Homelab Overview

You are managing your homelab using Proxmox with VMs for Ubuntu, Kali, and pfSense. Your main goals include hosting your own services, automating workflows, and connecting everything securely with Twingate.

Infrastructure Components

Proxmox VE (Hypervisor)

Purpose: Virtualization platform for all services
Hardware: Dedicated server or powerful workstation
VMs Hosted:
- Ubuntu Server (primary services)
- Kali Linux (penetration testing)
- pfSense (firewall and routing)

Ubuntu VM (Services Host)

Role: Main application server
Services:
- Obsidian sync (CouchDB)
- n8n automation platform
- Docker containers
- Database servers

pfSense VM (Network Security)

Role: Firewall and network gateway
Features:
- VLAN management
- VPN server
- DNS resolver
- Traffic monitoring

Twingate (Secure Remote Access)

Purpose: Zero-trust network access
Benefits: Secure remote access without exposing ports

Obsidian Setup

Self-Hosted Sync Solution

Obsidian is being self-hosted using CouchDB
Running on the Ubuntu VM
Connected using Obsidian LiveSync plugin
Secure remote access managed via Twingate

Why Self-Host Obsidian Sync?

Data Sovereignty: Full control over your notes
Privacy: No third-party access to sensitive information
Cost: Free alternative to Obsidian Sync subscription
Learning: Hands-on experience with database management

Step-by-Step Setup Plan

Phase 1: Server Preparation

1. Update and Secure Ubuntu VM

# System updates
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install essential tools
sudo apt install -y curl wget git vim ufw

# Configure firewall
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable

2. Install Docker and Docker Compose

# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

# Install Docker Compose
sudo apt install docker-compose -y

# Add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

# Verify installation
docker --version
docker-compose --version

3. Create Service Directories

# Create organized directory structure
mkdir -p ~/services/{obsidian-sync,n8n,backups}
cd ~/services

Phase 2: Deploy CouchDB for Obsidian Sync

1. Create Docker Compose Configuration

cd ~/services/obsidian-sync
nano docker-compose.yml

version: '3.8'
services:
  couchdb:
    image: couchdb:latest
    container_name: couchdb-for-obsidian
    environment:
      - COUCHDB_USER=admin
      - COUCHDB_PASSWORD=your_secure_password_here
    volumes:
      - ./data:/opt/couchdb/data
      - ./config:/opt/couchdb/etc/local.d
    ports:
      - 5984:5984
    restart: unless-stopped
    networks:
      - homelab
networks:
  homelab:
    driver: bridge

2. Launch CouchDB

# Start CouchDB
docker-compose up -d

# Verify it's running
docker ps | grep couchdb

# Check logs
docker logs -f couchdb-for-obsidian

3. Configure CouchDB

Open CouchDB dashboard: http://<ubuntu-vm-ip>:5984/_utils
Login with credentials from docker-compose.yml
Create database named obsidian
Enable CORS if accessing from different origins

4. Connect Obsidian Desktop

Install Self-Hosted LiveSync plugin in Obsidian
Configure plugin settings:
- Remote Database URL: http://<ubuntu-vm-ip>:5984/obsidian
- Username: admin
- Password: Your CouchDB password
Initialize sync and test

Phase 3: Install and Configure n8n

1. Create n8n Directory and Configuration

cd ~/services/n8n
nano docker-compose.yml

version: '3'
services:
  n8n:
    image: n8nio/n8n:latest
    container_name: n8n-automation
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - GENERIC_TIMEZONE=Europe/Paris
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_ACTIVE=true
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_USER=admin
      - N8N_BASIC_AUTH_PASSWORD=secure_password
      - N8N_HOST=n8n.lab
      - N8N_PORT=5678
      - N8N_PROTOCOL=https
      - WEBHOOK_URL=https://n8n.lab/
    ports:
      - 5678:5678
    volumes:
      - ./data:/home/node/.n8n
      - ./local-files:/files
    networks:
      - homelab
networks:
  homelab:
    external: true

2. Launch n8n

# Start n8n
docker-compose up -d

# Check status
docker logs -f n8n-automation

3. Access n8n Interface

Navigate to: http://<ubuntu-vm-ip>:5678
Login with credentials from docker-compose.yml
Complete initial setup wizard

Phase 4: Automate Backups with n8n

Backup Strategy

Daily Backups: Obsidian vault and CouchDB data
Weekly Backups: Full system configuration
Monthly Archives: Long-term storage

Create Backup Workflow in n8n

Workflow Components:

Schedule Trigger (Cron Node)
- Schedule: Every Sunday at 2:00 AM
- Expression: 0 2 * * 0

Create Backup (Execute Command Node)

#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/backups/obsidian"
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)

# Create backup directory
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Backup Obsidian vault
tar czf $BACKUP_DIR/obsidian-vault_$DATE.tar.gz /path/to/obsidian-vault

# Backup CouchDB data
tar czf $BACKUP_DIR/couchdb-data_$DATE.tar.gz ~/services/obsidian-sync/data

# Keep only last 4 weeks of backups
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +28 -delete

echo "Backup completed: $DATE"

Verify Backup (Execute Command Node)

# Check if backup file exists and has reasonable size
LATEST_BACKUP=$(ls -t /backups/obsidian/*.tar.gz | head -1)
SIZE=$(stat -f%z "$LATEST_BACKUP" 2>/dev/null || stat -c%s "$LATEST_BACKUP")

if [ $SIZE -gt 1024 ]; then
  echo "Backup successful: $LATEST_BACKUP ($SIZE bytes)"
  exit 0
else
  echo "Backup failed or too small!"
  exit 1
fi

Send Notification (HTTP Request Node or Telegram)
- On success: “✅ Backup completed successfully”
- On failure: “❌ Backup failed! Please check logs”

Phase 5: Remote Access and Security

Install Twingate

Create Twingate Account
- Sign up at twingate.com
- Create new network
Deploy Twingate Connector

# Download and install Twingate connector
curl -s https://binaries.twingate.com/connector/setup.sh | sudo bash

# Configure connector
sudo twingate-connector setup

Configure Resources
- Add Ubuntu VM services
- Add Proxmox web interface
- Add n8n automation platform

Alternative: Cloudflare Tunnel

For HTTPS access without port forwarding:

# Install cloudflared
wget https://github.com/cloudflare/cloudflared/releases/latest/download/cloudflared-linux-amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i cloudflared-linux-amd64.deb

# Authenticate
cloudflared tunnel login

# Create tunnel
cloudflared tunnel create homelab

# Configure tunnel
nano ~/.cloudflared/config.yml

tunnel: <tunnel-id>
credentials-file: /root/.cloudflared/<tunnel-id>.json

ingress:
  - hostname: n8n.yourdomain.com
    service: http://localhost:5678
  - hostname: couchdb.yourdomain.com
    service: http://localhost:5984
  - service: http_status:404

Weekend Action Plan

Saturday Schedule

Morning (2-3 hours)

Proxmox maintenance and updates
Ubuntu VM system updates
Install Docker and Docker Compose
Create service directories

Afternoon (2-3 hours)

Deploy CouchDB container
Configure CouchDB database
Test CouchDB connection from browser
Install Obsidian LiveSync plugin

Evening (1-2 hours)

Connect Obsidian desktop to CouchDB
Test sync functionality
Document setup steps in Obsidian

Sunday Schedule

Morning (2-3 hours)

Deploy n8n container
Configure n8n basic authentication
Explore n8n interface and templates

Afternoon (2-3 hours)

Create first backup automation workflow
Test backup manually
Set up backup schedule

Evening (1-2 hours)

Install and configure Twingate
Test remote access from phone/laptop
Document entire setup in Obsidian

End Goal: Complete Self-Hosted Environment

By Monday, you’ll have:

✅ Infrastructure

Proxmox hypervisor with organized VMs
Secure network with pfSense firewall
Docker-based service architecture

✅ Core Services

Self-hosted Obsidian sync (CouchDB)
n8n automation platform
Automated backup system

✅ Security

Secure remote access (Twingate)
Encrypted connections (HTTPS/SSL)
Regular automated backups

✅ Automation

Weekly backup automation
Notification system for monitoring
Workflow foundation for future projects

Next Steps and Future Enhancements

Short Term (1-2 weeks)

Add reverse proxy (Nginx Proxy Manager)
Configure custom domain names
Set up monitoring (Uptime Kuma)

Medium Term (1-2 months)

Add more automation workflows
Implement log aggregation (Loki + Grafana)
Create disaster recovery plan

Long Term (3-6 months)

Expand homelab with additional services
Implement GitOps for infrastructure as code
Create comprehensive documentation

Conclusion

This roadmap provides a clear path from initial setup to a fully functional, self-hosted homelab environment. By following this phased approach, you’ll build a solid foundation for automation, security, and continuous learning.

The key to success is steady, incremental progress. Start with the basics, ensure each component works correctly, and gradually add complexity. Document everything in Obsidian, and don’t hesitate to experiment and learn from failures.

Your homelab journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Enjoy the process!

Tracing My Homelab Journey Roadmap Self Hosted Services

Homelab Overview

Infrastructure Components

Proxmox VE (Hypervisor)

Ubuntu VM (Services Host)

pfSense VM (Network Security)

Twingate (Secure Remote Access)

Obsidian Setup

Self-Hosted Sync Solution

Why Self-Host Obsidian Sync?

Step-by-Step Setup Plan

Phase 1: Server Preparation

1. Update and Secure Ubuntu VM

2. Install Docker and Docker Compose

3. Create Service Directories

Phase 2: Deploy CouchDB for Obsidian Sync

1. Create Docker Compose Configuration

2. Launch CouchDB

3. Configure CouchDB

4. Connect Obsidian Desktop

Phase 3: Install and Configure n8n

1. Create n8n Directory and Configuration

2. Launch n8n

3. Access n8n Interface

Phase 4: Automate Backups with n8n

Backup Strategy

Create Backup Workflow in n8n

Workflow Components:

Phase 5: Remote Access and Security

Install Twingate

Alternative: Cloudflare Tunnel

Weekend Action Plan

Saturday Schedule

Morning (2-3 hours)

Afternoon (2-3 hours)

Evening (1-2 hours)

Sunday Schedule

Morning (2-3 hours)

Afternoon (2-3 hours)

Evening (1-2 hours)

End Goal: Complete Self-Hosted Environment

✅ Infrastructure

✅ Core Services

✅ Security

✅ Automation

Next Steps and Future Enhancements

Short Term (1-2 weeks)

Medium Term (1-2 months)

Long Term (3-6 months)

Conclusion