this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2026
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Homelab Documentation (lemmy.zip)
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by hellmo_luciferrari@lemmy.zip to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
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Greetings Lemmings,

I realize that self-hosting for many is just a hobby. Something they do for fun. And the topic of today is usually a "not-so-fun" part of the IT industry.

Jump Scare Warning

Documentation

I have for so long just let my lab grow organically. And months down the road an issue pops up with a service, and I have no idea how I set something up, and may not have documented it. Whether that be comments inside of configuration files, or via other means.

I have gotten marginally better at documenting within the config files or code that I am writing. However, I don't want just that as an option. So I spun myself up a Bookstack container.

I am slowly going through and creating what would amount to a full blown wiki for my setup. Doubly I can use this as part of my resume.

So I ask of you; what ways do you prefer to document? How do you keep yourself honest, and actually stick to it.

Edit: I created bash scripts that are run by a systemd service and timer. At least for my docker box.

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[โ€“] StripedMonkey@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Traditionally I open a README.md in the dir the application lives in after I configure something I will open my browser history, and dump every link I clicked into the file.

I then copy paste a choice selection of my shell history into the file.

This is the bare minimum. It's easy to do, takes like 5 minutes, and you will be happy to have it in 8 months. I would make the argument that anyone who tells you to do anything else can suck it. Do the readme first, any "better" documentation second.

Getting Into the habit of doing this matters more than a good documentation system. You will be lazy and try to get around to documenting something later. Don't let it be later. Shitty link dumps are still gold mines for your future self

[โ€“] hellmo_luciferrari@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 days ago

I am of that camp, lazy, when it comes to documentation. I have lucked out, as of now after years most if not all of what I need setup has been kept in the ol noggin. But I am building out documentation as we speak. Slowly but surely.

I do like the README.md approach.