Below is the docker compose file just to get CouchDB up and running:

version: "3.8"

services:
  couchdb-obsidian-livesync:
    container_name: obsidian-livesync #shortened name
    image: couchdb:3.3.3
    environment:
      - PUID=99
      - PGID=100
      - UMASK=0022
      - TZ=Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh
      - COUCHDB_USER=obsidian_user # optionally change me
      - COUCHDB_PASSWORD=obsidian_password # definitely change me
    volumes:
      - ./data:/opt/couchdb/data
      - ./etc/local.d:/opt/couchdb/etc/local.d
      - ./log:/opt/couchdb/var/log/couchdb # Added log volume
    ports:
      - "5984:5984"
    restart: unless-stopped
    labels:
      - net.unraid.docker.webui=http://[IP]:[PORT:5984]/_utils # This might need to be manually adjusted for the web UI
      - net.unraid.docker.icon=https://couchdb.apache.org/image/couch@2x.png
      - net.unraid.docker.shell=bash
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD", "curl", "-f", "http://localhost:5984/_up"] # Healthcheck for CouchDB
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      retries: 3
      start_period: 5s

CouchDB – Initial Configuration

1. Go to the CouchDB admin page by going here: http://10.10.10.13:5984/_utils make sure to use your server’s IP address.

2. Login using the credentials you set in the Docker compose file.

3. Click on the <-> icon on the top left, it will expand the menu from simple icons to icons with text which will make following this guide easier.

4. Click on Setup on the left menu.

5. Click on Configure as Single Node and enter the same credentials from the Docker compose file into the Specify your Admin credentials fields.

6. Leave everything else the same and click Configure Node.

CouchDB – Verify Installation

1. Let’s verify the CouchDB installation by clicking Verify on the left menu.

2. Click Verify Installation and if everything is good, a popup banner should popup saying Success! Your CouchDB installation is working. Time to Relax. along with 6 check marks next to each item in the table.

CouchDB – Create Database

1. Click on the Databases on the left menu.

2. Click on Create Database on the top right.

3. Under Database Name enter obsidiandb, or whatever you like. Advice: if you intend to use this setup for multiple users, each user will need their own database, so I recommend naming the database to include the user’s first name like: obsidiandb_john or obsidiandb_jane just to make it easier in the future.

4. Under Partitioning select Non-partitioned - recommended for most workloads. Once the database is created, you should be redirected to the new database’s config page. You don’t have to do anything here.

CouchDB – Configuration

1. Click on Configuration on the left main menu. The following 9 config entries are what the script was intended to do automatically but I wanted to do it manually. Click on + Add Option on the top right for each entry:

2. Section: chttpd Name: require_valid_user Value: true

3. Section: chttpd_auth Name: require_valid_user Value: true

4. Section: httpd Name: WWW-Authenticate Value: Basic realm="couchdb"

5. Section: httpd Name: enable_cors Value: true

6. Section: chttpd Name: enable_cors Value: true

7. Section: chttpd Name: max_http_request_size Value: 4294967296

8. Section: couchdb Name: max_document_size Value: 50000000

9. Section: cors Name: credentials Value: true

10. Section: cors Name: origins Value: `app://obsidian.md,capacitor://localhost,http://localhost

Obsidian – Windows 11 Client

1. Download and install the Windows 11 Obsidian client from here.

2. Once installed, open Obsidian.

3. Next to Create new vault click the Create button next.

4. In the Vault name field, name your Vault whatever you like, I simply named mine Vault. You can think of a vault as a "master folder" that contains all your folders and notes. Some users have different vaults for different aspects of their lives, such as Work or Personal but I keep everything under one vault for ease of use.

5. Next setting is Location, click Browse. This is where your vault will be locally saved. I created an Obsidian folder in the Documents folder but you can put it anywhere you like.

6. Click Create and Obsidian should open up to your newly created vault with 3 window panes. Next step is to setup the LiveSync plugin.

Obsidian – LiveSync Plugin

1. Click on options button (sprocket icon) on the bottom left area.

2. Click Community plugins and click on the Turn on community plugins button after reading the risk disclosure.

3. Next to Community plugins click on the Browse button.

4. Search for Self-hosted LiveSync.

5. Only 1 plugin should show up and that’s the one by voratamoroz, click on it.

6. Click the Install button and let it install.

7. Click the Enable button.

8. Click Open setting dialog button.

9. Click Options button.

10. Under Settings for Self-hosted LiveSync. you should see a row of 8 buttons, click on the 4th button with the satellite icon.

11. This is where we will enter the self-hosted CouchDB details. Next to Remote Type make sure CouchDB is selected from the drop down menu.

12. In the URI field type http://10.10.10.13:5984 make sure to change to your server IP and port. (Open the container online with HAProxy)

13. In the Username field type osidian_user or whatever you used in the docker compose.

14. Same for Password field.

15. In the Database name field type obsidiandb or whatever you named your database earlier in CouchDB.

16. Click the Test button to test the connection to the CouchDB database. Assuming everything is working properly a text popup should say Connected to obsidiandb successfully.

17. Click the Check button to confirm the database was configured properly, there should be a purple checkmark next to each line item. If not, there should be a Fix button next to the item that you can click for it to either create or correct for you, but I prefer to manually do it myself.

18. Assuming everything is good up to this point, click the Apply button next to Apply Settings.

19. Optional but recommended: scroll down to the End-to-end encryption and toggle it on and set a passphrase. Please remember this passphrase as all your other devices must have matching passphrases for it to be able to decrypt your notes. Click the red button Just apply.

20. On the top menu, under Settings for Self-hosted LiveSync. you should see a row of 8 buttons, click on the 5th button with the refresh icon.

21. Next to Sync mode select LiveSync from the drop down menu.

22. You can close the settings windows out, on the top right of the notes you should see Sync: zZz which means everything is working properly and the sync is in standby mode until you start typing something.

23. Repeat the above instructions for all other devices.

Reverse Proxy

I highly recommend putting this behind at least a reverse proxy, I use Nginx Proxy Manager in conjunction with Cloudflare Tunnels. You will definitely need to if you plan on using mobile devices as they require HTTPS.

Vim modes

Vim has several operating modes. The main ones are :

• Normal mode: The default mode for navigating and executing commands.
• Insert mode: To insert text.
• Visual mode: To select text.
• Command mode: To execute specific commands.
  

Switching between modes

• Esc: Return to Normal mode.
• i: Switch to Insert mode to the left of the cursor.
• a: Switch to Insert mode to the right of the cursor.
• v: Switch to Visual mode.
• (colon): Switch to Command mode from Normal mode.
  

Navigation

Navigating efficiently is crucial in Vim. Here are some basic commands:

• h: Move the cursor to the left.
• j: Move the cursor down.
• k: Move the cursor upwards.
• l: Move the cursor to the right.
• w: Go to the beginning of the next word.
• b: Go to the beginning of the previous word.
• 0: Go to the beginning of the line.
• $ : Go to the end of the line.
• gg: Go to the beginning of the file.
• G: Go to the end of the file.
  

Text Editing

Vim offers a host of commands for editing text efficiently.

Insert text

• i: Insert before the cursor.
• I: Insert at the beginning of the line.
• a: Insert after the cursor.
• A: Insert at the end of the line.
• o: Insert a new line underneath.
• O: Insert a new line above.
  

Delete from text

• x: Delete the character below the cursor.
• dd: Delete the entire line.
• dw: Delete to the beginning of the next word.
• D: Delete to the end of the line.
  

Copy and Paste

• yy: Copy (yank) the entire line.
• yw: Copy the next word.
• p: Paste after the cursor.
• P: Paste before the cursor.
  

Undo and Redo

• u: Cancel the last order.
• Ctrl + r: Restore a cancelled command.
  

Search and replacement

Searching for and replacing text are common operations in file editing.

Search

• /: Search forwards in the file.
• ?: Search backwards in the file.
• n: Go to the next occurrence.
• N: Go to the previous occurrence.
  

Replacement

• :s/old/new: Replace the first occurrence on the current line.
• :s/old/new/g: Replace all occurrences on the current line.
• :%s/old/new/g: Replace all occurrences in the entire file.
  

File Management

File management commands are essential for opening, saving and closing files.

• :e file_name: Open a file.
• :w: Save the current file.
• :w filename: Save under another name.
• :q: Exit Vim.
• :q! Quit without saving.
• :wq: Save and exit.
  

Conclusion

Vim is a powerful tool that can dramatically improve your workflow. Start with these basic commands and explore the many advanced features Vim has to offer. With practice, you’ll find that Vim becomes an indispensable tool in your development arsenal.

Why choose Bitwarden?

1. High-level safety

Security is Bitwarden’s top priority. Here are some of the security features that make Bitwarden a first choice option:

• End-to-endencryption: All passwords and sensitive data are encrypted locally on your device before being sent to Bitwarden’s servers. This means that only you can decrypt your data.
• Open Source: Bitwarden’s source code is open and available for public review on GitHub. This allows the community to check the integrity of the code and contribute to its improvement.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Bitwarden supports a variety of two-factor authentication methods to add an extra layer of security to your account.
  

2. Ease of use

Bitwarden is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, you will find Bitwarden’s interface simple and user-friendly.

• Browser extensions: Bitwarden offers extensions for all popular browsers, allowing you to automatically fill in your passwords and save them directly from your browser.
• Mobile applications: Bitwarden applications for iOS and Android allow you to manage your passwords on the move.
• Desktop Application and Web Interface: You can access your passwords from any device thanks to Bitwarden’s desktop applications and web interface.
  

3. Multi-device synchronisation

Bitwarden synchronises your passwords and other sensitive data on all your devices in real time. Whether you add a new password on your phone or computer, it will be immediately available on all your other devices.

4. Advanced features

Bitwarden offers a range of advanced features that make it more than just a password manager:

• Password Generator: Bitwarden can generate strong, unique passwords for each account, minimising security risks.
• Secure Sharing: You can share passwords and other sensitive information securely with other Bitwarden users.
• Secure Note Storage: In addition to passwords, Bitwarden allows you to store secure notes, credit card information and other sensitive data.
  

5. Affordable and flexible plans

Bitwarden offers a feature-rich free version, as well as affordable premium plans that add extra functionality:

• Free Plan: Includes most of the basic functions, sufficient for personal use.
• Premium Plan: For a small fee, you get advanced features such as two-factor authentication with U2F keys, 1GB of encrypted file storage, and password health reports.
• Family and business plans: Bitwarden also offers plans for families and businesses, facilitating the shared management of passwords and sensitive information.
  

Conclusion

Bitwarden stands out as one of the best password management solutions thanks to its robust security, ease of use and flexibility. Whether you are looking to secure your personal accounts or manage your corporate passwords, Bitwarden offers a complete and reliable solution.

Useful links

• Official website of Bitwarden
• Bitwarden documentation
• Bitwarden GitHub repository
  

Share your experiences with Bitwarden and ask your questions in the comments section!

Why choose PeerTube?

1. Decentralisation

PeerTube is based on a decentralised architecture, which means that videos are hosted on several independent servers instead of a single centralised platform. This reduces dependency on a single entity and improves resilience and confidentiality.

2. Open Source and Free

PeerTube is entirely open source, allowing users to modify and customise the software to suit their needs. You can visit the PeerTube GitHub repository to access the source code, suggest improvements or report problems.

3. Total control

By hosting your own instance of PeerTube, you have complete control over content, privacy settings and moderation policies. This allows you to create a video sharing environment that perfectly matches your needs and values.

4. Interoperability

PeerTube allows different PeerTube servers to be interconnected via the ActivityPub protocol, enabling users to share and discover videos between different servers. This encourages a global community while allowing local autonomy.

5. Easy to install

Installing PeerTube via Docker Compose is quick and easy, allowing you to deploy a video sharing server in just a few minutes.

Installing PeerTube with Docker Compose

Installing PeerTube via Docker Compose is straightforward. Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up PeerTube on your server.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure that Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your server. You can install them using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

Creating the Docker Compose file

Create a docker-compose.yml file in a directory of your choice. This file will contain the configuration needed to deploy PeerTube. Use the following code to configure PeerTube:

version: '3'

services:
  peertube:
    image: chocobozzz/peertube:latest
    container_name: peertube
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
    volumes:
      - ./peertube_data:/var/www/peertube
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=production
      - DATABASE_URL=postgres://peertube:peertube@db:5432/peertube
      - REDIS_URL=redis://redis:6379
    depends_on:
      - db
      - redis
    restart: always

  db:
    image: postgres:latest
    container_name: peertube-db
    volumes:
      - ./db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=peertube
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=peertube
      - POSTGRES_DB=peertube

  redis:
    image: redis:latest
    container_name: peertube-redis
    volumes:
      - ./redis_data:/data

Explanations

• peertube:
• image: Indicates the official PeerTube Docker image.
• container_name: Name of the container for easy identification.
• ports: Map port 9000 on the container to port 9000 on the host to access the PeerTube web interface.
• volumes: Create a local directory to store persistent PeerTube data. Create the peertube_data directory in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file.
• environment: Defines the environment variables needed to configure PeerTube.
  
• db:
• image: Indicates the official Docker image of PostgreSQL, the database used by PeerTube.
• container_name: Name of the container for easy identification.
• volumes: Create a local directory to store the database data. Create the db_data directory in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file.
• environment: Defines the environment variables for configuring PostgreSQL.
  
• again:
• image: Indicates the official Redis Docker image, used for caching and sessions.
• container_name: Name of the container for easy identification.
• volumes: Create a local directory to store Redis data. Create the redis_data directory in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file.
  

Launch PeerTube

Once you have created the docker-compose.yml file, launch PeerTube with the following command:

sudo docker-compose up -d

This command downloads the Docker images, creates the containers, and starts PeerTube, PostgreSQL, and Redis in the background. You can access the PeerTube web interface by opening a browser and navigating to http://:9000.

Initial configuration

When you first connect to the PeerTube interface, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial configuration. You will then be able to create users, customise settings and start sharing videos.

Conclusion

PeerTube is a powerful and flexible platform for creating and managing a decentralised video-sharing network. With its easy installation via Docker Compose and extensive customisation capabilities, PeerTube is an excellent choice for those looking to manage their own video-sharing platform while respecting decentralisation and privacy.

Useful links

• PeerTube official website
• PeerTube GitHub repository
• Official PeerTube documentation
  

Share your experiences with PeerTube and ask your questions in the comments section!

Why choose Plex?

1. Centralised organisation

Plex lets you centralise all your media – whether films, TV series, music or photos – in a single library that can be accessed from any device. You can easily organise and categorise your content for quick and intuitive access.

2. Streaming on All Devices

Plex supports the streaming of your media to a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart TVs. Whether you’re at home or on the move, you can access your media wherever you are.

3. Elegant and intuitive interface

The Plex interface is modern and easy to navigate. It offers detailed information about your media, such as film posters, series summaries and information about music artists, enhancing your viewing experience.

4. Advanced features

Plex offers advanced features such as offline synchronisation, metadata management and the ability to share your library with other users. The Plex Pass version offers even more features, such as live streaming and TV recording.

5. Ease of installation

Installing Plex via Docker Compose is quick and easy, allowing you to quickly configure your personal media server.

Installing Plex with Docker Compose

Installing Plex via Docker Compose is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to configuring Plex on your server.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure that Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your server. You can install them using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

Creating the Docker Compose file

Create a docker-compose.yml file in a directory of your choice. This file will contain the configuration needed to deploy Plex. Use the following code to configure Plex:

version: '3'

services:
  plex:
    image: plexinc/pms-docker:latest
    container_name: plex
    ports:
      - "32400:32400"
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - ./data:/data
    restart: always
    environment:
      - PLEX_CLAIM=your_plex_claim_token
      - ADVERTISE_IP=http://<your-server-ip>:32400/
      - PLEX_UID=1000
      - PLEX_GID=1000

Explanations

• image: Indicates the official Plex Docker image.
• container_name: Name of the container for easy identification.
• ports: Maps port 32400 on the container to port 32400 on the host to access the Plex web interface.
• volumes: Set up local directories to store Plex configurations and data. Create the config and data directories in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file.
• environment: Sets the environment variables required for Plex. Replace your_plex_claim_token with your Plex claim token. You can obtain a token from Plex Claim.
  

Launch Plex

Once you have created the docker-compose.yml file, run Plex with the following command:

sudo docker-compose up -d

This command downloads the Docker image, creates the container and starts Plex in the background. You can access the Plex web interface by opening a browser and navigating to http://:32400/web.

Initial configuration

When you first connect to the Plex interface, you’ll need to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial configuration. You will be able to add your media libraries, configure your server settings, and invite users to share your content.

Conclusion

Plex is a complete solution for managing and distributing your personal media. Easy to install via Docker Compose and packed with features, it transforms the way you access your media content. Using Plex, you can create a personal media centre that meets all your entertainment needs.

Useful links

• Official Plex website
• Plex GitHub repository
• Official Plex documentation
  

Share your experiences with Plex and ask your questions in the comments section!

Why choose Portainer?

1. User-friendly graphical interface

Portainer offers an easy-to-use graphical interface for managing your Docker containers. You can view, deploy and manage your services, volumes and networks from a centralised dashboard.

2. Multi-host management

Portainer allows you to manage multiple Docker hosts from a single interface. This is particularly useful for production environments or clustered deployments, where you can monitor and control several Docker servers at the same time.

3. Image and container management

With Portainer, you can easily pull, delete and manage Docker images. It also makes it easy to deploy new containers and manage those already running.

4. Ease of installation

Installing Portainer is quick and easy, especially when using Docker Compose. You can configure and start up Portainer in just a few minutes.

5. Security and User Management

Portainer allows you to manage users and permissions, giving you granular control over access and authorised operations in your Docker environment.

Installing Portainer with Docker Compose

Installing Portainer via Docker Compose is a simple process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up Portainer on your server.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure that Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your server. You can install them using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

Creating the Docker Compose file

Create a docker-compose.yml file in a directory of your choice. This file will contain the configuration required to deploy Portainer. Use the following code to configure Portainer:

version: '3'

services:
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
    container_name: portainer
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer_data:/data
    restart: always

volumes:
  portainer_data:

Explanations

• image: Indicates the official Portainer Docker image.
• container_name: Name of the container for easy identification.
• ports: Maps port 9000 on the container to port 9000 on the host to access the web interface.
• volumes: Mounts the Docker socket and a volume for storing persistent Portainer data.
• restart: Configures the container to restart automatically in the event of a problem.
  

Launch Portainer

Once you have created the docker-compose.yml file, run Portainer with the following command:

sudo docker-compose up -d

This command downloads the Docker image, creates the container and starts Portainer in the background. You can access the Portainer web interface by opening a browser and navigating to http://:9000.

Initial configuration

When you first connect to the Portainer interface, you will need to create an administrator user and configure access to your Docker hosts. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial configuration.

Conclusion

Portainer is an essential tool for anyone working with Docker. With its user-friendly graphical interface and powerful features, it makes it easy to manage Docker containers and hosts. Installation with Docker Compose is quick and easy, allowing you to deploy Portainer in no time.

Useful links

• Official Portainer website
• Portainer GitHub repository
• Official Portainer documentation
  

Share your experiences with Portainer and ask your questions in the comments section!

Why choose Uptime Kuma?

1. Open Source and Free

Uptime Kuma is an open source tool, which means that you can access the source code free of charge, modify it and adapt it to your needs. This approach guarantees transparency and flexibility. You can consult the Uptime Kuma GitHub repository to access the code, report bugs or contribute to development.

2. Ease of installation and use

Uptime Kuma is designed to be easy to install and use. Its official documentation guides users through the configuration steps. The user interface is intuitive, enabling rapid management of monitors and simplified configuration of alerts.

3. Multimodal surveillance

Uptime Kuma offers comprehensive monitoring using multiple protocols such as HTTP(s), TCP, and ICMP. This makes it possible to monitor various types of services and quickly detect problems before they affect users.

4. Alerts and Notifications

You can set up alerts to let you know if there are any problems with your services. Uptime Kuma supports a variety of notification channels, including email and Slack, ensuring that you stay informed of interruptions or failures in real time.

5. Alternative to Paid Services

Uptime Kuma is a free alternative to paid monitoring tools such as Uptime Robot and Pingdom. It offers similar functionality at no cost, making it an attractive option for users looking to monitor their services at no extra cost.

Installing Uptime Kuma with Docker Compose

Installing Uptime Kuma via Docker Compose is quick and easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to configuring this tool on your server.

Prerequisites

Before installing Uptime Kuma, make sure that Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your server. You can install them using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

Creating the Docker Compose file

Create a docker-compose.yml file in a directory of your choice. This file will contain the configuration needed to deploy Uptime Kuma. Use the following code to configure Uptime Kuma:

version: '3'

services:
  uptime-kuma:
    image: louislam/uptime-kuma:latest
    container_name: uptime-kuma
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: always

Explanations

• image: Indicates the official Uptime Kuma Docker image.
• container_name: Name of the container for easy identification.
• ports: Maps container ports to host ports. Ports 80 and 443 are exposed for HTTP and HTTPS.
• volumes: Create a local volume to store persistent data. Create the data directory in the same directory as your docker-compose.yml file.
• restart: Configures the container to restart automatically in the event of a problem.
  

Lancer Uptime Kuma

Once you have created the docker-compose.yml file, run Uptime Kuma with the following command:

sudo docker-compose up -d

This command downloads the Docker image, creates the container and starts Uptime Kuma in the background. You can access the Uptime Kuma web interface by opening a browser and navigating to http://.

Initial configuration

After accessing the Uptime Kuma interface, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial configuration. You’ll be able to add services to be monitored, set up alerts and customise settings to suit your needs.

Conclusion

Uptime Kuma is an open source monitoring solution that offers a free and effective alternative to paid monitoring tools. With its extensive functionality and user-friendly interface, it’s ideal for monitoring your online services. Using Docker Compose for installation, you can easily deploy Uptime Kuma on your server.

Useful links

• Uptime Kuma official website
• Uptime Kuma GitHub repository
• Official Uptime Kuma documentation
  

Share your impressions and ask your questions in the comments section!

Introduction to Synology

What is a NAS?

A NAS, or Network Attached Storage, is a storage device connected to your home or office network. Unlike a traditional external hard drive, a NAS allows multiple users and devices to access and share data centrally. Synology stands out for its performance, reliability and user-friendly interface.

Why choose Synology?

Here are a few reasons why Synology is an excellent choice for a NAS :

1. Easy to use: Synology’s DSM (DiskStation Manager) interface is intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners.
2. Security: Synology offers robust backup and restore options, as well as data protection tools such as encryption and snapshots.
3. Flexibility: With a wide range of models, Synology offers solutions adapted to all needs, from home storage to corporate infrastructures.
4. Rich Ecosystem: Synology has a vast library of applications to extend the functionality of your NAS, such as media servers, backup solutions, and more.
   

Installing and configuring your Synology NAS

Preparation

Before you start, make sure you have the following items:

• Your Synology NAS
• Compatible hard drives
• Internet connection
• A computer for initial configuration
  

Physical installation

1. Insert the hard disks: Open the casing of your NAS and insert the hard disks into the available bays. Follow the instructions specific to your model.
2. Connect the NAS: Plug your NAS into a power socket and connect it to your router via an Ethernet cable.
   

Initial configuration

1. Turn on the NAS: Press the power button to start the NAS.
2. Access the DSM interface: Use a web browser to navigate to “find.synology.com” or the local IP of your NAS. Follow the on-screen instructions to install DSM.
3. Create an admin account: Set up an administrator account to secure access to your NAS.
4. Configure RAID: Synology offers a hybrid technology, Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR) and SHR-2, offering redundancy of 1 or 2 disks. Unlike traditional RAIDs, SHR allows greater flexibility, making it easier to add disks of different sizes while optimising the use of storage space. SHR-2 offers additional protection by tolerating the failure of two disks simultaneously, which is particularly useful for critical storage configurations.
   

Synology Essential Features

File Management

Synology makes file management easy with File Station, a web application that makes browsing, transferring and organizing your files a breeze.

Backup and Restore

1. Hyper Backup: This application lets you schedule and run backups to different locations (external disks, other NAS, cloud services).
2. Snapshot Replication: Capture the state of your files and folders at specific times to make it easier to restore them if necessary.
   

Multimedia server

Turn your NAS into a multimedia hub with applications like Video Station, Audio Station and Photo Station. Access your movies, music and photos from any connected device.

Remote Access

With QuickConnect, access your NAS from anywhere without setting up complicated port forwarding rules. Synology also offers mobile applications to manage and access your data on the go.

Security

1. Data encryption: Protect your sensitive data with AES 256-bit encryption.
2. Firewall and Protection: Configure firewall rules and enable features such as brute force attack protection to secure your NAS.
   

Applications and Extensions

Synology’s Package Center offers a multitude of applications to extend the capabilities of your NAS. Whether you need a mail server, a content management system or a monitoring solution, there is an application for it.

Synology: A solid base for your Homelab

One of the great things about a Synology NAS is that it’s a great base from which to start your own homelab. With the ability to install Docker directly on the NAS, you can experiment and deploy a multitude of containers for different services and applications. Whether you want to set up a development environment, test software, or manage services such as web servers and databases, Synology offers a flexible and powerful platform.

Why Docker on Synology?

Docker allows you to deploy applications in isolated containers, simplifying the management and isolation of services. By using Docker on your Synology NAS, you can :

• Deploy applications quickly: With Docker, it’s easy to deploy applications in just a few minutes thanks to predefined images available on Docker Hub.
• Manage dependencies: each container includes all the dependencies needed to run the application, avoiding version conflicts and simplifying updates.
• Optimising resources: Docker is lightweight and uses resources efficiently, which is ideal for a homelab.
• Experiment without risk: test new applications and configurations without affecting your main environment.
  

To install Docker on your Synology NAS, simply go to Package Center and search for Docker. Once installed, you can start deploying containers using Synology’s web interface or Docker commands via SSH.

Conclusion

Synology offers a complete and flexible NAS solution to meet a variety of needs, whether for home or business use. With its advanced features and user-friendly interface, a Synology NAS can transform your data management. In addition to serving as centralized storage, it can also be the ideal starting point for creating your own homelab, allowing you to discover and exploit the full potential of Docker and other innovative technologies. Feel free to explore all the possibilities offered by Synology to maximise the efficiency and security of your information.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! Don’t forget to share this article if you found it useful.

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Note: The instructions and features mentioned in this article are based on a typical configuration and may need to be adjusted to suit your specific environment.

Introduction to Docker

What is Docker?

Docker is an open source platform that automates the deployment of applications in software containers. These containers are lightweight, fast and portable, and contain everything an application needs to run: code, runtime, system libraries, etc.

Why use Docker?

Here are some of the main advantages of Docker :

1. Portability: Docker containers can be run anywhere – on your local machine, in the cloud, or on on-premise servers – without having to worry about differences in system configuration.
2. Isolation: Each container operates in isolation, which means that applications do not overlap or cause conflicts.
3. Resource efficiency: Unlike virtual machines, containers share the same system kernel and don’t need a complete OS, which significantly reduces resource usage.
4. Ease of management: Docker simplifies the process of updating and deploying applications, thanks to tools like Docker Compose.
   

Quick installation of Docker

Installing Docker

To install Docker on a Debian-based distribution such as Ubuntu, run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install docker.io apparmor -y

Installing Docker Compose

Docker Compose is a tool that lets you define and manage multi-container applications. To install it, use the following commands:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.19.1/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Checking the installation

To check that Docker Compose has been correctly installed, run :

docker-compose --version

Useful commands for Docker

Creating and launching containers with Docker Compose

To create and launch containers defined in a docker-compose.yml file, use :

sudo docker-compose up --build --remove-orphans -d

Deleting containers with Docker Compose

To stop and delete containers, networks and volumes defined in the docker-compose.yml file :

sudo docker-compose down

Updating a container

To update a container, follow these steps:

1. Stop containers :
   
2. List Docker images :
   
3. Delete the image of the container to be updated:
   
4. Recreate and relaunch containers :
   

Accessing a container via SSH

To access a running container via SSH :

sudo docker exec -it container-name /bin/bash

Note: Use /bin/sh if /bin/bash is not available.

sudo docker exec -it container-name /bin/sh

View container logs

To monitor a container’s logs in real time :

sudo docker logs -f container-name

Conclusion

Docker offers a powerful and flexible solution for deploying and managing applications. Whether you’re a developer, system administrator or just curious, Docker can transform the way you work with software. Feel free to try out the commands above and explore further the possibilities offered by this revolutionary technology.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below! Don’t forget to share this article if you found it useful.

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Note: The controls and instructions mentioned in this article are based on a typical configuration and may need to be adjusted to suit your specific environment.