this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2025
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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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[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Almost all of selfhosting is editing config files, setting permissions and starting/stopping services.

Setting it up so you can administer a server by desktop is probably as hard as learning how to edit config files from a terminal. Maybe harder.

[–] TMP_NKcYUEoM7kXg4qYe@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Yep my thoughts. New selfhosters think the hard part of selfhosting is command line but that's "kinda" like thinking that the hard part of math is writing numbers on paper. Terminal is just the medium, not the complex part. Navigating filesystem and editing files is easier on the desktop but changing permissions and managing services would be be extremely difficult for a newbie without using the terminal because (almost) every online tutorial uses terminal. OP would have to learn how to translate the terminal command to its desktop counterpart at which point they might as well use the terminal.

OP also has an XY problem. They asked for a system which does not require terminal usage but they should have actually asked for an easy to set up system. People are recommending things like Yunohost though, so it's fine in the end.

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 14 hours ago

OP also has an XY problem.

Oh god, that... I recently realized that I've been fighting that concept with one of my cars for over a year now. Just this week, I finally figured out the right troubleshooting path 😂