Speaker
Description
My journey into open source and homelab started from a simple idea: learn by building, not just by consuming technology.
I started with Linux and gradually discovered the world of open source. Debian became one of the foundations of my learning journey. From there, I explored servers, networking, virtualization, containers, automation, web development, and self-hosted services.
My homelab became a place to experiment. I learned to run services myself, break things, fix them, document what happened, and try again. Instead of depending entirely on expensive infrastructure, I learned how much can be achieved with ordinary hardware, free software, and a willingness to learn.
Along the way, I worked with technologies such as Linux, Incus, Docker, Laravel, Go, Nginx, Tailscale, Cloudflare, databases, and self-hosted applications. Each project taught me something different—not only about technology, but also about reliability, security, backups, documentation, and responsible system design.
Open source taught me that you don't always need the latest hardware or a huge budget to build useful things.
A small computer can become a server.
A spare machine can become a laboratory.
Open-source software can become an entire platform.
And a curious mind can turn all of them into something much bigger.
My homelab is not a replacement for big technology companies. It is my learning ground—a place where I can understand how things actually work instead of simply clicking a button and accepting the result.
The journey is still going.
I'm still learning, still breaking things, still rebuilding, and still discovering better ways to do things.
You don't need big tech to build big things. Sometimes, you just need a small lab, open-source software, and the courage to start.
Author(s) Bio
Hardy
Talk Description
I’m looking forward to sharing my experience with students on how open-source software can be used to build a practical homelab using affordable or existing hardware. We’ll explore how tools such as Linux, Incus, networking, and self-hosted applications can turn a simple computer into a small laboratory for learning servers, web development, system administration, automation, and cybersecurity. The goal is not to build an expensive infrastructure, but to show that with curiosity, creativity, and open-source technology, students can experiment, make mistakes, fix them, and build real things themselves.
| Category | Application Development and Deployment |
|---|---|
| Where are you located? | Malaysia |
| Do you need travel sponsorship from GNOME Foundation in order to join our event? | No |