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What OS should I use for self-hosting that doesn't require extensive terminal knowledge? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by scheep@lemmy.world to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world

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I am trying to use my old laptops for self-hosting. One has a 6th gen Intel Core i3 (4GB ram), the other has an 11th gen Intel Core i5 (8GB ram). I have previously tried both ubuntu server and desktop but couldn't get it to work well. For the former I found it difficult to remote ssh and the latter I had difficulty installing Docker containers. (I'm not very good with the command line)

I would like to find an OS that is easier to setup with less of a neccesity for the command line (I would still like to learn how to use it though, I don't want to get rid of it entirely!). I've heard of CasaOS, is that a good option? It seems quite easy to use. What about other alternatives?

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[–] N0x0n@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hey :) I'm not giving you any recommendations but want to give you my personal experience !

5 years ago I had absolutely no clue about Linux/CLI/networking/docker... You name it ! And I also wanted to repurposed and old laptop as a server.

The first distro I installed on my server was Debian ! Why? Because I remembered my brother said something along the line: "Every server infrastructure is run by Debian or a Debian derivative". So this sounded like the perfect thing to install as a server distro :) !

5 years later I'm still running Debian on this old laptop and it's going strong ! Never did it failed me except if I did something wrong over the CLI !

As you guessed it, you will need some degree of proficiency on the command line specially if you install your distro without a graphical user interface, which I would recommend... Yes, the CLI isn't easy to beginning with and you will do some mistakes that will need a full reinstall of your system... But before you learn to move, you learn to stay up right on your legs and this involves a lot a failing !!

It's not mandatory, you can install a lightweight GUI and take your time. There are a lot of application with good UI which will help you out ! However, not once did I regret to take the harder route and learned so many things along the way ! After this amount of time in the CLI, I can say I'm getting quite good In navigating my system, keeping it healthy and alive :p !

Okay, If it's a matter of time I get it ! We only have 24h a day and most of this time is already spend at work/school, family time, friends, sleep, eat ! If you're lucky enough to have 2 hours to spare to tinker arround, a UI is a good idea to keep a healthy balance between all your personal activities ! But keep in mind, both are thorny and have their fair share of issues and debug time.

Last words, have fun with your system :)

[–] scheep@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

thanks for sharing your experience :D