Having a server at home opens up a huge range of possibilities. I'd been thinking about setting one up for a while, and when I finally got started, I realised that half the process was simply deciding what to buy and what to install. So what is a home server actually good for? There are obvious advantages like cutting SaaS costs or gaining privacy, but there's one that matters more to me than all the others: learning.
In this post I'll walk through the process, the options I considered and why I ended up building my server around a Beelink S12 Pro running Proxmox VE.
Why a mini PC?
The first decision is form factor. The most common options are:
An old PC or laptop from the cupboard. It works, but it's usually noisy, consumes a lot of power and takes up too much space.
