[{"content":"A resilient archive starts with the things you would genuinely miss. Do not begin by downloading everything. Begin with an inventory.\nThe KISS version Keep the original files where possible. Use common formats such as PDF, FLAC, MP4 and JPEG. Keep one working copy and at least one backup. Store a second backup somewhere different. Check that backups can actually be opened. Review the setup once or twice a year. Preservation is not about collecting for its own sake. It is about keeping reasonable access to things you bought, created or were given permission to keep.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/posts/a-simple-personal-archive/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA resilient archive starts with the things you would genuinely miss. Do not begin by downloading everything. Begin with an inventory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-kiss-version\"\u003eThe KISS version\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep the original files where possible.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse common formats such as PDF, FLAC, MP4 and JPEG.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep one working copy and at least one backup.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStore a second backup somewhere different.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCheck that backups can actually be opened.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReview the setup once or twice a year.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreservation is not about collecting for its own sake. It is about keeping reasonable access to things you bought, created or were given permission to keep.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A simple personal archive"},{"content":"Self-hosting does not have to mean building a data centre. Start with one service that solves a real problem: a media library, photo backup, password manager or notes system.\nKeep the design boring:\nUse hardware you already own. Run one service at a time. Keep application data separate from the operating system. Back up configuration and irreplaceable files. Test restoring something before you need it. Use friendly local names and HTTPS. Document the few commands that matter. The goal is not to replace every cloud service. The goal is to make sure a company closing an account does not erase your only copy of your life.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/posts/self-hosting-without-the-rabbit-hole/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSelf-hosting does not have to mean building a data centre. Start with one service that solves a real problem: a media library, photo backup, password manager or notes system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep the design boring:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse hardware you already own.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun one service at a time.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep application data separate from the operating system.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBack up configuration and irreplaceable files.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTest restoring something before you need it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse friendly local names and HTTPS.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDocument the few commands that matter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe goal is not to replace every cloud service. The goal is to make sure a company closing an account does not erase your only copy of your life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Self-hosting without the rabbit hole"},{"content":"A disc on a shelf is not perfect, but it is understandable. A digital item tied to an account, region, server or changing licence is different: you may have paid for access without receiving lasting control.\nSony removing or restricting access to disc-related features is a useful reminder of the wider trend. Hardware, software and media can be changed after purchase, delisted from stores, or made dependent on services that may not exist forever.\nThe answer is not to hoard everything or reject every modern service. It is to avoid a single point of failure:\nBuy DRM-free or physical copies when practical. Keep local backups of purchases and personal data. Prefer open formats and exportable libraries. Support creators directly. Learn which devices still work offline. Keep a simple inventory of what you own and where it is stored. Convenience is valuable. It should not require surrendering all control.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/posts/digital-ownership-matters/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA disc on a shelf is not perfect, but it is understandable. A digital item tied to an account, region, server or changing licence is different: you may have paid for access without receiving lasting control.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSony removing or restricting access to disc-related features is a useful reminder of the wider trend. Hardware, software and media can be changed after purchase, delisted from stores, or made dependent on services that may not exist forever.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why digital ownership matters"},{"content":"isoul.uk is a personal notebook about digital ownership, privacy, self-hosting and preservation.\nThe approach is deliberately simple:\nKeep a local copy where practical. Prefer open formats and exportable data. Use services that can be moved or restored. Back up before experimenting. Do not expose services unnecessarily. Choose boring, understandable technology. This is not legal advice, and it is not a piracy download site. It is a place to discuss why access can disappear and how ordinary people can reduce unnecessary dependence on platforms.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/about/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eisoul.uk is a personal notebook about digital ownership, privacy, self-hosting and preservation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe approach is deliberately simple:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep a local copy where practical.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrefer open formats and exportable data.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUse services that can be moved or restored.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBack up before experimenting.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not expose services unnecessarily.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChoose boring, understandable technology.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not legal advice, and it is not a piracy download site. It is a place to discuss why access can disappear and how ordinary people can reduce unnecessary dependence on platforms.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About"},{"content":"A homelab is not a competition. You do not need a rack full of servers, a dozen virtual machines or the latest enterprise hardware. You need a problem worth solving, hardware you already have, and a way back when something goes wrong.\nMy starting point My homelab journey started with FreeNAS decades ago. At the time, the idea was simple: keep files on my own hardware instead of relying entirely on someone else\u0026rsquo;s computer.\nIn 2018, while transitioning into a new job, I came across Lawrence Systems and Novaspirit on YouTube. Their videos introduced me to a much wider homelab world: Raspberry Pis, containers, virtualisation, networking and the idea that a home server could be both useful and educational.\nI have always been someone who keeps technology. I do not always do much with it immediately, but I keep it because it may become useful later. Over the years that has meant accumulating several switches, SFP connections and a 2.5-gigabit switch. The equipment is there, but the current setup is deliberately modest. A pile of hardware is not the same thing as a useful homelab.\nThe things I tried I have experimented with several approaches, including:\nXen Orchestra Proxmox Hyper-V Windows Server Different Linux distributions Containers and Docker-based services Network storage and dedicated NAS platforms Trying different platforms was useful, but it also taught me that complexity is easy to add and hard to maintain. A more capable system is not automatically a better system.\nThese days I usually return to plain Debian or Fedora, rather than heavily customised derivatives. There is nothing wrong with derivatives, but a straightforward base makes it easier to understand what is installed, follow official documentation and recover from problems.\nWhere a new starter should begin 1. Start with one real problem Choose one thing you genuinely want to improve. These are good first projects:\nPhotos and phone backups → Immich Films and TV → Jellyfin Music → Navidrome Audiobooks and podcasts → Audiobookshelf Files between your own devices → Syncthing Passwords → Vaultwarden or the official Bitwarden self-hosted release Encrypted backups → Restic Notes and documents → Joplin or Simplenote Do not start by installing every service you find interesting. Pick one, use it for a while and learn how it works. The Resources page contains more options and official project links.\n2. Use hardware you already own An old desktop, mini PC or Raspberry Pi is enough to begin. Start without buying a rack, enterprise switch or server-grade hardware. Upgrade only when you can explain the limitation you are solving.\nA modest, quiet and reliable machine is often better than powerful hardware that uses too much electricity or becomes difficult to maintain.\n3. Learn the basics before the advanced tools The useful foundations are:\nLinux command line basics Files, permissions and ownership IP addresses and DNS SSH Storage and filesystems Docker Compose Backups and restores Reading logs Virtualisation, VLANs, Kubernetes and advanced networking can wait. They are useful tools, but they are not prerequisites for running one good service.\n4. Keep the network boring You do not need to use every switch, SFP port or high-speed connection immediately. A simple wired network, a sensible DNS name and no unnecessary public exposure are a strong beginning.\nAdd faster links when they solve a real bottleneck, not simply because the hardware supports them.\n5. Plan recovery before adding more services Before installing the next application, know:\nWhere its data lives How it is backed up How it is updated How it is restored What happens if the server dies A homelab is successful when it is recoverable, not when its dashboard has the most icons.\nMy KISS rule Keep it simple, keep it documented and keep a backup.\nThe best homelab is the one you understand well enough to repair on a tired Sunday morning. Start small, learn the boring parts and expand only when your existing setup is reliable.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/getting-started/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA homelab is not a competition. You do not need a rack full of servers, a dozen virtual machines or the latest enterprise hardware. You need a problem worth solving, hardware you already have, and a way back when something goes wrong.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"my-starting-point\"\u003eMy starting point\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy homelab journey started with FreeNAS decades ago. At the time, the idea was simple: keep files on my own hardware instead of relying entirely on someone else\u0026rsquo;s computer.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"New to homelabs? Start here"},{"content":"These are links I find useful. Start small: choose one problem, one service and one backup plan.\nSelf-hosting and privacy Awesome Self-Hosted — a large catalogue of free and open-source self-hosted software. Privacy Guides: Self-hosting — practical privacy-focused guidance. AlternativeTo — find alternatives to commercial software. Docker documentation — containers and compose. Media and personal data Jellyfin — personal media server. Immich — personal photo and video library. Audiobookshelf — audiobooks and podcasts. Navidrome — personal music server. Syncthing — direct device synchronisation. Restic — encrypted, verifiable backups. Preservation and rights Library of Congress: Personal Digital Archiving Library of Congress: Recommended Formats Internet Archive EFF — digital rights and civil liberties. UK digital content rights Piracy resources FMHY — a community-maintained index of free material and online resources. FMHY changes frequently. Check links carefully and follow the law where you live. This site does not host or distribute copyrighted material, and linking to a resource is not an endorsement of every item in it.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/resources/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThese are links I find useful. Start small: choose one problem, one service and one backup plan.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"self-hosting-and-privacy\"\u003eSelf-hosting and privacy\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted\"\u003eAwesome Self-Hosted\u003c/a\u003e — a large catalogue of free and open-source self-hosted software.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.privacyguides.org/en/self-hosting/\"\u003ePrivacy Guides: Self-hosting\u003c/a\u003e — practical privacy-focused guidance.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://alternativeto.net/\"\u003eAlternativeTo\u003c/a\u003e — find alternatives to commercial software.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://docs.docker.com/\"\u003eDocker documentation\u003c/a\u003e — containers and compose.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"media-and-personal-data\"\u003eMedia and personal data\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://jellyfin.org/\"\u003eJellyfin\u003c/a\u003e — personal media server.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://immich.app/\"\u003eImmich\u003c/a\u003e — personal photo and video library.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.audiobookshelf.org/\"\u003eAudiobookshelf\u003c/a\u003e — audiobooks and podcasts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.navidrome.org/\"\u003eNavidrome\u003c/a\u003e — personal music server.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://syncthing.net/\"\u003eSyncthing\u003c/a\u003e — direct device synchronisation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://restic.net/\"\u003eRestic\u003c/a\u003e — encrypted, verifiable backups.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"preservation-and-rights\"\u003ePreservation and rights\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/\"\u003eLibrary of Congress: Personal Digital Archiving\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/rfs/\"\u003eLibrary of Congress: Recommended Formats\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://archive.org/\"\u003eInternet Archive\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/\"\u003eEFF\u003c/a\u003e — digital rights and civil liberties.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rights-for-consumers-when-buying-digital-content\"\u003eUK digital content rights\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"piracy-resources\"\u003ePiracy resources\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://fmhy.net/\"\u003eFMHY\u003c/a\u003e — a community-maintained index of free material and online resources.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFMHY changes frequently. Check links carefully and follow the law where you live. This site does not host or distribute copyrighted material, and linking to a resource is not an endorsement of every item in it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Resources"},{"content":"This site documents a real-world attempt to keep useful services, media and personal data under local control.\nCurrent focus A small self-hosted Docker environment Local media access with Jellyfin Personal photo storage with Immich Music and audiobook services Local DNS and HTTPS Encrypted backups and recovery checks Monitoring without automatic updates The goal is not to replace every cloud service. It is to avoid making any one company the only place where an important service or copy of a file exists.\nMore detailed build notes will be added as each project is documented.\n","permalink":"https://isoul.uk/projects/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis site documents a real-world attempt to keep useful services, media and personal data under local control.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"current-focus\"\u003eCurrent focus\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA small self-hosted Docker environment\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLocal media access with Jellyfin\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersonal photo storage with Immich\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMusic and audiobook services\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLocal DNS and HTTPS\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEncrypted backups and recovery checks\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonitoring without automatic updates\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe goal is not to replace every cloud service. It is to avoid making any one company the only place where an important service or copy of a file exists.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What I’m doing"}]