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🐳 Docker Homelab (Devuan + Compose)

A practical guide to running a clean, reproducible Docker homelab on bare metal using Devuan and Docker Compose.

This is the exact model used in RebelRx.

🔥 Why Docker (Not Proxmox)

You can use Proxmox. Many people do.

But for most homelabs, it introduces unnecessary complexity.

❌ Proxmox Challenges

  • VM overhead (CPU + RAM waste)
  • More layers to debug
  • Backup complexity
  • Networking becomes harder than it should be
  • Encourages fragmentation (many small VMs instead of a unified system)

✅ Why Prefer Docker Bare Metal

  • Lightweight → no virtualization overhead
  • Simple → one OS, one system to manage
  • Fast deployments → spin up services in seconds
  • Reproducible → everything defined in Compose
  • Portable → move your entire stack with Git

💡 If you're not running enterprise multi-tenant workloads, you likely don’t need a hypervisor.

⚙️ Requirements

  • PC or Laptop
  • Internet access
  • Devuan

If you don't have a dedicated PC, you can purchase one of these inexpensive mini PC boxes that includes RAM and SSD to get started right away: Beelink Mini S12

If you don't have Devuan installed, see the Devuan Linux Server Install Guide

📦 Install Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg git

🔑 Add Docker Repository

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg | \
  sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

echo \
  "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \
  https://download.docker.com/linux/debian \
  $(. /etc/os-release && echo $VERSION_CODENAME) stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

🐳 Install Docker + Compose

sudo apt update

sudo apt install -y \
  docker-ce \
  docker-ce-cli \
  containerd.io \
  docker-buildx-plugin \
  docker-compose-plugin

🚀 Enable + Start Docker (SysVinit)

sudo service docker start
sudo update-rc.d docker defaults

Verify:

docker --version
docker compose version

🔐 Add User to Docker Group

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

Test:

docker run hello-world

📁 Directory Structure

This guide uses a clean, predictable layout:

~/docker/
├── compose/        # Docker Compose stacks (YAML)
└── apps/           # Persistent app data
    ├── plex/
    ├── nginx/
    ├── nextcloud/
    └── ...

Why this matters

  • Separation of config vs data
  • Easier backups
  • Cleaner Git repos
  • Avoids Docker “sprawl”

🚀 Clone RebelRx Homelab Template

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/rebelrx/rebelrx-homelab.git docker

This repo provides real-world Compose templates used in production.

📦 Template Structure

Inside the repo:

docker/
└── compose/
   ├── arr/
   ├── audiobooks/
   ├── authentik/
   └── ...

Each stack typically includes:

  • docker-compose.yml
  • .env.example
  • README (usage notes)

🧠 Key Concepts (Read This First)

1. Compose-First Mindset

Everything is defined in YAML.

  • No clicking around in GUIs
  • No manual container creation
  • Git = source of truth

2. .env Files

Each stack uses environment variables:

PUID=1000
PGID=1000
TZ=America/New_York

Why this matters:

  • Consistent permissions
  • Portable configs
  • Easy overrides

3. Volume Mapping

volumes:
  - ~/docker/apps/plex:/config

This ensures:

  • Data persists across container restarts
  • Easy backups
  • Full control over storage

4. Port Binding

ports:
  - 127.0.0.1:8080:8080

Best practice:

  • Bind to 127.0.0.1 for internal services
  • Use a reverse proxy for external access

🌐 Reverse Proxy (Nginx Proxy Manager)

Recommended approach:

  • Run Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM)
  • Expose services via subdomains
  • Handle SSL automatically

Example:

https://plex.yourdomain.com

Benefits:

  • No port juggling
  • Clean URLs
  • Centralized access control

▶️ Running Your First Stack

cd ~/docker/compose/proxy

cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Then:

docker compose up -d

🔄 Updating Containers

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

🔄 Stopping and Starting Containers

docker compose down
docker compose up -d

🔄 Re-starting Containers

docker compose restart [service_name]

💡 Download the Ultimate Docker Compose Cheat Sheet from DevOps Cycle: Docker Compose Cheat Sheet

🧼 Cleanup

Remove unused resources:

docker system prune -a

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

❌ Permission Issues

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/docker

❌ Ports Already in Use

ss -tulnp | grep :PORT

❌ Containers Not Updating

docker compose pull

❌ Editing Running Containers

Don’t.

Edit the Compose file, then redeploy.

🧠 Final Thoughts

This setup is built around a few principles:

  • Keep it simple
  • Define everything in code
  • Own your infrastructure
  • Avoid unnecessary layers

Just Docker + Compose + discipline.

🔗 Suggested Next Steps

  • Add more stacks from the RebelRx repo
  • Set up reverse proxy with the "proxy" stack (NPM)
  • Implement backups with the "backup" stack (Kopia)
  • Use a Docker Compose stack manager with the "dockge" stack (Dockge)
  • Add a file browser with the "filebrowser" stack (File Browser Quantum)

⚠️ Disclaimer

This guide is for educational purposes.

You are responsible for securing and maintaining your system.