selfhosted-apps-docker/port_forwarding_guide

Port Forwarding

https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/17tlvs7/i_suppose_im_too_stupid_for_port_forwarding/

guide-by-example

You want to selfhost stuff.
You know little and want to start somewhere, FAST!

Requirements

• A spare PC that will be the server.
  Can be virtualmachine.. virtualbox, hyperv.
• Google.
  If the guide says do X, and steps seem insuficient, you google that shit and add the word youtube.

Install a linux on the server

Some video.

• download linux iso. For noobs I picked EndeavourOS (2GB)
  • why that linux and not xxx? Under the hood its Arch Linux.
• make bootable usb from the iso, recommend use ventoy
  • download; run; select usb; click install; exit; copy iso on to it
• boot from the usb, maybe on newer machines need to disable secure boot in bios
• click through the installation
  • pick online installer when offered
  • during install, there can be step called Desktop - pick No Desktop
    or whatever, does not really matter
  • when picking disk layout choose wipe everything
  • username lets say you pick noob
• done

Basic setup of the linux server

SSH - a tiny application that allows you to execute commands from your comfy windows PC on the damn server

• log in to the server and be in terminal
• ssh is installed by default, but disabled
• to check status - systemctl status sshd
• to enable it sudo systemctl enable --now sshd
• ip a or ip r - show somewhere in there what IP address the server got assigned
  lets say you got 192.168.1.8, nope I am not explaining IP addresses
• done

arrow up key in terminal will cycle through old comamnds in history

Remote connect to the server

• install mobaXterm on your windows machine
• use it to connect to the server using its ip address and username
  • have a pic
    
• done

Install docker

Docker - a thing that makes hosting super easy, people prepared recipies, you copy paste them, maybe edit a bit, run them

• install docker-compose - sudo pacman -S docker-compose
• enable docker service - sudo systemctl enable --now docker
• add your user to docker group so you dont need to sudo all the time
  sudo gpasswd -a noob docker
• log out, log back in
• done

Using docker

Well, its time to learn how to create and edit files and copy paste shit in to them, IN LINUX!
Honestly could be annoying as fuck at first, but mobaXterm should make it easier with the right mouse click paste.
Nano editor is relatively simple and everywhere so that will be used.

• be in your home directory, the command cd will always get you there
• create directory mkdir docker
• go in to it cd docker
• create directory mkdir nginx
• go in to it cd nginx
• Oh look at you being all hacker in terminal, following simple directions
• create empty docker-compose.yml file nano docker-compose.yml
• paste in to it this recipe, spacing matters

  services:
  
    nginx:
      image: nginx:latest
      container_name: nginx
      hostname: nginx
      ports:
      - "80:80"
  

• save using ctrl+s; exit ctrl+x
• run command sudo docker compose up -d
  will say the container started
• on your windows machine go to your browser
  in address bar put the ip of your server 192.168.1.8 bam
  

undertanding what you just did

• on linux server a docker container is running, its a webserver and it is accessible for others.
  Most of selfhosted stuff is just webserver with some database.
• if this part is done that means that shit like hosting own netflix(jellyfin), or google drive/calendar/photos(nextcloud), or own password manager(vaultwarden) or own minecraft server(minecraft server) is just one docker-compose.yml away.
• you could almost abandon terminal at this point, just start googling portainer and you can be doing this shit through a webpage. I dont use it, but it got good I heard.

undertanding what you did not get done

• this shit is on your own local network, not accessible from the outside. Cant call grandma and tell her to write 192.168.1.8 in to her browser to see your awesome nginx welcome running. She tells you that the dumb fuck you are, you do not have public IP and ports forwarded.
  To get that working is bit challenging, probably deserves own page, not realy speedrun, but thorough steps as shit gets sideways fast and people can dick around for hours trying wrong shit.
• everything here is just basic setup that breaks easily, server got dynamic IP, turn it off for a weekend and it might get a different ip assigned next time it starts. Container is not set to start on boot,...
• you dont understand how this shit works, fixing not working stuff be hard, but now you can start to consume all the guides and tutorials on docker compose and try stuff...

Links

• https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeNetworking/comments/i7ijiz/a_guide_to_port_forwarding/