This video has a similar discussion about the C++ programming language vs other programming languages that are theoretically better. https://youtu.be/I7fEsbksKRE?is=T53DqwVNM3ps97JY
The summary: An imperfect solution today is nearly always used over the perfect solution that will arrive at some unknown time in the future. Also momentum is a thing.
I agree with having the server run Proxmox like others have said. Check out these YouTube channels for helpful information/guides:
LearnLinuxTV
LawrenceSystems
CraftComputing
I just started playing with Dockhand and it looks like it has a built in update schedule mechanism. It’s fills a comparable role as Portainer, so maybe check that out.
I would make an FAQ. I think for getting tone it is important to know what things are hard facts, what things are more subjective preferences, and what’s things are “we had to make a choice between options with no clear ‘best’ option”.
I would be inclined to think that if you are just renting a machine or VM and all the configuration/maintenance is your problem it would be close enough. But I am not a mod and don’t want to be.
I am no expert, so grains of salt and such. But my assumption is that it’s a marketing expense. They get a lot of people familiar with cloud flare services and some of them later need a professional level solution. So people use what they are already familiar with. This is the same reason why tech companies provide hardware/software to schools for cheap/free.
I can understand the potential problems of trying to define “low-effort post”. In contrast can guidelines be given for a “quality post”. If no guidance on either end is given it may discourage some people from posting anything. Maybe people can contribute what they see as indications of a “quality post”.
Just link them the story of a Dad getting locked out of his Google account after sending a picture of his child to the Doctor as part of remote care.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/22/google-csam-account-blocked
The point being they can fuck up your life on a whim and don’t care about the harm they will cause because your one out of millions.
I think you are making it more complicated than needed. If you just want reliable service, just figure out who has the most reliable Internet and power and they can host the server. If you want to learn kubernets or docker swarm, you can try that but it will take a ton of upfront work.
Edit: Also get a UPS for the server.
Other people have already talked about why you are having performance issues with the Pi. As for a better NAS solution you will probably be better off with a used desktop PC from the last 10 years. If the computer doesn’t have enough SATA ports you can get a sata addon card or HBA (host buss adapter) addon card flashed in IT mode. You should be able to find a lot of options on eBay. Maybe people can chime in with specific models to look at.
Tailscale. You can make a free account and they have clients for most things. If you want to self host, Headscale.
To make sure there is not a misunderstanding, the wattage of a PSU is not how much power it will draw. The wattage is how much is can supply. So if you have a 1000w PSU, but all your components draw 200w of power it will use about 200w of power.
Additionally, if you plan to get a lot of HDDs in the future, do some research on power rails. Some PSUs are designed to only be able to supply a small amount of power to things like HDDs because most people only have 1 or 2.
I have used audiobook shelf to read a couple of PDF files. Seemed to work fine. I mostly use it for audio books.
If you have mechanical HDD you may want to get a foam lined case and anti static bags. That should be the best approach to avoid drive damage.
As for leaving things in the rack, I am concerned that road vibration could walk screws out. That would be bad.
You don’t want hardware raid. Some options you can research:
Some OS options to consider:
There are probably other software/OS’s to consider, but those are the ones I have any experience with. I personally use ZFS on Truenas with a lot of help from this YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/@lawrencesystems
I think more important than which distro to choose is you setting up remote access for yourself. Tailscale and maybe rust desk or something would be a good idea. Or if you want to go further a vpn connection to a KVM device, some of them support being able to wire into the power button so you have full control. I would also have their account info in your password manager. Then you don’t need them to remember anything because you can do it when needed.