It’s been a few weeks since my last update, and I’m excited to dive back into my homelab journey with my Linux desktop running a self-hosted CasaOS server. In this latest installment of my homelab journey, I’ll recap the hardware investments made in my Lenovo ThinkStation and list the essential apps that get me up and running on my typical workflows.
A month ago, I attended SCaLE 22x, the 22nd Annual Southern California Linux Expo. It was a great time to build connections with my Red Hat colleagues and other industry professionals. One connection I was particularly interested in making was with the System76 team since they are the developers of the Pop!_OS operating system. I was able to chat with their developers about my homelab journey and ask about running CasaOS on top of Pop!_OS. Granted, they are biased, but they assured me that there shouldn’t be any issues running containers atop a full-blown desktop OS (vs a headless server OS). Cool!
Slight Hardware Pivot
My original intent for the 2017 Lenovo ThinkStation was to run it as a headless server (no keyboard, mouse, or monitor), but then I started playing with Pop!_OS. Messing around with a new OS was energizing and inspired me to use this computer as a proper Linux desktop, possibly my daily driver. So I added a few more modifications like swapping the 240GB SSD for a 512GB SSD, installing a WiFi/Bluetooth card, adding more RAM, and (of course) buying another monitor cable. Womp.
The total cost of the current setup comes to $400 with the following parts:
- Lenovo ThinkStation P310 SFF (i7-6700), 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM ($134)
- 3 TB HDD ($30)
- 4 TB HDD ($122)
- 3.5″ to 5.25″ Front Bay Mounting Bracket for HDD ($6)
- TP-Link WiFi 6 AX3000 PCIe Card ($35)
- 32 GB RAM ($64)
- DisplayPort Cable ($9)
Specs and Performance
I’ve been using M1 Macs since 2021, and they are super snappy. I ran Geekbench performance tests on both machines to see how they compare. Unsurprisingly, the M1 Mac Mini handily beats the ThinkStation in performance metrics.
Geekbench scores – 2017 Lenovo ThinkStation
Geekbench scores – 2020 M1 Mac Mini
I am not too concerned about the differences though since most of my work is the equivalent of light-duty office tasks. I don’t typically edit videos or do other tasks that require more computational horsepower.
Must-Have Applications
When I set up a new computer, there are certain apps that I need to get me up and running on my typical workflows. My must-have apps are categorized and listed below:
Communication
- Signal (private chats)
- Slack (work chats)
- Thunderbird (email client for email backup from the cloud)
- Zoom (video calls)
Creative
- Canva (visual suite, but no native app for Linux – can use in the browser)
- Flameshot (screenshot app)
Development
- FileZilla (FTP client)
- VS Code (code editor)
Entertainment
- NetNewWire (RSS feed reader)
- Spotify
Internet
- Brave Browser (privacy-focused web browser)
Office Suite
- LibreOffice (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc)
Personal Organization
- Joplin (replaced Apple Notes!)
- Todoist (the best task manager)
Productivity
- Calculator (it’s a calculator. Seriously…I use this all the time)
- Syncthing (file syncing between computers)
Security
- Bitwarden (password manager)
- OpenVPN (VPN client)
- Tailscale (VPN client)
- Time Shift (system backups)
Behold! The fully set-up Pop!_OS desktop with all apps installed for optimal productivity!
Next Steps
As I mentioned earlier, my original intent for the ThinkStation was to run it as a headless server. However, after playing with Pop!_OS and experimenting with different applications, I found myself wanting to use this computer as my daily driver. This change in approach led me to focus on setting up essential apps on Pop!_OS, rather than solely installing self-hosted services in CasaOS.
Now that it’s all configured to my liking, I plan to shift my attention more fully to setting up more applications in CasaOS. So far I have Nextcloud and Joplin Server already set up and running!
Next on the list are:
- Immich (photo management)
- Audiobookshelf (audiobooks management)
- Calibre (ebooks management)
Stay tuned for further updates on this journey!