{"id":3236,"date":"2026-06-14T06:32:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T20:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/?p=3236"},"modified":"2026-06-14T06:32:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T20:32:44","slug":"project-servertron-a-mini-pc-homelab-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/14\/project-servertron-a-mini-pc-homelab-server\/","title":{"rendered":"Project SERVERTRON: A Mini-PC Homelab Server"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project: SERVERTRON: A Mini-PC Homelab Server<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is SERVERTRON-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/001-servertron-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/001-servertron-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/001-servertron-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/001-servertron-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/001-servertron-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/001-servertron-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Figure 1: SERVERTRON-1 Mini-PC.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SERVERTRON-1 is a powerful mini-PC currently hosting my website, media, and Minecraft server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the specifications of the machine can handle a lot more than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recently, I heard of Proxmox VE. Proxmox is a type 1 hypervisor. You install it as an operating system and then it runs one or more virtual machines. These virtual machines each act like their own computer, meaning you essentially have an entire computer lab within one physical machine or cluster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I made the decision to rebuild my server as a Proxmox environment with services running from their own isolated virtual machines and containers. The new platform would still host websites, media, and game servers, but through the power of Proxmox I could also spin up virtual machines on a whim to test and learn new technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I will document the project online in the <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/brendangasparin\/servertron\/\">SERVERTRON GitHub repository<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/@brendangasparin\">my YouTube channel<\/a>. If this interests you, you can follow me on my journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why am I doing everything publicly? It\u2019s the #BuildInPublic philosophy popularised on old Twitter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Published material can be accessed by others, who can learn from my successes and failures. The material will also serve as a public portfolio of my technical work. And by doing everything in public I am making myself more accountable to complete the project and complete it well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welcome to Project: SERVERTRON: a homelab server platform running on a single node mini-PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Homelab?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A homelab is just a computer environment that you set up in your own home. This can be to host services such as media servers, game servers, or your own cloud storage, or for learning and experimentation using technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-hosting your own services allows you to save money on subscriptions by essentially setting up your own streaming and cloud services. For example, I purchased SERVERTRON-1 so I could save on monthly web hosting fees, but I also save money on Netflix and other video streaming platforms by watching my own media on Plex Media Server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Homelabbing is an especially valuable hobby for developers and IT people. Technology is a continually evolving field, and a homelab gives you a playground for exploration and learning in areas such as operating systems, networking, and infrastructure. You\u2019re free to break things and learn by trial and error when you own the system. And Proxmox makes it easy to revert to snapshots and backups if you break something important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Homelabbing also helps you build something tangible. Whether you install Proxmox on a dedicated server or run VirtualBox on your gaming laptop, virtualisation allows you to simulate complex real-world environments, including networks, servers, and production-style infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project: SERVERTRON Hardware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SERVERTRON-1 is an Intel NUC 13 Pro that I purchased from Amazon specifically to use as a server machine. The small form factor and power efficiency make it a perfect choice for use in a home environment: an entire low-powered lab running in a shoebox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It has a 13<sup>th<\/sup> generation Intel processor with 12 physical cores and 16 logical cores. As well as providing a lot of cores for virtualisation, this processor also allows hardware transcoding for media servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I bought the mini-PC it had 32 GB of RAM. That was a while ago. RAM prices had yet to shoot through the roof, so I upgraded to 64 GB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SERVERTRON-1 also has a 2 TB NVMe primary hard drive, and USB ports to attach external storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This little mini-PC packs a lot of power, making it perfect for hosting a homelab filled with virtual machines and containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Goals: What Will SERVERTRON Do?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Going into the project, the main requirement is to take SERVERTRON-1 and rebuild it from an Ubuntu Server into a Proxmox home laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final Proxmox server setup must replicate the functionality of the previous Ubuntu Server setup. This means it must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Serve websites to the public Internet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stream media across my home<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Host persistent multiplayer game worlds<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These were the initial goals of the project, but those goals began to evolve almost immediately. I\u2019ll write more about that in future articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Philosophy of the Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The philosophy of the project is guided by a few precepts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The need for a system to host websites and other services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A drive to learn and make educational content about what I learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The importance of documentation, especially in IT projects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building in public to share my learning and increase exposure for the project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The primary objective is to build a production-style environment to host servers, particularly websites. This infrastructure will be used to host my personal website and future course offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Education and learning are central to the project for several reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building the server will be an educational experience in itself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lessons learned will be shared publicly on GitHub and YouTube.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The web server will eventually be used to host educational courses.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prioritising the emulation of real-world infrastructure over simplicity for the sake of ease opens the door to learning technologies such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Proxmox VE<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Virtual machines and Linux containers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Docker and Kubernetes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Networking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reverse proxies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Strong documentation is an essential practice in software development. The project will be extensively documented publicly on the Internet in written and video formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By documenting what I am doing I am learning in an effective way while (hopefully!) creating educational resources for others. This reflects the Feynman technique: teaching others so you can identify and remedy the gaps in your own knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/002-feynman-technique-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/002-feynman-technique-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/002-feynman-technique-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/002-feynman-technique-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/002-feynman-technique-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/002-feynman-technique.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Figure 2: The Feynman Technique.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building in public is a popular practice where you share project progress and related material on the Internet. This keeps you accountable, can attract a community around the project, and exposes you to valuable feedback from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DevOps: The Future Phases of Project: SERVERTRON<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the end of the project, this little mini-PC will be a fully virtualised infrastructure platform running websites, media streaming services, and game servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But technology is about improvement, not the status quo. Where possible, I want to learn ways to be more efficient with systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I researched infrastructure and deployment workflows, I became interested in DevOps. This is the integration of development and operations practices into a continuous lifecycle. I realised this philosophy fit Project: SERVERTRON perfectly, as I will essentially be performing development and operations roles by myself anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is a lot more to DevOps than I can cover in the remainder of this article, but a modern DevOps cycle usually consists of an iterative loop of eight phases, represented by an infinity symbol. The left half of the symbol represents development while the right half represents operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/003-devops-lifecycle-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/003-devops-lifecycle-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/003-devops-lifecycle-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/003-devops-lifecycle-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/003-devops-lifecycle-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/003-devops-lifecycle.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Figure 3: The DevOps lifecycle.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are many variations of the DevOps lifecycle, but these eight phases are commonly cited. This is how I\u2019m going to organise and execute the project, releasing articles and videos on each stage of the lifecycle: PLAN, CODE, BUILD, TEST, RELEASE, DEPLOY, OPERATE, and MONITOR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, the first phase of the project will be the planning phase, where I decide my goals, requirements, architecture, tooling, and organise it all into a GitHub repository. This will be covered in another article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sure you check out my <a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/brendangasparin\">Linktree<\/a> so you can follow the future phases of Project: SERVERTRON in <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/@brendangasparin\">YouTube videos<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/BrendanGasparin\/servertron\/\">GitHub repo<\/a> (which already contains material from the PLAN phase), and on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks for reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Project: SERVERTRON: A Mini-PC Homelab Server This is SERVERTRON-1. Figure 1: SERVERTRON-1 Mini-PC. SERVERTRON-1 is a powerful mini-PC currently hosting my website, media, and Minecraft server. But the specifications of the machine can handle a lot more than that. Recently, I heard of Proxmox VE. Proxmox is a type 1 hypervisor. You install it as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3236"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3265,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3236\/revisions\/3265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendangasparin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}