Build Real Infrastructure. Land Real Jobs.
Every DevOps job posting asks for “production experience.” But how do you get production experience without a production job? The homelab.
From the homelab: Everything in this series comes from my own infrastructure. I run a Proxmox cluster, a Pi rack, and 30+ self-hosted services. Each guide is something I have built, broken, fixed, and documented — so you can skip the mistakes I made along the way.
This series shows you how to build legitimate infrastructure on any budget – from free cloud tiers to refurbished enterprise hardware. Not just hobby projects, but documented environments that demonstrate real operational skills to employers.
I’ve hired infrastructure engineers. The candidates who stood out weren’t the ones with the most certifications – they were the ones who could describe their homelab architecture, explain their backup strategy, and discuss what broke at 2 AM and how they fixed it.
Career Context: Junior DevOps/Infrastructure roles: £35-50k. With demonstrated homelab experience showing production thinking: £50-70k. The difference is proving you can operate systems, not just build them.
The Homelab Learning Path
Start with the fundamentals, then choose your hardware path based on budget and goals.
Start Here
How to Build Your First Homelab in 2026 (RAM Crisis Edition)
The complete getting started guide. What hardware to buy, what software to run, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes I made.
Gateway Article
Choose Your Hardware
Best VPS for Homelabs 2026: Cloud-First Approach
No hardware budget? Start in the cloud. Real infrastructure without the electricity bill.
Raspberry Pi 5 Homelab: 10 Career-Building Projects
The low-power path to Kubernetes, Docker, and automation skills.
Best Refurbished Mini PCs for Homelab and Proxmox
Enterprise-grade hardware for homelab budgets. What to buy, what to avoid, and a first Proxmox host from around £100.
Operational Skills
How I Secured My Entire Linux Fleet in One Day with Ansible
Infrastructure as Code in practice. One playbook, every Linux server in the fleet, consistent security baselines.
Budget Guide
| Budget | Recommended Path | What You’ll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| £0 | Oracle Cloud Free Tier | Cloud fundamentals, VMs, networking basics |
| £100-150 | Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB, about £106 for the board in October 2026) with power supply and SSD | Docker, Kubernetes (K3s), automation, self-hosting |
| £100-200 | Single refurbished mini PC | Proxmox, VMs, full Linux administration |
| £300-500 | 2-3 mini PCs for cluster | High availability, clustering, production patterns |
| £500+ | Mix: cluster + Pi for edge + NAS | Full enterprise architecture at home |
Who This Series Is For
- IT Support/Helpdesk building infrastructure skills for promotion
- Junior Sysadmins wanting to demonstrate DevOps capabilities
- Career Changers entering tech through hands-on learning
- Students building portfolios before graduation
- Hobbyists ready to turn tinkering into career advantage
Stay in the Loop
New homelab guides, Linux tutorials, and career content every 2 days. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Related Learning Paths
- Linux Fundamentals – Master the command line (12 guides)
- Azure AZ-104 Series – Cloud certification path
- Digital Sovereignty – Self-hosting for privacy
Where to Start
If you are new to homelabs, start here:
- What is a Homelab? — the fundamentals before you buy anything
- Buy, Build, or Rent? — choosing the right approach for your budget and goals
- Build Your First Homelab in 2026 — the complete step-by-step guide
Choosing Your Hardware
- Raspberry Pi 5 Homelab Guide — lightweight services, low power, great for learning
- Best Refurbished Mini PCs for Proxmox — the sweet spot for most homelabs
- Raspberry Pi vs Mini PC — honest comparison from someone who runs both
- Best VPS for Homelab 2026 — start in the cloud if you prefer
Infrastructure Fundamentals
- Proxmox Installation Guide — enterprise-grade virtualisation for free
- Install Docker on Ubuntu — containerisation is the backbone of modern homelabs
- Docker Compose for Beginners — manage multi-container services
- Essential Docker Commands — the commands you will use daily
Essential Services
- 5 Containers Every Homelab Should Run — the essential starting list
- Pi-hole DNS Setup — network-wide ad blocking and DNS control
- Nextcloud Setup — replace Google Drive, Calendar, and Contacts
- Nginx Proxy Manager — HTTPS and subdomain routing for all your services
- Jellyfin Media Server — own your media library
- Vaultwarden Password Manager — self-hosted Bitwarden
- Grafana + Prometheus Monitoring — see what your homelab is doing
- Uptime Kuma — simple uptime monitoring for all your services
Networking and Remote Access
- WireGuard VPN — secure remote access to your homelab
- Tailscale Setup — zero-config remote access
- DuckDNS Dynamic DNS — keep your homelab accessible on a dynamic IP
- IP Addressing Fundamentals — understand your network
Security
- Secure Your Homelab — hardening fundamentals
- 5 Security Basics Your Homelab Teaches — skills that transfer to enterprise
- Ansible Security Baseline — automate your hardening
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ReadTheManual is run, written and curated by Eric Lonsdale.
Eric has over 20 years of professional experience in IT infrastructure, cloud architecture, and cybersecurity, but started with PCs long before that.
He built his first machine from parts bought off tables at the local college campus, hoping they worked. He learned on BBC Micros and Atari units in the early 90s, and has built almost every PC he’s used between 1995 and now.
From helpdesk to infrastructure architect, Eric has worked across enterprise datacentres, Azure environments, and security operations. He’s managed teams, trained engineers, and spent two decades solving the problems this site teaches you to solve.
ReadTheManual exists because Eric believes the best way to learn IT is to build things, break things, and actually read the manual. Every guide on this site runs on infrastructure he owns and maintains.
