Stackarr Field Notes / Issue 2026

Operate the homelab you meant to build.

Clear, source-backed guides for private infrastructure, media, automation, and the systems that keep a home server dependable.

Archive / 02

29 articles
An unlabelled home-server cabinet and access device in a dark domestic hallway, with violet status lights near a closed door.SECURITY
Smart Home

Secure a Home Assistant Dashboard with Cloudflare Tunnel and Access

Publish one browser-based Home Assistant dashboard through Cloudflare Tunnel, then require an Access policy before the local login.

Read article Cloudflare
A compact home-server rack on a dark shelf with restrained violet cache signals and unlabelled storage cases.TUTORIAL
Infrastructure & Networking

Set Up a Docker Hub Pull-Through Cache on One Home Server

Cache Docker Hub pulls on one Linux host while keeping the registry private to that host and preserving a clear rollback path.

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A compact home server, smartphone, and photo archive box in a dark editorial scene with a restrained violet connection.TUTORIAL
Data & Photos

Build a One-Way Photo Mirror with Syncthing

Create a recoverable, one-way Syncthing mirror for a photo folder, test both sync directions, and safely undo the setup.

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A compact home media server beside unlabelled storage cases on a dark shelf, with a restrained violet status glow.TUTORIAL
Media & Entertainment

Mount a Jellyfin Library Read-Only in Docker

Give Jellyfin read access to the finished media library without allowing the container to alter the host files.

Read article JellyfinDocker
A compact home-server cabinet on a shelf in a dark room beside a window and plant, with restrained violet details.TUTORIAL
AI & Automation

Keep Ollama’s API Inside a Docker Network

Run Ollama without publishing port 11434, prove an approved Docker client works, and confirm an unrelated container cannot resolve the service.

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An ESPHome Bluetooth proxy on a home-server shelf near a plant and compact server hardware, with restrained violet radio waves.TUTORIAL
Smart Home

Extend Home Assistant Bluetooth Coverage with an ESPHome Proxy

Place one ESPHome Bluetooth proxy near distant BLE devices, prove its route in Home Assistant, and keep a safe local-adapter fallback.

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Two unbranded retro game controllers beside a compact home server, joined by a restrained violet signal line.TUTORIAL
Gaming & Emulation

Sync RetroArch Saves Between Two Devices with Syncthing

Keep a deliberate, recoverable copy of RetroArch saves on two devices without syncing your whole game library.

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An archival storage case holding unlabelled photo sheets in a dark home-server room, with a violet recovery signal.TUTORIAL
Data & Photos

Run an Immich Recovery Drill Before You Need It

Create a matched Immich checkpoint, rehearse a disposable restore, verify storage integrity, and retain a safe rollback path.

Read article Immich
Technical diagram showing a Jellyfin media pipeline routed through an Intel Quick Sync chip to playback.TUTORIAL
Media & Entertainment

Make Jellyfin Transcoding Predictable with Intel Quick Sync in Docker

Map an Intel render device into Jellyfin, choose the right Linux acceleration backend, and prove a real transcode before relying on it.

Read article Jellyfin