Raspberry Pi 5 Self-Hosted Server (Ubuntu + Docker)

This repository documents the design, deployment, and troubleshooting of a self-hosted server built on Raspberry Pi 5 running Ubuntu Server.

The project focuses on real-world infrastructure challenges: multi-service orchestration, network storage, remote access, and debugging issues in a live environment.

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🧱 Overview

• Platform: Raspberry Pi 5
• OS: Ubuntu Server
• Containerization: Docker
• Storage: NFS-mounted media from another device
• Remote access: Tailscale VPN

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🚀 Services

The server hosts multiple self-hosted services:

• Navidrome – Music streaming server
• Kavita – E-book and PDF library server
• Nextcloud – Personal cloud storage

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Screenshots

Example views from the running system:

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🐳 Example Docker Configuration

Example Docker Compose configurations used in this setup can be found in the docker/ directory.

These are simplified and sanitized versions of the actual production setup.

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🗂️ Architecture

• Docker-based service isolation
• External media storage mounted via NFS
• Services rely on shared mounted paths (/srv/media/...)
• Remote access handled through a private VPN (Tailscale)

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💾 Storage & Mounts

Media is stored on a separate device and mounted via NFS.

Key lessons:

• Incorrect mounts can silently break applications
• Services may detect files without being able to access them
• Proper /etc/fstab configuration is critical for reliability

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🌐 Remote Access

Initially tested with NordVPN Meshnet, but transitioned to Tailscale due to:

• Simpler setup
• Better reliability with mobile clients
• More predictable behavior with Dockerized services

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🧪 Troubleshooting Highlights

This project includes real-world debugging scenarios:

• Navidrome showing a library but unable to play files → caused by missing NFS mount
• Empty mount points leading to "ghost" media libraries
• Kavita not detecting files due to incorrect directory structure
• Remote access inconsistencies depending on VPN solution

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📚 Lessons Learned

• Self-hosting is not just deployment — it's ongoing system design
• Storage layers (NFS, mounts) are critical and often overlooked
• Networking choices directly impact usability
• Debugging is a core part of infrastructure work

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📌 Purpose

This repository is not a step-by-step tutorial.

It is a practical case study demonstrating:

• System architecture decisions
• Real troubleshooting workflows
• Integration of multiple self-hosted services

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🔮 Future Improvements

• Add monitoring and logging dashboard
• Improve backup strategy
• Introduce reverse proxy (e.g. Nginx)
• Harden security (Fail2ban, access control)

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👤 Author

Built and maintained as a personal infrastructure project.