The Tool Desk
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Start with the job, not a list of containers
A home server is useful when it solves a real problem without creating more maintenance than you want to take on. Write down what you want to do, who needs access, and whether it must work when you are away from home. Then look for a project whose documented purpose and deployment path match that need.
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Do not install a service just because it appears on a popular list. If you cannot describe the job it will perform, the people or devices that will use it, and the data it will hold, it is probably not the next service to add. A smaller stack is easier to understand, update, troubleshoot, and restore.
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Know what Docker and Compose do—and what they do not
Image, service, instance, and host are different things
A container image is the packaged software and its runtime ingredients. A service is the configuration that describes how Compose should run that image, including settings such as ports, volumes, and restart behavior. A container is a running instance created from that service. The host is the physical or virtual machine providing the CPU, memory, storage, operating system, and network connection.
This distinction matters when you make changes. Editing the service configuration does not mean data inside a container is safely stored, and replacing a container instance does not upgrade the host’s capabilities. A container cannot compensate for insufficient host resources or poor storage planning.
Compose manages a stack; it is not the whole operations plan
Docker describes deploying an application on a single server as the easiest deployment model. Compose keeps an application’s services and configuration together, and production guidance describes using a separate override when production configuration differs: Use Compose in production. That convenience does not make a service secure, backed up, monitored, or maintained automatically. You remain responsible for deciding what data persists, who can reach the service, when to update it, and how to recover it.
A restart policy can bring a container back after certain interruptions, but it is not a health-monitoring or backup system. A stack can be running while an application is unable to serve requests, and a restarted service can still have lost data that was not stored persistently. Treat deployment, operations, and recovery as separate parts of your decision.
Check whether the host can run the workload
Look up the project’s current requirements before installing it, and compare them with the machine you actually own. Requirements from one project are not a general rule for all containers. They can also change, so check the documentation for the version you intend to deploy.
Immich: photo and video management
Immich’s current requirements page, accessed in 2026, lists 6 GB RAM and 2 CPU cores as minimums, with 8 GB RAM and 4 cores recommended. These are Immich figures, not a baseline for every home-server service. Its documentation also says the database should ideally be on local SSD storage and never on a network share. Check the current Immich requirements for version-sensitive details before deployment.
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- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
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- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Immich’s requirements page says to use docker compose; the similarly named legacy docker-compose is deprecated and unsupported by Immich. Follow the project’s present instructions rather than assuming an older command or guide remains valid.
Jellyfin: self-hosted media
Jellyfin’s current hardware guide, accessed in 2026, recommends a 100 GB SSD for the operating system, Jellyfin files, and transcoding cache. It also recommends gigabit Ethernet or faster and suggests 20 Mbps upload bandwidth for remote access. These are Jellyfin recommendations, not universal Docker minimums. The guide discusses memory and hardware acceleration as well; whether acceleration is useful depends on the host device and the clients and codecs involved. Consult Jellyfin’s hardware selection guide for the workload you expect.
Do not buy or configure an accelerator simply because it is available. First establish whether your intended playback requires transcoding, what codecs and client devices are involved, and whether the host’s hardware and software path support the relevant acceleration. The documentation does not justify a blanket recommendation for a GPU in every media server.
Home Assistant: automation and installation choice
Home Assistant Container runs on a Linux system that you provide and maintain. Home Assistant OS handles upgrades and powers the project’s official hardware. That is a meaningful maintenance distinction: choose the container route if you want to manage the underlying Linux installation and its lifecycle; consider Home Assistant OS if you want its operating-system and upgrade model. Read the Home Assistant FAQ for the project’s current explanation of installation paths.
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Compare candidates using the same questions
Do not compare services only by features. A workable shortlist needs to account for operating cost in time and reliability, as well as what the application can do. Use this matrix to assess each candidate before installation; fill it from that project’s official documentation and your own host inventory.
| Decision area | What to establish | Why it changes the choice |
|---|---|---|
| User need | What specific task does it serve, and which people or devices need it? | A service with the wrong purpose adds upkeep without solving the problem. |
| Deployment and image provenance | Does the project document a container deployment? Which image and configuration does its official guide direct you to use? | Following project guidance gives you a known deployment path to maintain and troubleshoot. |
| Host resources | What CPU, memory, storage, network, or optional acceleration does this workload require? | Requirements belong to the individual project and workload; do not substitute another service’s figures. |
| Persistence and recovery | Which configuration, database, uploads, libraries, or other state must survive replacement? How will you back it up and restore it? | Persistent storage prevents avoidable loss during replacement; backups address failures that storage alone does not. |
| Network exposure | Which clients must connect, from where, and which ports actually need publishing? | Unneeded published ports increase exposure without helping the intended use. |
| Secrets and permissions | Which credentials does the service need, and can access be limited to that service? | Credentials should not be broadly available to unrelated services or processes. |
| Maintenance effort | Who will apply updates, notice failures, check compatibility, and perform recovery? | A service you cannot maintain reliably is a poor fit even if it can technically start. |
“Image provenance” is not solved by choosing any image that happens to start. Check what the project’s official deployment guide identifies, whether its instructions match your intended version and host, and what configuration you will need to maintain. Treat configuration copied from an unknown source with particular care: Compose files can include fields that read host files. Docker explains this risk in its Compose trust model.
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Make data persistence and recovery part of the decision
Data written only to a container’s writable layer is lost when that container is removed. For state that must survive replacement, use a named volume or a deliberate host mount. Docker’s Compose Quickstart and Jellyfin’s container guide cover persistent storage patterns for their respective contexts.
Before deploying, identify what the service writes and where it writes it. Depending on the application, state may include configuration, a database, user uploads, or media metadata. Distinguish application data from the original files it reads: a media library mount, for instance, is not a substitute for preserving the service’s configuration and database. Consult the project’s container and storage guidance to determine which paths matter. Jellyfin also documents its storage considerations at Jellyfin Storage.
A persistent volume or host directory is not a backup. It can preserve data across container replacement while remaining vulnerable to a host failure, accidental deletion, corruption, or a bad change. Decide where backups go, what needs to be included, and how you would restore them. A backup plan that has never been tested is an assumption, not a demonstrated recovery path.
- Record which paths contain data you cannot recreate easily.
- Choose named volumes or explicit host mounts for those paths, and understand which host location each mount uses.
- Keep a backup outside the only storage location holding the live data.
- Know how to restore both the data and the service configuration, then verify that the restored application works.
Limit network access to the connections you need
Compose creates a project network for services by default. Docker’s Networking in Compose states: “By default, each service joins the project’s bridge network. Each container for a service is both reachable by other containers on that network, and discoverable by its service name.” This lets services in the same Compose project find one another using service names; it does not mean every service needs a port published to the host.
Publish only the ports clients require. A published port makes a service reachable through the host’s network interfaces according to the network and firewall configuration; avoid publishing internal dependencies merely because a sample file does so. Keep services on the default project network unless you have a concrete reason for a custom network.
Docker says host networking shares the host’s network stack and should be used only when genuinely required. It is a different networking choice, not a default performance or convenience setting. If a project needs it, understand the host-level exposure and port implications before enabling it.
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Remote access is a separate design question from local access. First establish whether the service needs to be available outside the home network and which users or clients require it. Jellyfin’s 20 Mbps upload suggestion for remote access is a current hardware-guide figure accessed in 2026, not a guarantee of smooth service; the actual experience depends on the media workload, connection, and client capabilities. Do not expose a service publicly simply to make local setup easier.
Plan startup dependencies and readiness
Some applications depend on another service, such as a database. Compose can start dependencies in order, but ordering alone does not mean a dependency is ready to accept requests. Docker’s startup and shutdown order guide makes the distinction explicit: “On startup, Compose does not wait until a container is "ready", only until it’s running.”
If an application must wait for a dependency to become healthy before starting, configure an appropriate health check and use a dependency condition such as service_healthy. A health check needs to reflect the relevant service’s readiness; merely checking that a process exists may not confirm that the application can perform the work the dependent service needs. Follow the application’s documentation for supported checks and startup behavior.
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This is especially useful when a stack appears to start successfully but the main application logs connection errors because its dependency is still initializing. A restart policy may help with certain later exits, but it does not replace the explicit readiness condition needed at startup.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Handle credentials and host permissions deliberately
Give each service only the secrets it needs. Compose mounts declared secrets as files at /run/secrets/<secret_name>. Docker cautions that environment variables may be available to processes or printed to logs, so secrets should not be casually placed in environment variables when the Compose secrets mechanism is appropriate. See Manage secrets securely in Docker Compose.
Also inspect what host paths a service can read or write. A mount that gives an application access to a directory is a permission grant, not just a storage convenience. Avoid mounting broad host locations when a narrower directory is sufficient. Before running an unfamiliar Compose file, inspect its volume and device mappings, privileged settings, network mode, and other access-related configuration. Docker’s Compose trust-model guidance explains why a file can carry host-level implications.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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Use a deployment checklist before adding a service
- Define the job. State the problem, intended users, devices, and whether access is local or remote.
- Read the current official deployment guide. Confirm that the project supports the container route you plan to use and identify the documented image, setup, and version-sensitive requirements.
- Compare host capacity with the workload. Check CPU, memory, storage, network, and any acceleration requirements against your actual machine. Do not infer a requirement from another project.
- Map the data. Determine which paths hold configuration, databases, uploads, or other irreplaceable state. Choose persistent volumes or host mounts deliberately.
- Write down backup and restore steps. Identify the backup destination and how you would rebuild the service with its data after losing the container or host.
- Review exposure and permissions. Publish only necessary ports, give the service only the host access it needs, and avoid unnecessary credentials or broad mounts.
- Check readiness behavior. If one service depends on another, determine whether a health check and
service_healthycondition are needed. - Decide who maintains it. Account for updates, monitoring, compatibility changes, and the time required to recover from failure.
- Deploy one service and verify it. Confirm that clients can use it, persistent data remains after a controlled container replacement, and backups are restorable before expanding the stack.
Keeping the first deployment small makes faults easier to isolate. Add another application only after you understand the existing stack’s data locations, network exposure, update process, and recovery path.
Common selection mistakes and how to correct them
Installing many services before deciding what matters
Every additional service adds configuration and a maintenance obligation. Start with the service that solves the clearest need, then review how it behaves on your host before adding more. This is a better way to learn your server’s actual limits than assuming that a long list of containers will run well together.
Assuming a running container is a working application
Compose may report that a container is running even though its dependency is not ready. Use the project’s readiness guidance and configure health-check conditions for dependencies where necessary. Then verify the service from the client’s point of view rather than treating process startup as proof of successful operation.
Keeping important state only inside the container
Replacing a container removes its writable-layer data. Move state that must survive into an intentionally selected volume or host mount, and create an independent backup plan. If you cannot identify where the application stores important state, do not assume a container update or replacement is safe.
Publishing every port or choosing host networking by default
A port shown in a sample is not automatically required for your deployment. Identify the clients and connections that need it, publish only those ports, and reserve host networking for a documented requirement you understand.
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Copying an unfamiliar Compose file without inspecting it
Compose configuration can grant access to host files and devices or alter networking. Review the file for mounts, privileges, devices, and port mappings before executing it. Prefer the project’s own deployment documentation and understand each setting you adopt.
Confusing SSD guidance with a universal hardware purchase
Immich recommends local SSD storage for its database, while Jellyfin recommends an SSD for its operating system, application files, and transcoding cache. Those workload-specific recommendations do not establish that every Docker host needs a new SSD or specify a universally suitable capacity or interface. Match storage to the chosen application and host, and retain a separate backup.
Make the final choice based on fit and maintainability
The right container is the one that solves a concrete need on hardware that meets that project’s current guidance, with data stored and backed up deliberately, access limited to what clients require, and a maintenance plan you can carry out. Compose can make a stack easier to configure and operate, but the reliability of the service still depends on the choices around it.
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