Latest Posts

Your CLAUDE.md is priming the behavior it forbids

New research shows that telling an AI model 'don't mention X' loads X into its working memory. I scanned every instruction file in my repo. Here's what I found and how to fix yours.

Homelab from Zero #12: One dashboard to tie it all together

Part 12, the finale: build a single clean dashboard that links every service in your lab, so you (and everyone in the house) have one front door instead of a list of URLs to remember.

Homelab from Zero #11: Rebuild everything from one file with Docker Compose

Part 11: replace a pile of remembered docker run commands with one Compose file that defines your whole stack, version it, edit it, and rebuild the entire lab with a single command.

Homelab from Zero #10: From one box to many with Proxmox

Part 10: meet Proxmox, the free platform that splits one physical machine into several isolated virtual machines, so you can experiment without fear of breaking your main server.

Homelab from Zero #9: Reach your lab from anywhere with Tailscale

Part 9: install Tailscale and securely reach every service in your homelab from your phone, laptop, or anywhere, without opening a single port to the internet.

Homelab from Zero #8: Clean internal HTTPS with Caddy

Part 8: install Caddy as your reverse proxy and give every service a clean hostname with a real green padlock, automatic certs, no browser warnings, all inside your LAN.

Homelab from Zero #7: What a reverse proxy is and why you want one

Part 7: a plain-English explanation of reverse proxies, what problem they solve, how they work, and why your homelab needs one before you add another service.

Homelab from Zero #6: Backups that actually happen

Part 6: the 3-2-1 rule in plain English, and one automated setup with Restic that backs up your lab data overnight and lets you verify it actually works.

Homelab from Zero #5: Uptime Kuma, know when things break

Part 5: run Uptime Kuma in one container and get notified the moment any service in your lab goes down, before anyone else notices.

Homelab from Zero #4: Pi-hole, network-wide ad blocking

Part 4: run Pi-hole in one container and block ads on every device in the house (phones, TVs, the lot) without installing anything on them.

Homelab from Zero #3: Your first container with Docker

Part 3: install Docker and run your first real service, a dashboard you can open in a browser and actually show someone.

Homelab from Zero #2: Install Linux and reach it from your couch

Part 2: turn the box into a server. One USB stick, one install, and SSH so you never have to plug a monitor into it again.

Homelab from Zero #1: Pick your first machine

Start of a follow-along series. Before anything else, you need a box. Here's what actually matters when picking one, and what doesn't.

Welcome, and how this site works

A quick first note: what this site is for, and how I add new content (spoiler: it's just Markdown files).

Internal HTTPS for a homelab with Caddy

How I serve every internal service over real HTTPS on a .home domain using Caddy as a reverse proxy, no browser warnings, no manual certs.