ZDNET’s key takeaways
- You should deploy a server to your LAN.
- Linux is the right choice for this.
- Here are your best distro options for a home server.
You’ve got a home network, right? The vast majority of US homes have internet, which means they have a local area network (LAN).
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Why not take your LAN to the next level by installing a server so you can expand the tools at your disposal? After all, you might want to migrate certain services to your own network and ensure that your information isn’t being used by a third party. You could migrate Google Workspace to, say, Nextcloud, or Google/Apple Photos to Immich or Photoprism, or Notion/Google Keep to Trillium.
The options are almost limitless.
If you think that’s the right path for you, the first thing you’ll need to do is choose a server operating system. You’ll want to use Linux. It’s free, flexible, powerful, secure, and reliable.
If you do settle on Linux, which distribution? There are so many, many distros to choose from.
1. Univention Corporate Server (Core)
Don’t let the name fool you: The Univention Corporate Server (Core edition), is equally at home on your LAN as it is in a business. The Core edition (based on Debian) is free to use and features identity and access management, protocols and interfaces, an integration catalog, and… wait. You don’t need to know about those things! What you need to know is what it can do for you.
Univention includes an App Center, accessible via the web interface, that allows you to install apps to expand the feature set in a way that perfectly meets your needs. You might want Nextcloud, eOX App Suite (email, calendar, task management), Kopano (email, video meetings, shared calendars), OmlyOffice, Mattermost, Bareos Backup Server, OpenProject, WeKan…the list goes on.
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Ultimately, what Univention Corporate Server does is simplify the process of deploying the web-based apps you need for your home network, so you no longer have to depend on third-party services.
You do have to accept the terms of use by signing up for a free account before downloading the ISO file for Univention Core.
2. Zentyal Community
Zentyal Community is similar to Univention Corporate Server (Core), but is based on Ubuntu LTS and serves as a drop-in replacement for Windows Small Business Server. Zentyal is great for services like Active Directory domain control, file and print sharing, email server, firewall, DNS, DHCP, and VPN.
The difference, however, is that Zentyal does not have an app store. Instead, it uses built-in modules that you can enable/disable via its web interface. And because Zentyal is based on Ubuntu, you also have a massive collection of software that can be installed via the default package manager (APT).
Think of Zentyal as an all-in-one network and domain controller. What you can really do with this is set up a centralized directory for all of the accounts on your home network, so you can manage them all from a single location. On top of that, you can create your own network services, so you can control DHCP, DNS, VPN, firewalls, and gateways.
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Yes, Zentyal requires a bit more knowledge than Univention, but there’s a lot of power to be had with this OS. For anyone who wants to take control of their network, Zentyal is a great place to start.
Download Zentyal Community from the official site.
3. Proxmox VE
Proxmox VE is all about isolation, virtual machines, and containers, which means you can take a single machine and turn it into a multi-service platform while retaining heightened security. You can even set up a cluster of Proxmox servers and migrate virtual machines between them.
Similar to Zentyal, Proxmox VE does not have a traditional app store, but uses Linux Container templates (LXC) and helper scripts to add new features. Installing services is automated via the helper scripts, which you download from the CommunityScripts site.
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You then copy the specific script command for what you want to install into the shell and hit Enter. The script does its thing and installs the service. You’ll find helper scripts for services like AdGuard Home, Jellyfin Media Server, Immich, Pi-Hole, WireGuard, various Linux distributions, VPNs, backup and recovery, databases, dashboards, file sharing, productivity, and much more.
The beauty of Proxmox is its flexibility and security, which (thanks to its isolation) is unmatched by most servers of its type.
You can download Proxmox VE from the official site.
4. Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server is my go-to for most things I deploy on my LAN. Although Ubuntu is command-line only (unless you install a GUI), I find it to be one of the most user-friendly server OSes around. If you don’t like a command-line only interface, you can always install a desktop environment.
Ubuntu Server also has a massive community, where you can find help for just about anything. And with Snaps, you can easily install things like Nextcloud with a simple command (sudo snap install nextcloud). Between Snap and APT, you have thousands of useful apps and services to install and use.
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I’ve been using Ubuntu Server for years, and have rarely experienced a problem. Ubuntu Server also offers LTS (long-term support), which can be extended up to 15 years. And with AppArmor there to keep your server secure, you are less likely to suffer break-ins.
Ubuntu Server is also very fast to boot and run because it suffers from zero bloat.
Finally, with Ubuntu Server, you get predictable releases and updates. As for the updates, I’ve upgraded Ubuntu Server from major release to major release (from one LTS to another) and have never had a problem. Ubuntu is just a rock-solid choice.
Download an Ubuntu ISO from the official site.
5. Fedora Server
If there’s one reason to recommend Fedora Server, it’s Cockpit. Cockpit is a web-based console that allows you to manage various aspects of your server, such as updates, accounts, log viewing, containers, services, system monitoring, network configurations, firewall rules, and more.
Beyond that, you also get a modern container ecosystem with Podman, SELinux for heightened security, easy upgrades from major version to major version, up-to-date software (with more recently updated apps than you might find with Ubuntu Server), and — this is important — it’s close to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), which is the de facto standard Linux server for businesses worldwide.
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If I had to choose a second option after Ubuntu, Fedora Server would be it.
You can download the ISO for Fedora Server from the official site. Once you’ve downloaded the ISO for your LAN server of choice, create a bootable USB drive with it, use it to boot a spare machine, and install away.
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