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A homelab field guide

The Junk Drawer Homelab

Cover of The Junk Drawer Homelab

Your junk drawer is a data center. Let AI run it.

You already have the gear. This book puts it to work, one project per chapter, from the Pi you forgot to local AI on old hardware.

Kindle $9.99 Paperback
18
chapters
MCP
Docker, Ollama

What's inside

Lay out the drawer, give each device a job, then lock it down and hand the boring parts to a local AI. Every chapter's code is on its own free page.

  1. 01What's in the DrawerGetting startedFree code
  2. 02Subscription KillerGetting startedFree code
  3. 03The Boring FoundationGetting startedFree code
  4. 04Pi-hole on the Pi You ForgotFirst LightFree code
  5. 05Old Laptop → JellyfinFirst LightFree code
  6. 06Old Phone → Camera, Dashboard, or SensorFirst LightFree code
  7. 07Google Photos → ImmichBreak Up With Big TechFree code
  8. 08Password Manager → VaultwardenBreak Up With Big TechFree code
  9. 09Audiobooks & Podcasts → AudiobookshelfBreak Up With Big TechFree code
  10. 10Reach It From Anywhere Without Opening a PortFortressFree code
  11. 11Backups That Actually RestoreFortressFree code
  12. 12Network HygieneFortressFree code
  13. 13Local AI on Old HardwareThe OracleFree code
  14. 14Let the AI Run the LabThe OracleFree code
  15. 15Automations with n8nThe OracleFree code
  16. 16The Rack: Many Boxes Into OneFinishing upFree code
  17. 17When It Breaks: The Field GuideFinishing upFree code
  18. 18Close the DrawerFinishing upFree code
Kindle $9.99 Paperback

Every chapter's code is free on its own page. DRM-free Kindle edition.

If your drawer is missing it

1. Nothing. The default.

“If everything on the sheet is running and you're not annoyed, stop here. Seriously. The most common homelab failure mode is buying the next thing before the current thing is finished.”

The Junk Drawer Homelab, Ch. 18, What to buy, if anything

Only if a project stalls for want of a part, these are the ones the book names, in its own words. The Amazon links are searches, not tested listings.

  • Used SATA SSD

    If any laptop is still on a spinning drive, a used SATA SSD is the single highest-impact upgrade in this book.Ch. 18, What to buy · code: ch. 18, 1
    Search SATA SSDs

  • Plug-in watt meter or smart plug

    A plug-in watt meter is the one gadget I'll tell you to buy in this chapter, because it ends arguments.Ch. 1; smart plug, Ch. 18 · code: ch. 1, 18
    Search watt metersSearch smart plugs

  • Raspberry Pi power supply

    Do you have a power supply with enough amps (Pi 4 wants 3 A, Pi 5 wants 5 A)?Ch. 1 · code: ch. 1
    Pi 4 suppliesPi 5 supplies

  • 32 GB A1-rated microSD

    A 32 GB A1-rated card is the cheapest insurance in this book.Ch. 1 · code: ch. 1
    Search A1 microSD cards

  • USB 3 SSD for a Pi 4 or 5

    The card is the bottleneck. A USB 3 SSD on a Pi 4/5 is a different machine.Ch. 17, When it breaks · code: ch. 17
    Search USB 3 SSDs

  • USB 3 enclosure for an old 2.5″ drive

    Old 2.5″ laptop drives in a drawer: an enclosure turns each one into a backup drive.Ch. 1 and Ch. 11 · code: ch. 1, 11
    Search 2.5″ enclosures

  • Used business mini PC, to replace an old tower

    The HP EliteDesk 800 G-series mini, Dell OptiPlex Micro or Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny. Buy used; the refurb market is deep.Ch. 18, What to buy; power math in Ch. 1 · code: ch. 18, 1
    HP EliteDesk miniDell OptiPlex MicroLenovo ThinkCentre Tiny

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The free companion kit

The book tells you why. The kit saves your fingers.

  • Every code block in the book, copy-ready
  • Compose files, checklists and the cheat sheet
  • Free, MIT-licensed, no sign-up
Get the free kit

Want it all in one folder?

The paid companion kit: the book as PDF + EPUB (DRM-free), every code block organised chapter by chapter, five printable worksheets and TIMING.md, the installer times measured on real hardware.

See the paid kit, $24

Then give your AI hands: the MCP series

Model Context Protocol is the standard that gives AI assistants scoped access to real systems. Two plain-English books, both live on Amazon Kindle.

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The MCP series, book 2

MCP for the Homelab

Teach your AI assistant to actually run your lab. First server tonight, the Paranoid Chapter, the error catalog and ten copy-paste recipes. Read-only by default.

Kindle $8.99 Read the setup chapter free
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The MCP series, book 1

MCP for Business

Ninety minutes from "what is MCP?" to a 90-day plan you can defend in a budget meeting. No code, no jargon, and the five vendor questions.

Kindle $9.99 Read chapters 1–3 free