Why I Built a Home Lab

Photo by Karminski-牙医 on Unsplash

Building for the Long Term

I see this home lab as the start of a long-term (10+ years) project—one that allows me to enjoy the process of building and creating. Technology is a vast and dynamic field, with new developments emerging every second: new languages (like Rust), frameworks (React 19), tools (Heptabase), and AIs (DeepSeek). While fascinating, it’s also overwhelming. I often find myself hoarding tutorials, trapped in what many call “tutorial hell”—living under the illusion of learning while simply saving resources I never have time to explore.

It’s time to break free from that cycle. I want to shift to a project-based, interest-driven approach. I don’t know exactly where this journey will take me, but I’m certain it will be anything but boring. Plus, creating tangible improvements in my daily life will bring a much-needed sense of achievement.

Control the System, Not the Other Way Around

Linux has always fascinated me with its elegance, and I’ve long wanted to explore it in depth. With academic pressures now behind me, this feels like the perfect time to dive into this mysterious yet exciting world and experiment with cutting-edge technologies. My trusty Raspberry Pi 4 Model B remains an excellent tool for this exploration.

Five years ago, my first experience with CentOS was both thrilling and intimidating. The freedom to control everything felt powerful but also risky—one careless command could ruin the entire system. Yet, that same freedom gave me an exhilarating sense of ownership. For the first time, I had full control over both the operating system and the hardware beneath it. The possibilities felt limitless, and the sense of empowerment was incredible.

Reclaiming My Attention

Last year, I struggled with information overload—too much content demanding too little focus. To regain my concentration, I intentionally quit most social media platforms. It became clear to me that attention is my most valuable resource. During this process, I rediscovered the beauty of old-school RSS. It’s exactly what I need: a way to read content with depth and authenticity, written by people who aim to express, not impress.

Since I enjoy reading on my Kindle, I was thrilled to discover the potential of a self-hosted send-to-Kindle service like Feedi. I deeply resonated with the creator(Facundo Olano)‘s motivation on the blog Reclaiming the Web with a Personal Reader:

It felt refreshing to be back in control of my feed, to receive strictly chronological updates instead of having an algorithmic middleman trying to sell me stuff.

This inspired me to set up a home server or lab to fully take control of my digital consumption.

Looking Forward

In the future, I hope it becomes a great space for me to experiment with and configure different things that appeal to me, fueling my curiosity even further. But most importantly—it’s all about having fun.