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Why I run FreeBSD for my home servers (2024)

(aumont.fr)
185 points psxuaw | 1 comments | 31 Mar 25 12:59 UTC | HN request time: 0.204s | source
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briandear ◴[31 Mar 25 16:08 UTC] No.43536614[source]▶
Curious what “home servers” are really for. I’ve gone decades without needing a home server — what am I missing out on?
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1. idatum ◴[31 Mar 25 17:14 UTC] No.43537339[source]▶
I use both a home server and a cloud VM, and they work together. I'm thankfully able to use FreeBSD 14 on my cloud VM (just a preference).

I push data from my home server for easy access on my cloud VM. For example, weather data from my weather station, images/time-lapses from my weather cam. I have no ports open to my home network. Basically just fun stuff without exposing my home network.

I use the cloud VM as an SSH "jump box" into my home network. My OpenBSD box sets up a remote SSH tunnel port. I can then use the SSH -J option to jump through the cloud VM into that home OpenBSD box (as well as chain "jumps" to other home servers).

    * This way I don't need any home server to trust a cloud VM.

    * This mostly is for checking on my Home Assistant instance.

    * I've also fixed some things remotely with an SSH session.
Do I need all this? Well, would be less fun without.