Latest Posts

07
Sep
What is Docker Compose? Your Secret Weapon!

What is Docker Compose? Your Secret Weapon!

What is docker compose eh? It's the hot thing for running apps in isolated containers. But managing multiple
10 min read
26
Aug
Core Lab's own Linux & Docker Gaming server, featuring a Ryzen 5 3700X & RTX3060 12GB.

The Ultimate 2026 Guide to Self-Hosting Game Servers: Docker, LinuxGSM & Security Hardening

Master the 2026 gaming stack with Docker and LinuxGSM. Learn to host Palworld, CS2, and Satisfactory servers on high-performance Mini PCs with veteran security tactics.
15 min read
25
Aug
Open Media Vault 8 (OMV8) dashboard.

How to Setup Open Media Vault 8 (OMV8) for 2026

Master OpenMediaVault 8 on Debian 13. Learn to configure ZFS pools, switch to the Proxmox kernel, and deploy Docker containers for the ultimate 2026 homelab.
15 min read
22
Aug
How do RAID and ZFS work?

How do RAID and ZFS work?

A practical breakdown of ZFS RAIDZ levels, when RAIDZ2 beats RAIDZ1/RAIDZ3, how the ZFS ARC cache uses RAM, and real CLI commands for monitoring pool health.
14 min read
20
Aug
Looks like a system from 2030; how much will that cost?

Building the Ultimate Home Assistant Server (2026 Edition)

Stop building your smart home on a fragile SD card. Here is the professional guide to running Home Assistant on an N100 Mini PC with Docker—fully unlocked and "Add-on" free.
11 min read
15
Aug
A digitized artistic view of a small datacentre, glowing with digital panels and a screen showing A+ from Qualys SSL scanner.

How to Harden SWAG Nginx for an A+ Security Rating (2026 Guide)

Stop bots and brute-force attacks. Learn how to enable HSTS, harden Nginx headers, and configure Fail2ban Recidive in SWAG for an A+ security rating.
11 min read
14
Aug
Infographic showing the network path if Hosting Obsidian yourself - securely via a reverse proxy and MFA!

The Ultimate 2026 Obsidian Docker Guide: GPU-Accelerated & Wayland Ready

Deploy a high-performance Obsidian vault in Docker. Master GPU acceleration and Wayland for near-native speed in your 2026 homelab build.
12 min read
11
Aug
NVIDIA Toolkit Setup on Linux

NVIDIA Toolkit Setup on Linux

Introduction / why? Now I'm actually a bit of an underdog (AMD) fanboy, but in the end a real
6 min read
11
Aug
Infographic showing a local AI stack with 6 phases, browser->AI Agents->LLM Server->Hardware->Models->Integrations.

Build Your Own Local AI Server / Stack with Ollama & Docker (2026 Guide)

Learn how to run private AI locally using Docker Compose, Ollama and Open WebUI. Includes NVIDIA GPU setup, model selection, networking and troubleshooting.
9 min read
06
Aug
A VRAM quantisization chart, showing tiers starting from 8gb through to 24gb and what you can run.

Best GPU for Local LLMs (2026): VRAM Tier List & Buyer's Guide

Don't overpay for AI hardware. Discover the best GPUs for local LLM inference based on VRAM-per-dollar, from used RTX 3090s to the new RTX 5090 endgame.
25 min read