Claude Code turned my Docker Compose chaos into a home lab I could trust again
…A cleaner Docker Compose setup didn’t make my home lab flawless. It made it readable, and that turned out to be the part I needed most. Claude Code didn’t magically…
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I revived a cheap Android tablet by turning it into a Home Assistant control panel
…Home Assistant setup And it's all thanks to the cool sensors included in modern smartphones Home Assistant Companion App is necessary for my makeshift control panel Its automations are just what…
I gave Claude Cowork access to my Home Assistant config, and it unlocked automations I didn't know were possible
…The thing is, Claude didn't just suggest good automations for use . It fixed the ones that were already there. It also fixed a few setup issues that I'd missed, guiding…
Building a local LLM news brief taught me my real problem wasn't the sources, it was the apps
…LM Studio is a friendlier starting point if you want to experiment with models, test prompts, and see what your machine can handle before committing to a more automated setup. I’d…
After self-hosting LLMs for a year, I realized that models are not the real bottleneck
…When I fed my setup lazy prompts like " fix my home assistant automation error, " the model had to guess the environment, the constraints, and the desired output format. The result? Total chaos…
I moved my Zigbee coordinator off a Raspberry Pi after a year and everything got better
…automations kept failing, there were random freezes, and long reboot times, despite using an SSD for storage. When it started happening often, I decided to move the entire smart home setup to…
I stopped using motherboard audio after one cheap USB DAC solved every problem I had
…Windows recognized the DAC automatically, so I did not need drivers or complicated setup steps just to start using it. The hardware itself solved most of my problems before I even considered…
Local LLMs changed how I use Home Assistant, and now my smart devices actually listen
…define new automations and tinker with entities using simple conversational messages, and it hasn’t let me down yet. Of course, the biggest caveat of an LLM-controlled setup is that I…
5 self-hosted tools I prefer to install on every new PC
…I primarily use it for automating my environment, including lights, devices, and small daily actions that remove friction from my workflow. PC monitoring is also one part of that setup. I track…
The best NAS upgrade isn't another drive, it's fixing your backup plan first
…Most NAS systems let you schedule automatic backups to external storage, so this can run quietly in the background. If you want a more robust setup, a second NAS in your home…