## /blog
In-depth guides, tutorials, and opinions on Docker Compose, self-hosting, and DevOps — written from hands-on experience.
A comprehensive guide to deploying Nextcloud with Docker Compose, including PostgreSQL, Redis, and production-ready configurations.
Your server will fail eventually. A disaster recovery plan with tested backups, documented runbooks, and automated verification ensures you can recover in hours, not days.
Go beyond basic authentication. Authentik provides SSO, OIDC, SAML, and LDAP for your self-hosted services — with a visual flow designer and Docker Compose deployment.
Stop running docker compose build after every change. Compose Watch syncs files, rebuilds, and restarts containers automatically based on file changes.
Automate workflows between your self-hosted services with n8n. Build integrations visually, trigger on webhooks, and run AI workflows — all on your own infrastructure.
Access your Docker services from anywhere without opening ports. Use Tailscale as a sidecar container, subnet router, or with Funnel for public access.
Digitize and organize all your documents with Paperless-ngx. OCR, auto-tagging, full-text search — running on Docker Compose with PostgreSQL, Redis, and Tika.
Stop maintaining separate docker-compose.override.yml files. Profiles let you group optional services and start only what you need with a single flag.
Run your own Git server with Gitea or Forgejo using Docker Compose. Private repos, built-in CI/CD, and only 50MB of RAM — a practical alternative to GitHub and GitLab.
Stop grepping through individual container logs. Set up a centralized logging stack with Loki, Promtail, and Grafana using Docker Compose — lightweight and production-ready.
Docker Desktop isn't the only option anymore. We compare OrbStack, Podman, Colima, and Rancher Desktop — with real benchmarks and practical migration tips.
A practical guide to running Docker Compose on a Raspberry Pi — which services run well, which struggle, and how to optimize for ARM and limited resources.
Practical techniques to speed up Docker Compose builds, reduce image sizes, and optimize container performance for production workloads.
How to set up Homepage as a central dashboard for all your Docker services — with live widgets, Docker integration, and service health indicators.
A step-by-step playbook for moving all your Docker services, volumes, and configurations to new hardware with minimal downtime.
Deploy your own WireGuard VPN server in 5 minutes with Docker Compose. Access your home network remotely and secure your traffic on public WiFi.
A head-to-head comparison of Caddy and Traefik for Docker Compose deployments, based on running both in production for over a year each.
Move beyond .env files: practical approaches to managing passwords, API keys, and certificates in Docker Compose deployments — from Docker secrets to external vaults.
What makes LinuxServer.io Docker images special, how to use PUID/PGID, and why they should be your first choice for self-hosted services.
How to prevent one runaway container from taking down your entire server with proper resource limits, reservations, and ulimits.
Set up Uptime Kuma in 2 minutes and get instant alerts when any of your self-hosted services go down. A practical guide to monitoring without the complexity.
How to use Docker Compose override files and profiles to manage multiple environments from a single codebase without duplicating configuration.
A hands-on review of Immich after running it for a year — setup, migration from Google Photos, performance, and the features that make it worth the switch.
The systematic approach to diagnosing and fixing common Docker Compose problems — from container crashes to networking issues to volume permission errors.
How to make your self-hosted Docker services accessible from the internet without opening any ports on your router using Cloudflare Tunnels.
How to use health checks and depends_on conditions to ensure your services start in the correct order and recover gracefully from failures.
How to protect all your self-hosted services behind a single login page using Authelia with Traefik — including 2FA and access control policies.
How to set up Watchtower to keep your Docker containers up to date automatically — with strategies for safe updates and rollback options.
Every method for passing environment variables to Docker Compose services — .env files, shell variables, env_file directive, and Docker secrets — with clear examples of when to use each.
How to run large language models, image generators, and other AI tools on your own hardware using Docker Compose — with GPU passthrough and practical examples.
Everything you need to know about Docker volumes, bind mounts, and tmpfs — with practical patterns for backing up, migrating, and managing persistent data.
A clear explanation of Docker's networking modes with practical examples showing when to use each one in your Docker Compose configurations.
An honest look at self-hosting email: what's involved, the challenges of deliverability, and when it actually makes sense.
A lightweight CI/CD pipeline using Gitea, Drone CI, or GitHub Actions with Docker Compose — no Kubernetes required.
A practical comparison of the three most popular open source databases for Docker deployments, based on real-world performance and operational experience.
A complete guide to setting up Traefik v3 with Docker Compose for automatic SSL, routing, and middleware — with practical examples for common services.
A practical guide to backing up Docker volumes, databases, and configurations with automation scripts and off-site backup strategies.
Step-by-step guide to converting your docker run commands into clean, maintainable Docker Compose files with real-world examples.
Set up professional-grade monitoring for your Docker containers using Prometheus, Grafana, and alerting — with practical dashboards you can use immediately.
A practical security checklist for hardening your Docker Compose deployments, from basic hygiene to advanced network isolation techniques.
A curated list of open source alternatives to popular SaaS products, with honest assessments of what works well and what doesn't.
A step-by-step guide to building a home lab that handles file storage, media streaming, password management, monitoring, and more — all with Docker Compose.
A practical comparison of Docker Compose and Kubernetes based on real-world experience. Learn which orchestration tool fits your project's actual needs.
The self-hosting movement is accelerating. Here's why developers are ditching SaaS subscriptions and taking control of their data with Docker Compose.