Building your own home lab is a great way to set up a platform for self-hosting services to save money and learn something new. Linux is often recommended as the go-to operating system for running a home lab, though this usually comes in the form of Proxmox or some other solution that's built to handle home lab deployments out of the box. But what if you wanted to use your favorite Linux distro, usually reserved for PCs?

That's where Docker comes into play. Regardless of which platform you plan to use, Docker containers will likely play a vital role in launching new services and tools. Linux powers most servers in the world, so it's well-positioned to handle home lab needs. Here are some of my favorite packages used in my own home lab that can help you get off to a good start.

Jellyfin

Jellyfin is the package for setting up and running your own version of Netflix and Spotify, but instead of streaming commercial content and paying for the luxury, you catalog, store, and stream all your own purchased media. A direct Plex competitor, this open-source media streaming solution is my go-to choice for cataloging every owned show, movie, and track. Jellyfin may be open-source and free, but it's mighty powerful, being able to transcode content up to 4K, open up external access for worldwide streaming, and integrate various external services into the platform.

The best part? It's completely free and easy to configure on Linux. All you need is the container image, a few minutes to spare, and some media to start streaming. Once up and running, you can install clients on all your devices or use a browser. I've streamed content from our home across the world to a tablet connected to a hotel Wi-Fi network. It works like magic.

Vaultwarden

Password123 just won't cut it anymore, which is where Bitwarden comes into play. It's a password manager that works on multiple platforms. One issue some may find with Bitwarden is that, like most password managers out there, all your passwords and the vault itself are hosted elsewhere. This is unacceptable if you plan to self-host everything, which is what makes Vaultwarden such an awesome container package.

It's essentially Bitwarden but with full self-host capabilities. You can use all the same apps and browser extensions, but all your passwords and credentials will be stored on your local server. Should you wish to detach yourself from third-party password managers, this is the container to install to completely transform your home lab and provide something truly functional for the entire family to use.

Pi-hole

Are you as tired as I am with websites and incredibly obnoxious advertisements? That's where Pi-hole can come to the rescue with its filtering capabilities. The service essentially sits between your devices and external services, effectively filtering everything and blocking content from any domains on the blacklist. As well as acting as a DNS, Pi-hole can even be used as a DHCP server. Network activity can also be monitored, making it quite a versatile tool when used with other services such as OPNsense.

But it's not just advertising, as Pi-hole and other similar solutions can help prevent your clients from being tracked. Install once on the network, and you've got protection across the entire network.

Home Assistant

Controlling all your smart gear in the home can be a pain when switching between ecosystems. You may have multiple apps installed and everything is a mess when attempting to explain how it all works to family members. Home Assistant helps to alleviate this issue by integrating loads of services into a single platform. You'll only require one app (or web access) and you're good to go. Everything from smart home lighting to alarm systems can be connected to Home Assistant, which then provides a handy dashboard for conveniently accessing frequently used gadgets.

I've used Home Assistant to bring together our entire home lab and smart home, bridging together various devices to make the most of all our hardware. It's a great way to automate routine tasks and free up time for us to do other things. Throw in a locally-hosted LLM and you've got one smart assistant.

Watchtower

Updates can be a pain when running more than a dozen containers, especially if some have regular update cycles. That's where Watchtower comes into play. This container-based solution allows you to automate the process of updating other containers. It'll pull images, shut down containers, apply changes, and get everything back up and running without human intervention. I've enjoyed playing around with Watchtower and now it handles many mundane tasks without requiring input.

Homepage

When running multiple apps and services, it can prove challenging to stay on top of all the different IP addresses and ports that may be in use. That's where handy homepages such asHomepagecome into play. This incredibly versatile container can be launched within seconds and edited using .yaml files. Completely free, the developer and community continue to work on adding further integrations with some of the services listed in this collection, including Jellyfin.

There are a few homepage options available, but I'm a big fan of this aptly named container. Not only can you provide easy access for everyone to navigate your home lab LAN, but it's also handy for quickly checking statuses and other metrics.

IT Tools

And if you'd like to have some bookmarks to various IT-related tools and services, look no further than this aptly named container. IT Tools is a must-have for anyone who frequently dabbles in coding and other tasks. Everything is wrapped up nicely in a gorgeous UI. A demo is up and running, should you wish to have a peek at what's included. Almost everything is present, including crypto, converters, QR code generators, and even MAC address lookups. It's the Swiss army knife of IT tools.

Home labs are an endless rabbit hole

You'll soon get lost in the wonderful world that is home server management. Classified listings for old server hardware will suddenly become something you frequently search for. Your home network will feel inadequate, and you'll want to add absolutely everything to your new connected hub. Using these tools and expanding on your fresh deployment is a great way to start with some easy yet powerful applications, all powered by Linux.

But note that things can get out of control, especially your utility bill. Check to see what you really need to self-host and what hardware should be used to achieve everything. Mini PCs, SBCs, and even old PC hardware may be the better option than used enterprise hardware, though I admit that a full rack of servers running your entire home is pretty awesome.