My First Homelab with ZimaOS – Home Server and Media Center
I recently started getting into the homelab and Docker world. After exploring different solutions, I eventually chose ZimaOS because it's free, easy to use and ready to go.
My current setup runs on an Intel i5-8400 with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 128GB NVMe SSD dedicated to the operating system, and two 4TB WD Red drives configured in RAID 0. I've already ordered additional drives and will soon upgrade to a 5-drive RAID 5 array for increased capacity and better data protection.
One of the things I like most about ZimaOS is how approachable it is, whether you're completely new to Docker or already have experience with self-hosting, it offers a great balance between simplicity and flexibility.
Right from the initial setup, you get a built-in file manager that allows you to manage local storage, connect cloud services such as Google Drive or OneDrive, migrate data from other systems, access SMB shares on your local network, all through a graphical interface, a backup suite and a Virtual Machine, all ready to go.
The user interface is very clean, and easy to navigate, the App Store already includes most of the applications that a typical homelab user might need, often with preconfigured templates that make deployment extremely simple. Custom Docker Compose .yml files can also be imported and there are useful for additional settings.
I focused mainly on building a media server, my setup revolves around Jellyfin and arr stacks. Setting everything up was both fun and straightforward thanks to the way ZimaOS handles containers and storage.
I also run a private DNS server using Pi-hole, which helps me to block all the junk in my whole network.
Overall, I recommend ZimaOS, especially considering that it's completely free compared to many alternatives, it provides a very good experience, and it's well optimized.
If I had to mention one downside, it would be the lack of JBOD or MergerFS support, but JBOD is already work in progress.
Have any of you tried it?
(have used AI to translate form my native language)