Homelab Documentation

Greetings Lemmings,

I realize that self-hosting for many is just a hobby. Something they do for fun. And the topic of today is usually a “not-so-fun” part of the IT industry.

Jump Scare Warning

# Documentation

I have for so long just let my lab grow organically. And months down the road an issue pops up with a service, and I have no idea how I set something up, and may not have documented it. Whether that be comments inside of configuration files, or via other means.

I have gotten marginally better at documenting within the config files or code that I am writing. However, I don’t want just that as an option. So I spun myself up a Bookstack container.

I am slowly going through and creating what would amount to a full blown wiki for my setup. Doubly I can use this as part of my resume.

So I ask of you; what ways do you prefer to document? How do you keep yourself honest, and actually stick to it.

Edit: I created bash scripts that are run by a systemd service and timer. At least for my docker box.

Replying to @⁨hellmo_luciferrari@lemmy.zip⁩

Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I’ve seen in this thread:

Fewer Letters More Letters DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, automates assignment of IPs when connecting to a network DNS Domain Name Service/System Git Popular version control system, primarily for code NAS Network-Attached Storage VPN Virtual Private Network

[Thread #61 for this comm, first seen 23rd Jul 2026, 12:50] [FAQ] [Full list] [Contact] [Source code]

Hachyderm.ioImran Nazar ~ عمران نزر (@Two9A@hachyderm.io)2.8K Posts, 301 Following, 262 Followers · Front-end #typescript developer and general keyboard tapper; author of Internet RFC 7168 (Hypertext Coffeepot Control Protocol for teapots); occasional plumber, more than occasional #c64 #retrocomputing enthusiast, terrible at classical #piano. Header photo is a verdant scene looking over the landscape near Buxton, England, taken from a single-track country road.
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