Daniel Maksymilian Syrnicki
877f05324c
Reflects actual project state from Robert/Daniel discussions — Arch already running on Proxmox, webapp prototype working, and long-term Proxmox-style business model. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
86 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
86 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
# Homebase
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**Open-source home server OS — simple enough for everyone.**
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Turn any x86 PC into a powerful, self-hosted home server with an app-store experience. No terminal skills required.
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## Vision
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People are tired of big companies knowing everything about them. Synology NAS comes close to solving this, but it's expensive and still too complicated for most people.
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Homebase aims to be:
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- **As easy to install as Windows** — boot from USB, click through a wizard, done
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- **As easy to use as an app store** — want Nextcloud? Click install, pick a name, wait a few minutes, and you have `nextcloud.yourdomain.de`
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- **Container-based** — everything runs in Docker, with sensible default configs
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- **Built for normal people** — your dad should be able to run his own cloud server
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- **Fully open source** — with an optional support/infrastructure subscription (Proxmox model)
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## Principles
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- **Everything already exists** — We're not inventing, we're connecting. Docker, reverse proxies, Let's Encrypt — it all works. We just wire it together with default configs and a simple wrapper.
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- **Dogfooding** — We build what we use ourselves. If we wouldn't run it at home, we don't ship it.
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- **Two-tier UX** — Dead simple for beginners (click Install, done), full control for advanced users (SSH in, edit configs, do whatever you want).
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## Architecture
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```
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+------------------+
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| Web UI | <- Simple admin panel / app store
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+------------------+
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| Settings | <- UI/API wrapper that generates Docker configs
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| Wrapper | from simple user choices
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+------------------+
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| Docker | <- Containers with sensible default configs
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+------------------+
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| Gateway | <- Reverse proxy, SSL, DNS (self-hosted or managed)
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+------------------+
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| Base OS | <- Minimal Linux (leaning Arch, Debian as fallback)
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+------------------+
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| Any x86 HW | <- Old PC, mini PC, NUC, whatever
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+------------------+
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```
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## Key Decisions
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| Decision | Status | Notes |
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| Base OS | Leaning Arch | Robert already has Arch running on Proxmox and is building custom images. Debian remains fallback (FAI, Proxmox ecosystem). |
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| Containers | Docker | Lower overhead than VMs, easier default configs |
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| Installation | Web-based wizard | Robert's webapp prototype (device reader + form → JSON) is working |
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| Gateway | Flexible | Own reverse proxy OR managed through our infrastructure |
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| UI approach | UI-first | Design the simplest possible UI, then build everything to match |
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## Inspiration
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- **Azure Local** — cluster management for enterprises, we want this for home users
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- **Proxmox community-scripts** — great base, but VM-focused (more overhead)
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- **Synology DSM** — closest to our UX goal, but proprietary and expensive
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- **Home Assistant** — app-store model for smart home, we want this for all services
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## Roadmap
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- [x] Installer webapp prototype — device reader + form → JSON (Robert)
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- [x] Arch running on Proxmox, custom image builds in progress (Robert)
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- [ ] UI mockups / drafts (Robert)
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- [ ] Base OS finalized (Arch vs Debian)
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- [ ] First containerized service (Nextcloud?)
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- [ ] Gateway / reverse proxy setup
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- [ ] Settings wrapper — generate Docker configs from user choices
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## Business Model
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Homebase starts as a private/personal project. The long-term model follows Proxmox:
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- **Free & open source** — anyone can download, install, and use it
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- **Paid support & managed infrastructure** — for users who want hassle-free setup
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- **Managed gateway option** — the gateway (reverse proxy, SSL, DNS) can be self-hosted or run through our managed infrastructure (potential subscription revenue)
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## Team
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- **Robert** — Architecture, UI design, webapp installer prototype
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- **Daniel** — Infrastructure, testing, DevOps
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## License
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AGPL-3.0 — open source, community-driven.
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