Turn Your Old PC Into a Home Server FOR FREE! - Jellyfin, PLEX, Home Assistant, Pi-hole and more!

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of transforming your old PC into a home server for free. You can use it for various applications such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage), media server with Plex or Jellyfin, or other services like Home Assistant and Pi-hole. Let’s get started on making your old hardware useful again!

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Before you begin, gather the necessary materials:

• An old PC or laptop
• USB drive (at least 4GB)
• Internet connection
• A secondary device for downloading software
• Optional: USB PCI card for additional connectivity

Step 2: Prepare the Hardware

• Ensure your old PC is functional and has sufficient hardware specifications. Recommended specs include:
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G41MT-S2PT
  • CPU: Intel Xeon E5430
  • RAM: 8GB (2x 4GB DDR2)
  • GPU: Nvidia GT220 (if needed for video tasks)
  • SSD: Crucial 512GB SATA
• Clean out the hardware, removing any dust and ensuring proper ventilation.

Step 3: Create a Bootable USB Drive

• Download Ubuntu Server from Ubuntu's official website.
• Use Balena Etcher to create a bootable USB drive:
  • Open Balena Etcher.
  • Select the downloaded Ubuntu Server image.
  • Choose your USB drive.
  • Click on "Flash!" to create the bootable drive.

Step 4: Install Ubuntu Server

• Insert the bootable USB into your old PC and boot from it.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to install Ubuntu Server:
  • Select language and keyboard preferences.
  • Configure network settings (consider using a static IP for stability).
  • Choose installation type (use the entire disk for a fresh install).
• After installation, remove the USB drive when prompted.

Step 5: Set Up the Server

• After installation, log in to your server.
• Update the package list with:

  sudo apt update
  

• Install necessary services (choose based on your needs):
  • For Plex:

    sudo apt install plexmediaserver
    

  • For Jellyfin:

    sudo apt install jellyfin
    

  • For Home Assistant:

    sudo apt install homeassistant
    

  • For Pi-hole, follow the installation guide on the Pi-hole website.

Step 6: Configure Static IP Address

• Edit the network configuration file using a text editor (e.g., nano):

  sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
  

• Use the following configuration template, updating the interface name and IP address as necessary:

  network:
    version: 2
    renderer: networkd
    ethernets:
      enpXXX:
        addresses:
          - 192.168.0.XX/24
        gateway4: 192.168.0.1
        nameservers:
          addresses: [1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1]
  

• Apply the changes:

  sudo netplan apply
  

Step 7: Additional Tips

• Regularly update your server to keep it secure:

  sudo apt upgrade
  

• Backup your configuration files and data periodically.
• Consider using a dynamic DNS service if you plan to access the server remotely.

Conclusion

You've successfully turned your old PC into a home server! With applications like Plex, Jellyfin, and Pi-hole, you can enjoy media streaming, ad-blocking, and home automation services. Explore additional configurations and services to maximize your server's potential. Happy server hosting!