In my early Proxmox days, I stuck with GUI virtual machines and didn’t care about LXCs for my self-hosted projects. However, I realized my mistake quickly enough and jumped down the LXC rabbit hole with a single TurnKey based Debian bootloader. Now I have dozens of LXCs scattered across independent and clustered Proxmox workstations, and each containerized application has its own utility.
The best part? Many of these FOSS services didn’t require any additional tweaking, and even with custom 3-2-1 backup workflows that protect their data, I didn’t have to go through their configuration files after deploying them for the first time.
BentoPDF
The best PDF editor
Before I started hosting my own services, I absolutely despised cloud-based PDF editors with ad-laden user interfaces, forced watermarks, and long queue times. Adobe’s offerings weren’t much better either, as I had to put up with paid features when converting my documents. BentoPDF and its large arsenal of PDF editing tools have single-handedly solved these problems. I can manipulate individual pages, edit their content, apply watermarks, extract spreadsheets, and sign documents from a neat, ad-free interface.
Even better, BentoPDF includes tons of tools to convert other formats to regular documents and vice versa. Besides requiring periodic updates for new features, BentoPDF doesn’t require much extra maintenance, which earns it extra coffee points (and a spot on this list) in my book.
PairDrop
This is essentially an annoying Apple-only limitation of AirDrop
Apple may have a somewhat locked-down software stack, but its robust tools deserve a lot of praise. AirDrop is one such application that can quickly transfer files between Apple devices without requiring additional permissions or external cloud access. PairDrop is essentially its FOSS equivalent, and it provides a similar cross-platform file sharing experience – the only difference is that it works with any device that can access a browser-based web UI.
PairDrop also has no file size limits and is my go-to for syncing large ISOs, bulky files, and entire image collections (image type) between different devices when I’m too lazy to install. Synchronization links or add anything to a The next cloud example. And its automatic device detection is just the icing on the cake.
ByteStash
Neat snippet sharing repo
Because I regularly work with Docker Compose files, Terraform templates, Ansible documents, and regular configuration files, there are times when I want to archive specific pieces of code. VS Code has a few useful extensions that help archive snippets, but it’s not the only code editor I use these days. And I’d rather not rely on a cloud platform like PasteBin to store my hard-coded files. This is where ByteStash helps with its archive provisions.
ByteStash my centralized Proxmox node has dozens of code blocks, templates, and even entire configuration files, and its web UI makes accessing everything a cakewalk. It also supports syntax highlighting for everything from common programming languages to application-specific configuration files and DevOps-centric scripts.
Search XNG
A meta-search engine for privacy-conscious tinkerers
Since most search engines are hell-bent on tracking my browsing activity, I’ve spent a long time searching for the ideal tool that can help me browse the web without intruding on my privacy. I finally settled on SearXNG, a meta search engine that aggregates results from dozens of regular search engines to answer my queries. Plus, SearXNG randomizes my browser profile before sending data to Google, Bing, and other privacy-intrusive search engines, thereby providing an extra layer of anonymity to my sessions.
In addition to getting rid of sponsored links, SearXNG also offers a comprehensive set of results. I currently have it integrated with my Open WebUI server running Ollama, and despite the simple installation process of SearXNG, it integrates very well with my LLMs.
Pulse
It replaced all my monitoring tools
If I had to choose a FOSS agent to monitor my Proxmox nodes and send me alerts when things go south, I would always choose Pulse is superior to all its competitors. It integrates very well with PVE nodes – to the point where it can automatically detect all LXCs and virtual machines located on the Proxmox system after I connect it to Pulse. It can also read resource consumption metrics for my Proxmox server and its virtual guests, and supports remote monitoring for the rest of the PVE setup in my home lab.
UI-wise, it’s probably the best monitoring tool I’ve ever used, and I can even fine-tune the alert settings to get notifications for every little event, whether it’s an LXC shutting down unexpectedly or a VM leaking more resources than it should. Heck, it’s also compatible with Proxmox Backup Server workstations and regular Docker machines, so I can monitor practically every node in my tinkering environment from one web UI.
Local PVE Helper Scripts
This is a must have for PVE Helper Scripts users
Given that the Proxmox VE-Helper Scripts repository offers simple commands for everything from VM and LXC deployment to host modifications and virtual guest updates, it’s no wonder it’s so popular with home workers. But he is the real star of the show local example this repo which provides more QoL benefits than its online-only counterpart.
For starters, it can run scripts remotely on my Proxmox workstations via SSH, so I don’t have to manually copy and paste commands into the Shell tab of my PVE nodes. It can also automatically detect virtual guests deployed using Helper Scripts, allowing me to change FUSE options, installation settings, and other obscure items not normally accessible in the Proxmox interface. And since it supports live access, I don’t have to worry about accidentally clicking a random tab while the script is in the middle of execution and losing access to the session.
