Self-Host Weekly #150: Watchtower No More

SPONSORED BY    PikaPods

Weekly Highlights

GitHub stole most of the spotlight this week after announcing it was going to begin charging customers for self-hosted Actions runner usage while simultaneously reducing the price for those hosted by the platform. Cue the intense backlash from users who hate paying for things, which prompted the company to postpone the decision (i.e. they'll implement the new pricing after we've all moved on to the next controversy).

On the flip side of the coin, Docker open sourced the images from their Docker Hardened Image program under the Apache 2.0 license and released them to the public (source code), which will allow maintainers to leverage the hardened images when building applications. This should theoretically reduce attack vectors and produce smaller images for those utilizing them, but TBD on how much the average end user will be impacted.

And speaking of open source, the Open Source Initiative published their list of the 20 most-popular open source licenses from 2025 ranked by number of pageviews. MIT led the pack with ~1.5M pageviews, while Apache 2.0 and BSD 2/3 followed with approximately 350k views each (the disparity between the top four and bottom 16 is fairly large).

Other Highlights

• Watchtower, the automatic container image update platform notorious for breaking things, was officially archived on Wednesday. While popular forks still exist, it's probably time for you to start seeing other people.
• The Open Home Foundation announced its second-ever commercial partnership with Apollo Automation, who will build the non-profit's first official ESPHome hardware (their current partner is Nabu Casa, who makes all of the official Home Assistant hardware)
• Someone built a Santa Tracker Home Assistant integration that leverages Google's Santa Tracker API to monitor his location on Christmas Eve – along with an AI-generated CCTV feed of the North Pole
• NetVisor, a new but increasingly popular network visualization platform, rebranded to Scanopy (be sure to update your image references)
• A customizable and self-hostable Cloudflare Error Page Generator has been making the rounds — and the possibilities are endless
• GitHub user scmit195 reminded me that Rainmeter still exists with the release of their Plex activity monitoring skin
• The enterprise app building platform Tooljet updated references to its website back to tooljet.com after rebranding to tooljet.ai earlier this year (is this the end of AI???)

Related

• NVIDIA is rumored to be cutting their RTX 50 GPU supply by almost 40% in 2026 as a result of memory shortages
• Amazon announced they'll allow users to download EPUB and PDF versions of DRM-free books they've purchased starting next year
• iRobot – makers of the infamous Roomba robot vacuum cleaners – filed for bankruptcy
• YouTube landed exclusive streaming rights to the Oscars starting in 2029 – the first of the major award shows to officially exit broadcast television

Happy selfh.st/ing!

Newswire

Self-Hosted Software Names You’re Probably Mispronouncing

An unofficial guide to commonly mispronounced names in self-hosted software

selfh.st •Ethan Sholly

Update to GitHub Actions pricing - GitHub Changelog

Update: We’ve read your posts and heard your feedback. We’re postponing the announced billing change for self-hosted Gi…

The GitHub Blog •Allison

Meet our new commercial partner: Apollo Automation

We chat to Apollo Automation about why they’ve joined us as our second partner. Plus we talk toilets, and why things se…

Building the Open Home •Paulus Schoutsen

A newbie’s guide to self-hosting with YunoHost. Part 2: installation & setup

A step-by-step visual guide for newbies about how to install and setup YunoHost - it’s easy, fast and accessible to all…

Elena Rossini •Elena Rossini

Sendspin is ESPHome’s answer to Sonos-style multi-room audio

Sendspin is a new and powerful protocol that’s easy to use.

XDA •Adam Conway

Top Open Source licenses in 2025

The top 20 OSI-Approved licenses most frequently sought out by our community in 2025 based on number of pageviews.…

Open Source Initiative •Nick Vidal

Hardened Images for Everyone | Docker

Security for everyone. Docker Hardened Images are now free to use, share, and build on with no licensing surprises.…

Docker •Christian Dupuis

Marginal Gains: Major Impact | Stalwart Labs

In professional cycling, the concept of marginal gains became famous through Team Sky. Rather than chasing dramatic bre…

Stalwart •Mauro D.

Software Updates

• AudioMuse AI v0.8.0 | Music Streaming: Text search (CLAP models) for song discovery via natural language
• BrickTracker v1.3 | Tracking: Consolidated data folder, admin panel overhaul, dark mode support, set consolidation/grouping, new statistics page, pagination system
• BunkerWeb v1.6.6 | Firewall: mTLS plugin, external API for remote management, CrowdSec integration
• Comic Library Utilities v4.0 | Comics: Collection browser, comic reader, insights page, file uploads, thumbnail generation, ComicVine support, OPDS feed support
• Docmost v0.24.0 | WIki: AI Search, API key management, text background highlight colors, anchor links, CJK search
• GoDoxy v0.21.0 | Reverse Proxy: Light/dark and theme-aware icons, group by category on dashboard, improved memory usage
• Jotty v1.14.0 | Tasks: PGP encryption for notes, Markdown editor syntax theming, new icons, light mode tweaks
• Mbin v1.9.0 | Social Media: New combined front page, direct message privacy config, magazine banners, restrict sidebar sections, new moderation log filters, updated variables
• Mealie v3.7.0 | Recipes and Meals: Updated image processing for improved quality and impression, select snack/drink/dessert in meal planner
• Music Assistant v2.7.0 | Music Streaming: Mandatory authentication, new providers, Spotify podcast support, Plex enhancements
• NoteDiscovery v0.9.0 | Note-Taking: Zen mode, 'last edited' indicator, favorite notes, internationalization support
• Poznote v1.11.0 | Note-Taking: Mermaid diagram integration, Markdown table of contents
• QuickDrop v1.5.0 | File Sharing: Folder upload support, file previews, share token overhaul, notification system, CSRF improvements, updated cron expression handling
• Speakr v0.7.0 | Transcription: Single sign-on support (OIDC), new translations
• Stalwart v0.15.0 | Productivity: Linear spam classifier, Meilisearch support, native full-text search support for PostgreSQL/MySQL, spam training privacy settings
• Streamystats v2.13.0 | Statistics: All-in-one container release, seasonal recommendations, client statistics
• Swetrix v4.1.0 | Web Analytics: Referrer grouping, annotations (mark important events on charts), new filter experience, dashboard auto-refresh
• Tracktor v1.0.0 | Vehicles: Consolidated frontend/backend, log/entry attachments, expiration alerts, import/export JSON data, image previews
• TraLa v0.11.0 | Dashboard: Smart grouping using tags from selfh.st/apps,
• Tunarr v1.0.0 | *arr: Media library scanner, full library search, negation of IN queries, credits API, new program page, empty trash, missing/trashed items, search parser overhaul

New Software

• Amargo | Development: Scalable artifact repository manager (Nexus/JFrog alternative)
• Bitify | Music Streaming: Stream music from YouTube without downloading files
• Blockbusterr | *arr: Automatically add trending and popular movies and TV shows from Trakt to Radarr and Sonarr
• Do Not Ghost Me | Tracking: Privacy-aware method for tracking ghosting in hiring processes
• Docker Swarm Visualizer | Docker: Real-time web visualization tool for Docker Swarm clusters
• Dockhand | Docker: Docker management interface
• DockMate | Docker: Terminal-based Docker container manager
• Emby Wrapped | Year-in-Review: Spotify Wrapped-style year-in-review for Emby
• GameShelf | Gaming: Lightweight, read-only LAN-based game library
• Hyvor Relay | Email: E-mail API for developers
• IPRememberMe | Authentication: Whitelist IPs in Authelia after successful logins for 'dumb' clients
• KamiYomu | Downloads: Extensible manga crawler and scanner
• Koffan | Grocery Lists: Real-time grocery list management and synchronization
• Modular Homelab Dashboard | Dashboard: YAML-based dashboard for managing and monitoring homelab environments
• Musivault | Tracking: Beautiful web app for cataloging and exploring CD and vinyl collections
• MylarMobile | Comics: Mobile PWA/frontend for Mylar3
• Newsku | RSS: RSS aggregator with LLM-prioritized feeds
• OpenShort.link | URL Shortener: Cloudflare-based URL shortener
• Pixload Darkroom | Image Processing: High-performance image processing microservice for self-hosted image pipelines
• Relic | Pastebin: Pastebin and artifact storage system designed for developers
• Self-Hosted Metrics | Statistics: Privacy-first telemetry for self-hosted software
• Snipo | Code Snippets: Lightweight snippet manager for single-user deployments
• Tracearr | *arr: Streaming access manager for media servers to identify account sharing
• UniFi Time Machine | Photos: Easily create time-lapse videos from UniFi Protect cameras
• Universal DB Backup | Backups: Config-based backup and restore platform for databases
• Universal Reddit Scraper | Web Scraping: Full-featured Reddit scraper with analytics, API, schedules, and plugins
• updates2mqtt | Updates: Docker container update notifications via MQTT
• VaultCertsViewer | Security: Lightweight interface for listing and inspecting Vault certificates

Recently Discovered

• Edit Mind | Videos: AI-powered video indexing and search
• eziwiki | Wiki: Lightweight wiki and documentation generator
• Ferron | Web Server: Fast, memory-safe web server written in Rust
• Gmail Cleaner | Email: Web-based GUI for cleaning Gmail inboxes
• Mydia | Media Management: Media management platform
• Relaticle | CRM: Modern client relationship management

Project Updates

More From selfh.st

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Content Spotlight

Meet Jellify, a cross-platform music player for Jellyfin. With Jellify, users can easily stream their music on-the-go (iOS or Android) from the comfort of a modern interface that places a heavy emphasis on library artwork (similar to popular hosted streaming services). Features include themes, music discovery, playback reporting, playlist management, offline playback, instant mixes, Google Cast support – with gapless playback and Android Auto/CarPlay support on the way.

While available in the official app stores, Android users can also install the Jellify APK directly from GitHub releases, while iOS users have the option to join the latest TestFlight or install via sideloading.

Links: Source Code, Google Play, Apple App Store

Videos and Podcasts

• Self-Hosted Encryption Has Never Been THIS Simple | SYNACK Time
• Installing Umami on TrueNAS Community Edition 2025 | Servers@Home
• My New Home Assistant Dashboard To Make Plex Kid-Friendly | DB Tech
• Curiosity, cooking and code: In conversation with Christian Wolf | The Nextcloud Podcast
• n8n 2.0 Docker Setup in 5 Minutes | Lawrence Systems
• Stop Port Forwarding the Arr Stack — Do THIS Instead | AlienTech42
• I Turned This Rotary Display Into a Home Assistant Knob | Smart Home Circle

Command Line Corner

Use echo $RANDOM to generate a random number from the command line:

$ echo $RANDOM
  1337101

Executive Sponsors

Thanks to following executive sponsors, whose continued support makes this newsletter possible:

• Servers@Home
• tirreno
• Vigilant

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