What if you could buy off the shelf a box based on #opensource software and hardware that you could plug into your internet connection. You could connect to via Wifi and it would allow an average person to fairly easily configure, via a guided setup, a self hosted Cloud Drive, Social Media server, home automation service, VPN end point, email server and other commonly useful software?
What if that box allowed that person’s friends to authenticate and to that box and link a box they own, either close by or remotely. It could extend connectivity and estabilish a chain of trus, provide a level of encrypted backup of content from that box and make assertions about the users on that box such as - This user account is owned by this person, this user account is over 18?
This is a dream. I know I’m rambling. #openwrt, #yunohost, #seflhost, #chainoftrust, #fediverse


I feel this in my bones. I was an English major in college. Now I’m in my late 40s and want to create my ow server so that I can OWN the things I used to own: baby pictures and family photos, movies that I bought, music that I bought. I want to send letters to friends without Amazon, JC Penny and Google knowing what I put in my letter.
I’m starting on my home networking journey. I have a beeline on the way to build my own router…pfSense, OpenSense, OpenWRT…still chewing on that but I’m going to do it.
Fuck it. My dad used to work on his car, I think this is my generation’s equivalent.
I’ve got a '75 Ford pickup with 3 on the tree. I can work on that. Hell, I can pop the bonnet and sit on the fender and dangle my legs in the engine compartment. Once the automobile industry moved away from that type of design and started incorporating computer blocks, chips, et al, that you needed a metric and imperial tool set replete with a plethora of specialized tools just to work on them, that was outside my field of expertise. My Ford F450? Nope. I can’t even wedge my hamfists in a few inches. The whole engine compartment is slap full.
DO IT!
How nice is column shift tho? I’ve got an '80 van with it.
@zuckey78 Yeah I do feel that self hosting has sort have become part of that DIY/selfbuild/homebaking/homeownership ethos - Do I think everyone would do it - no but I feel like people are realising that their lives are becoming so thin… (Well I’m trying not to speak too much for myself here… but we want some ownership/connection
I’m definitely getting into self hosting because of the DIY thing. The rise of modern smart homes has led to homeaasistant being a great diy project for those inclined towards fucking around with their home and those who’d rather not have corpo scum surveil them because of it
@zuckey78 Do reach out if you want to talk Openwrt - I struggle with the community around it - I need to see faces and speak to people to connect to them - and posting help messages on forums just feels so empty - (But I’ll boost my latest challenges with ipv6 just in case - forum.openwrt.org/t/jazztel-or… )