Hey everyone! I've recently gotten into DevOps, starting with home labbing. I'm using an old laptop with Ubuntu 24, an Intel Celeron 1005m CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD. So far, I've installed a few tools like Docker, Portainer, Watchtower, Jenkins, GiTea, Nginx, and Immich, and I'm planning to add Prometheus and Grafana. My question is about Docker: should I set up a separate directory for my Docker containers? Is it okay to keep it as is, or do you have any recommendations for the best approach? I've noticed that my separate 'docker' folder sometimes doesn't appear when I check with 'ls'.
3 Answers
You actually don't need to create a separate directory for your Docker containers. Docker handles its internal paths pretty well on its own. Just remember to regularly clean up any unused images, volumes, and build caches to prevent your disk from getting clogged up. If you're new to it, I highly recommend checking out some free courses on Docker and general DevOps tools. Udemy has a ton of options!
If you're looking to deepen your DevOps skills, you might consider using K8s-like tools even though it might seem overkill for a single-node setup. I've got a single-node K3s cluster running with Rancher in my lab, and I plan to add more nodes in the future. It might not be necessary right now, but it’s great knowledge to have for the DevOps journey!
You brought up a good point about finding ideas for your home lab! I've started with streaming videos from one room to another, which led me to Plex and Jellyfin. Even though some services I tried didn’t get used much, I've learned a lot about setting up various systems in Docker. Now I'm focusing on learning Linux and Docker while configuring different services. It’s been quite the journey!
That's a solid approach! Setting clear goals like that really helps keep the learning process focused. Plus, trying out new services keeps things interesting!