Hi reddit, I'm about to embark on a journey of self hosting here shortly. My family has just invested in some server rack mounted whole house backup batteries and a power inverter.

The electrical work is much more in my dad's wheelhouse but the idea of a self hosted server is pretty exciting to me and both my parents are up for a lot of my ideas. Once we get out breaker box upgraded I plan on hunting down a used rack and some surplus/recycled hardware

I've heard several names thrown around for different programs but I haven't really dove deep enough in the rabbit hole yet to truly understand what I'm getting myself into. I have some experience building my own PCs and modding games, but not a whole lot when it comes to self hosting.

I'd like to give a list of things I want from my homelab and I'm hoping you kind gents and ladies can point me in the right direction for each of these goals!

First and foremost is file storage. Everything from family photos to ripped dvd collections and music.…