brands is ongoing firmware support.

When you use a "good vpn", it would just show that a user with your same fingerprint visited also from yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy

Take it from someone who is a Linux noob and Googles for terminal commands every time, and whose most used keys are ctrl c, ctrl v...

1. Go to official docker documentation, copy paste the commands to install docker.
2. go to Portainer documentation, copy paste the commands to install Portainer Community Edition
3. Find a service you want to install, copy the 'docker compose' text. (A good first service to install is Watchtower which takes care of updating other containers)
4. go to Portainer's browser UI, find the 'stacks' tab, paste, click 'deploy'

Don't do this on your main server. Use some old hardware or a cheap VPS to practise on.

The main skill I need is googling and asking AI. It's that easy.

An ion walks into a bar.

"Barman, barman, I lost an electron here last night"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive!"

So bad it's soooo good.

It'll be absolutely fine to use your work device for personal stuff. Until they want to fire you and need a reason for it. A quick audit of your usage, then bye bye!

These have words but might still fit the other factors:

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen Horses - Patti Smith