Immich: a Google Photos Alternative for Self-Hosted Photo Storage

"Immich is a self-hosted photo and video backup solution that runs well on Linux, particularly with a recommended setup using Docker

• Ensure your system has at least 4GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores for optimal performance."
• "... a NAS device, an old PC, or even a Raspberry Pi can suffice."
• Setup a 24X7 Linux server with low power consumption @ home for all photos.  (Need a backup strategy also.)
• Backup & Restore:  https://docs.immich.app/administration/backup-and-restore/

https://www.reddit.com/r/immich/comments/1bydti1/what_is_the_ultimate_backup_solution_for_the/  some alternatives.

Immich: a Google Photos Alternative for Self-Hosted Photo Storage
    https://techpp.com/2025/05/20/immich-google-photos-alternative/

https://techpp.com/2025/05/20/immich-google-photos-alternative/
"Immich is the best self-hosted Google Photos alternative, offering a free, private, and feature-rich platform to back up and browse your photos using your own storage. With a familiar UI, AI search, facial recognition, and multi-device support, it's a powerful way to ditch paid cloud plans."


Immich Quick start (Linux):  https://docs.immich.app/overview/quick-start/
"Requirements:

•     A system with at least 4GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores.
•     Docker - The Compose plugin will be installed by both Docker Engine and Desktop - Docker's containerization technology allows Immich to run in isolated environments, making deployment quick and reproducible.

https://docs.immich.app/install/requirements


Windows (10 or 11-PRO) requires Docker also:  https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/windows-install/
"Should I use Hyper-V or WSL?
Docker Desktop's functionality remains consistent on both WSL and Hyper-V, without a preference for either architecture. Hyper-V and WSL have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your specific setup and your planned use case."


Immich: Privacy-Focused Open-Source Google Photos Alternative:
    https://www.webpronews.com/immich-privacy-focused-open-source-google-photos-alternative/
"The primary benefit of self-hosting Immich is unparalleled privacy. Unlike Google Photos, which scans images for advertising and compliance purposes, Immich keeps your data local. This resonates with users wary of tech companies profiting from personal memories ..."


Immich: A Private and Powerful Alternative to Google Photos and Nextcloud Memories:
    https://www.laggner.info/posts/immich-a-powerful-alternative-to-google-photos/
"Immich is very easy to deploy using Docker, especially if you're already using Portainer to manage your containers."  https://docs.portainer.io/start/intro
    https://www.portainer.io/resources/get-started/install

    https://github.com/portainer/portainer
"Portainer Community Edition is a lightweight service delivery platform for containerized applications that can be used to manage Docker, Swarm, Kubernetes and ACI environments. It is designed to be as simple to deploy as it is to use. The application allows you to manage all your orchestrator resources (containers, images, volumes, networks and more) through a 'smart' GUI and/or an extensive API.
Portainer consists of a single container that can run on any cluster. It can be deployed as a Linux container or a Windows native container."

11 Docker Projects Every Raspberry Pi Owner Should Try – RaspberryTips

https://raspberrytips.com/docker-projects-for-raspberry-pi/

I turned my broken laptop into the most useful device in my home without fixing it

https://www.makeuseof.com/turn-broken-laptop-into-home-server-without-fixing/

Don't just revive your old laptop, turn it into a home server

https://www.xda-developers.com/dont-just-revive-your-old-laptop-turn-it-into-a-home-server/

11 Lesser-Known Raspberry Pi Projects You Can Actually Build – RaspberryTips

There are a couple of useful projects here:
https://raspberrytips.com/uncommon-project-ideas/

Scout Riflescopes | Burris Optics

https://www.burrisoptics.com/riflescopes/scout-riflescopes

Amega M1 Garand Mount

Pricey but has good reviews on FB.
https://www.amegamounts.com/product_pages/m1garand.php?fbclid=IwdGRleAOxuzJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeLPuvEL-UDKAWvKdtpOleqEnp_zgugKpFIjoUUV7iDnGIPoNDyGzRc7-3qk4_aem__ps-Db8-bQWNyYqg-Vsvhg

CoffeeTime BIOS mod for 6th to 9th Gen Intel Core i CPUs - make a Small Form Factor PC fly.

CoffeeTime is a tool used for modifying BIOS to support newer Coffee Lake CPUs on older motherboards. It allows users to add necessary microcodes and make other adjustments to enable compatibility with these processors.

Guide: Running CoffeeLake/Refresh CPUs on Sky\KabyLake motherboards:
https://linustechtips.com/topic/1118475-guide-running-coffeelakerefresh-cpus-on-skykabylake-motherboards/
" *  Many of the 100- and 200-series motherboards can run Coffee Lake processors;
  *  Both production and engineering Core and Xeon processors can be used;
  *  The modified BIOS will still support Skylake and Kaby Lake CPUs provided the 506E3 and 906E9 microcodes are left in the BIOS;
  *  iGPU, PCIe x16, and NVME are fully operational after the modification;
  *  Coffeetime v. 0.99 adds 16-thread CPU support for most motherboards. Common sense and VRM limitations still apply.
  *  H310C, B365, and Z370 motherboards are capable of running Skylake and Kaby Lake CPUs after a ME version downgrade and inclusion of the necessary microcodes."

"There are 4 revisions of Coffee Lake CPUs, each requiring a specific microcode."  There is a link to the list in the article.
"Make sure to download a BIOS from the motherboard's manufacturer website. "
"Currently there are two automated BIOS modification tools available:
CoffeeTime by svarmod, The original guide (in Russian)
AllInOne_Tool by Revlaay, www.win-raid.com forum
This guide describes using the CoffeeTime."
"DO NOT use built-in firmware flashing utilities to flash a modified BIOS, it will not work."


Easy automated Mod tool for Coffee Lake bios:
https://winraid.level1techs.com/t/tool-easy-automated-mod-tool-for-coffee-lake-bios/32795

Download link: https://disk.yandex.com/d/i4FE9b-o3apk5b
https://mega.nz/#F!yCZWgSJb!98O4qDnhkNtVnzaQU2uSXg
"(!) For the program to work properly, neither the application path nor the BIOS file path may contain spaces, non-Latin, and non-letter characters."

ASUS-TUF-Z270-Mark-2-ReBarUEFI-CoffeeTime:
    https://github.com/xtomasnemec/ASUS-TUF-Z270-Mark-2-ReBarUEFI-CoffeeTime
Readme file:
    https://github.com/xtomasnemec/ASUS-TUF-Z270-Mark-2-ReBarUEFI-CoffeeTime/blob/master/README.md

HowTo: 8th/9th/10th Gen Intel (Coffee Lake) on Z170 Motherboard Bios Hack / Proper Guide!
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7nYV8QwwRg
Download the tools:
Coffeetime0.99
     https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ixu5...
Other Tools
     https://www.dropbox.com/s/mpsaqxahhtc...


Adventure: Running 8/9th gen Coffee Lake CPUs on Z170 motherboard (ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger):
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/adventure-running-8-9th-gen-coffee-lake-cpus-on-z170-motherboard-asus-maximus-viii-ranger.284375/
"For making this BIOS flash successful, you have to use an external programmer. In my case, I used a CH341A programmer. Luckily, the Maximus VIII Ranger has a removable BIOS chip. I took out the BIOS chip and first took a dump of the existing official BIOS from the chip. This is useful to preserve your board data like serial number, MAC address, licenses etc. Once done, I used a software called FD44Editor to pull of the data and inject it to the modified BIOS file. Once done, I erased the BIOS chip and flashed the modified BIOS. In my case, the flash was not successful even after multiple attempts but I put back the BIOS chip back on the board anyway. It did not start (Q-Code 00). But this time, I used ASUS USB BIOS Flashback (since BIOS chip was empty, flashback will flash all regions including the ones which were previously locked). And success. The system booted up fine with the i5 7600K and worked as good as it did with the original BIOS. Our BIOS modding is done."
" On the 6th and 7th gen CPUs, there are two consecutive contacts on the CPU which are grounded. When you install the CPU on the motherboard, these pads make a connection with the socket pins which "tells" the board to turn on.
"On 8th and 9th gen, that contact point is RSVD (reserved). Hence I needed to connect these two pins."
"To do that, I used a copper tape with adhesive and cut that accordingly. Extreme care is required for this step to make sure nothing else is shorted. Also note that connecting the CPU pads are not necessary but shorting the pins in the socket is what does the trick."  For some motherboards there are instructions to accomplish this same effect by soldering a small jumper on the M/B - this avoids modifying the CPU or socket.

iPod Shuffle 2nd Generation Battery Replacement - iFixit Repair Guide

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPod+Shuffle+2nd+Generation+Battery+Replacement/3656

Winworldpc.com - an online museum of vintage software for early computers.

WinWorld from the past, to the present, for the future

https://winworldpc.com/home

https://winworldpc.com/library/operating-systems

https://winworldpc.com/library/dev

https://winworldpc.com/library/applications

        and more ...

"WinWorld is an online museum dedicated to the preservation and sharing of vintage, abandoned, and pre-release software. We offer information, media and downloads for a wide variety of computers and operating systems."

Use at your own risk ...

Uncooked to Cooked Rice Calculator

https://www.omnicalculator.com/food/uncooked-to-cooked-rice

DDR4 / DDR5 Pre-Owned RAM – Tested & Working

This looks legitimate, but buyer beware ...

https://creamhome.store/products/in-stock-in-the-us-eu-ddr4-ddr5-pre-owned-ram-tested-working-ideal-for-gamers-students-risk-free-great-value-buy-now?preview=1&variant_sku_code=14899182-13935772-55710696-13935773-55710699-13935774-55710704&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=120238341663400487&utm_content=120238350680710487&utm_term=120238350680750487&utm_campaign=120238341663400487

On Dec 16, 2025, 16GB sticks of DDR4 @ 3200Mhz are $36.99

Spinning Shop Storage Unit for Tools

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bo2Ej8koA/

Build a 6 drive TrueNAS with a very small PC (MiniPC NAS).

The commentary includes lots of options.

https://youtu.be/-bpEyuMO55E?si=GFObCU6i-C7VPQl5

15 Classic Cars That Are Shockingly Reliable

https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/15-classic-cars-that-are-shockingly-reliable/

Tool storage ideas (power tools especially)

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C3PrCp8Gf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

How To Set Clock As Screen Saver In Windows 11

Using the built-in screen saver:

https://www.intowindows.com/how-to-set-clock-as-screen-saver-in-windows-11-hidden-feature/

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/discussions/windows11/possible-to-add-clock-displayed-on-the-lock-screen/4304017

Clock Screen Savers From the MS App store:

https://apps.microsoft.com/search?query=screen+saver+clock&hl=en-US&gl=US&department=Apps

Best Free Clock Screen Savers for Windows PC:

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/best-free-clock-screen-savers-for-windows-pc

How to add Clock to Desktop in Windows 11/10:

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-add-clock-to-desktop-in-windows

This uses the 8GadgetPack Widget. download from Microsoft.

Add a clock to the desktop (from the MS App store): 

https://apps.microsoft.com/search?query=clock&hl=en-US&gl=US

FreeBSD Supported Processors and System Boards (pfSense too)

The official word on what hardware FreeBSD supports.  NOTE: pfSense runs on FreeBSD, so it can run on this hardware also, but for a fast LAN, use more than the minimum.

https://www.freebsd.org/releases/14.0R/hardware/

"FreeBSD supports the AMD64 ("Hammer") and Intel® EM64T architectures. AMD64 (also known as x86-64) is a fully-supported Tier 1 architecture. AMD64 supports all modern x86 processors. This release incorporates optimizations and enhancements to leverage the full capabilities of FreeBSD/amd64-based systems, delivering improved performance across a wide range of workloads."

"FreeBSD supports 64-bit ARM (known as arm64 or AArch64) as a Tier-1 architecture."  This includes the Raspberry Pi systems: https://wiki.freebsd.org/arm/Raspberry%20Pi

This doesn't necessarily mean the pfSene can be run on RPI - more research is needed.

Raspberry Pi (5) pfSense Using a VM: Complete Guide to Building a Virtual Firewall:

https://www.sunfounder.com/blogs/news/raspberry-pi-pfsense-using-a-vm-complete-guide-to-building-a-virtual-firewall?srsltid=AfmBOorKD--uAzDntQHywF1nFU0ENCSdWPVNook4P6nroqvSK1w6MADN

"IMPORTANT: pfSense is not officially supported on ARM-based architectures, which means you'll need to rely on virtualization (e.g., QEMU) to get it working"

"Virtualizing pfSense on top of Raspberry Pi OS introduces additional complexity in setup and maintenance."

pfSense baseline guide with VPN, Guest and VLAN support

An older but very complete guide (2021) that may be useful.  It has some very specific hardware recommendations ...

https://nguvu.org/pfsense/pfsense-baseline-setup/#Introduction

Actual pfSense documentation: https://www.pfsense.org/getting-started/

Install guide: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/install/installing-pfsense.html?_gl=1*1sosb09*_gcl_au*MTYzOTY1NTg5OS4xNzY1MjE1MzUz*_ga*MTM0MTM0MjU0NS4xNzY1MjE1MzUz*_ga_TM99KBGXCB*czE3NjUyMTUzNTMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjUyMTY3NjQkajYwJGwwJGg3MTkzODEyNTA.

Documentation: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/config?_gl=1*14yz38a*_gcl_au*MTYzOTY1NTg5OS4xNzY1MjE1MzUz*_ga*MTM0MTM0MjU0NS4xNzY1MjE1MzUz*_ga_TM99KBGXCB*czE3NjUyMTUzNTMkbzEkZzEkdDE3NjUyMTY5MDUkajYwJGwwJGg3MTkzODEyNTA.

Build a budget 10gbe router/firewall with pfSense

Good instructions for installing pfSense directly on a PC (bare metal):

https://drakeor.com/2021/04/14/setting-up-pfsense-as-a-router/

Obviously, this tutorial can be used for other network speeds ...

Ubuntu Network Discovery stuff

Remmina - Remote Desktop Client: https://snapcraft.io/remmina

"Remmina is a remote-desktop client written in GTK, to use other desktops remotely, from a tiny screen or large monitors.

Remmina supports multiple network protocols in an integrated and consistent user interface. The protocols currently supported are: X2Go, RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), VNC (Virtual Network Computing), and SSH (Secure Shell / Open SSH)."

How to turn on Network Discovery and Share between computers with Samba:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/236746/how-to-turn-on-network-discovery-and-share-between-computers-with-samba

Browse files on a server or network share: 

https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/nautilus-connect.html.en

Also check wsdd-server

How to configure wsdd:  https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=432248

Should the shares be visible in the Windows and Ubuntu network folders?

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1532162/should-the-shares-be-visible-in-the-windows-and-ubuntu-network-folders

" 'Computer name' in this context refers to the NetBIOS name of the machines. NetBIOS is a SMBv1 thing and without it there is no NetBIOS. Neither Windows or Samba enable SMBv1 by default."

wsdd-server binary package in Ubuntu:

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/noble/amd64/wsdd-server#:~:text=The%20wsdd%20daemon%20is%20used%20to%20announce,browsing%2C%20by%20using%20the%20Windows%20Services%20Discovery

WSDD: https://github.com/christgau/wsdd

https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/jammy/en/man8/wsdd.8.html

"wsdd  implements both a Web Service Discovery (WSD) host and a WSD client daemon. The host implementation         enables (Samba) hosts, like your local NAS device, to be found by  Web  Service  Discovery  clients  like         Windows. The client mode allows searching for other WSD hosts on the local network.           The  default mode of operation is the host mode. The client or discovery mode must be enabled explicitly.         Unless configured otherwise, the host mode is always active. Both modes can be used at the same time."

How to Build a low cost AI Workstation / Install useful AI software

How to Make a DIY AI Workstation on the Cheap:
https://medium.com/@neonmaxima/how-to-make-a-diy-ai-workstation-on-the-cheap-88e3abd99be5
"Gamers chase frame rates. AI tinkerers chase stability and memory bandwidth."

Upgrade RAM to the extent your budget can afford.  
Convert any HDD to SSD.  
Add a GPU - "A 3060 with 12GB VRAM is the sweet spot."
Install Linux - "Use nvidia-smi in the terminal to confirm the GPU is recognized."
Monitor temperatures to keep the PC healthy.
Consider upgrading to quiet fans.

"Setting Up AI Frameworks:
    The big two are PyTorch and TensorFlow.
    PyTorch has become the standard in research and open-source projects, so start there."

"Then grab your tools:
    Stable Diffusion WebUI for generating images.
    Ollama or LM Studio for running LLMs locally.
    LangChain if you want to build agents.
Each has active communities, which is worth more than documentation."


Build Your Own AI Homelab: A Practical Guide to Creating a Local AI Powerhouse:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/build-your-own-ai-homelab-practical-guide-creating-local-brierley-axjpc
"With the right hardware and a bit of software savvy, anyone can set up their own AI homelab to run large language models (LLMs), experiment with machine learning workflows, and even fine-tune models ..."

"Recommendation: Don't skimp on the CPU, but prioritize your GPU. A modern 8- to 16-core CPU (e.g., AMD Ryzen 9 7950X or Intel i7/i9 12th/13th Gen) is plenty for most AI workflows."

"Top GPU Picks (2024–2025):
    Budget: RTX 3060 (12GB), used 2080 Ti
    Mid-range: RTX 4070 Ti, 4080 Super
    High-end: RTX 4090, A6000, used A100/V100 (datacenter)"

"RAM, Storage, and Networking:
    Minimum: 32GB
    Ideal: 64GB+"

"Storage:
    OS: 256GB SSD
    Models/Datasets: 1TB+ NVMe SSD (or RAID HDDs for larger sets)
    Backup: Optional NAS ..."

"Base Operating System
For a stable, long-term setup, choose an OS that is widely supported and well-documented.
   Recommended: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
       Excellent support for NVIDIA drivers, Docker, and AI libraries
       Lightweight if you skip the GUI
       Massive community and package ecosystem"

"Other options:
    Proxmox: If you want to virtualize multiple systems
    Arch Linux: For bleeding-edge users (but more maintenance)
    Debian 12: Stable and lean
    Fedora Server: A valid option with newer packages"

"CUDA (GPU acceleration) Toolkit:
    Use the version required by your chosen PyTorch or TensorFlow version
    Avoid the latest CUDA unless you know it's compatible"

"Containerization with Docker:
  Docker is a must-have in an AI homelab. It helps isolate dependencies and ensures reproducibility.
      Install Docker + NVIDIA Container Toolkit"
...


Complete Guide to Making DIY AI Programs:
https://computeraidedautomation.com/infusions/articles/articles.php?article_id=224


Build Your Own AI: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners:
https://fonzi.ai/blog/build-your-own-ai


Build a Personal, Private AI Computer on a Budget:
https://aihalls.com/building-a-personal-private-ai-computer-on-a-budget/

A cheap & easy to build raspberry pi cyberdeck

An interesting use for a Raspberry Pi:
https://github.com/samcervantes/bumble-berry-pi

Automotive: A Piston-To-Valve Clearance Trick

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/tech-101-a-piston-to-valve-clearance-trick/?uemlid=a37a6be9bfd707e0d02465b6fca2c941fab0625c8911a914a53477735f5eab01

"If the intake valve is a little too close to the piston, retard the camshaft by two degrees. This will delay valve opening and will increase the piston-to-valve clearance on the intake side. 

The opposite is also true - a tight exhaust piston-to-valve clearance can be improved by advancing the camshaft. This will, of course, tighten the intake valve piston-to-valve clearance.

A compromise between the two just might get you out of a potential problem."

Per: Jeff Smith writing for Hemmings