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Setting Up a Homelab

By Lint8590 Level 1

You want a server in your house, under your control. Not a cloud VM you pay for every month.

A homelab. You probably already have everything you need. That old laptop in the closet? The desktop you replaced last year? Those work fine. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Just needs to run Linux.

What You’ll End Up With

A computer on your network that stays on 24/7. You SSH into it from your main machine. On it you’ll run services: a media server, a database, a website, anything you want. Nobody else touches it. It’s yours.

Method 1: Old Computer

If you’ve got an old machine gathering dust, that’s your homelab. Doesn’t matter if it’s slow. My first homelab was a 2012 laptop with a broken screen.

What You Need

  • A computer. Anything with a 64-bit CPU from the last 15 years.
  • At least 2GB RAM. 4GB is better.
  • A USB drive, 8GB or bigger.
  • Another computer to create the USB installer.

Steps

1. Download Ubuntu Server

Go to ubuntu.com/download/server and grab the latest LTS version. LTS means “Long Term Support” - you get updates for 5 years without needing to upgrade.

2. Make a bootable USB

On Mac:

# Find your USB drive (be careful with this)
diskutil list
# Unmount and write the image
sudo dd if=ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso of=/dev/diskX bs=1m

On Windows, use Rufus or balenaEtcher. They both have simple GUIs.

3. Connect Ethernet

Plug an Ethernet cable into the machine. The installer needs to download packages — WiFi can ask for credentials mid-setup, and Ubuntu Server handles wired connections without any config. If Ethernet is not an option, you can still use WiFi, but expect a few extra prompts.

4. Install

Plug the USB into the old machine and boot from it. How you get to the boot menu depends on the manufacturer:

  • Most modern systems: ESC or F2
  • Dell: F12
  • HP: F9
  • Lenovo: F12 or Fn+F12
  • Older boards: F2, F10, F12, or Del

Mash ESC or F2 right after you hit the power button. One of them will get you there.

The installer walks you through everything. Most defaults are fine. When it asks for a username, pick something short. You’ll be typing it a lot.

4. Find it on your network

After install completes and the machine reboots, log in and run:

ip addr show

Look for something like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x. That’s its IP address.

5. Remove the screen

From your main computer:

ssh yourusername@192.168.x.x

You’re in. You can put the old machine somewhere out of the way, like a closet, basement, or under a desk. It doesn’t need a monitor or keyboard anymore.

What You’ve Got

A Linux server you can install anything on. Docker, Nginx, databases, game servers. Whatever you want to learn. You can break it and fix it without consequences because nothing important is on it.

Method 2: Mini PC

Maybe you don’t have an old computer, or you want something smaller and quieter. A mini PC is the way to go.

What to Buy

ModelRAMStoragePriceVibe
Intel N100 box8GB256GB$120-180Entry level, sips power
Beelink SER516GB500GB$250-350More room to grow
GMKtec NucBox8GB256GB$120-200Budget pick

Any of these will run a dozen Docker containers without breaking a sweat.

What to Look For

  • At least 8GB RAM. Docker alone can eat a few gigs. You want headroom.
  • An Ethernet port. WiFi works but Ethernet is more reliable for a server.
  • USB 3.0. For adding external storage later.
  • SSD, not eMMC. eMMC is slow and wears out faster. NVMe is ideal.

Setup

Same install process as Method 1 - download Ubuntu Server, make a USB, boot from it. Mini PCs usually use F7 or F10 for the boot menu (also try ESC).

A few things I’d do differently on a mini PC:

Set up Wake-on-LAN in the BIOS if you want the ability to power it on remotely. Not essential but nice to have.

Put it somewhere with airflow. Mini PCs throttle when they get hot. A shelf with space around it is fine. Inside a closed cabinet is not.

Why a Mini PC Over an Old Desktop

  • Power draw is 10-20W instead of 100-300W. That’s real money over a year.
  • Silent or close to it. You can put it in your living room.
  • Small enough to mount behind a monitor or on a wall.
  • New hardware with a warranty.

Next Steps

You’ve got a server running. Now learn Networking Basics so you know how to reach it and what all those numbers mean.

Next Steps