Matthias Klein

Mein Blog läuft jetzt auf Hugo

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Es fing mit einer simplen Frage an: Warum schreibe ich eigentlich so wenig?

Die ehrliche Antwort war nicht Zeitmangel oder fehlende Ideen. Es war Friktion. Zu viele Klicks bis zum leeren Editor. Ein CMS das sich anfühlte wie Arbeit. Eine Plattform, die ich zwar betrieb, aber nie wirklich mochte.

WriteFreely war schön minimalistisch, aber zu minimalistisch. Ghost hatte ich früher im Einsatz, bis ActivityPub in der selbst gehosteten Docker-Variante anfing sich aufzuhängen und das Membership-System anfing mich zu nerven. WordPress kam nie ernsthaft infrage.

From Ghost to WriteFreely: My Migration to the Fediverse

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Why I migrated my blog from Ghost to WriteFreely and how you can do it too

Why WriteFreely?

After years with various blogging platforms, I was looking for something simpler. Ghost was great, but:

✅ Native ActivityPub Integration - My blog is automatically available in the Fediverse
✅ Minimal Resource Usage - Single binary, no Node.js, no complex infrastructure
✅ Focus on Writing - No distractions, just writing
✅ Self-hosted - Full control over my data
✅ Markdown-native - No formatting battles

Setup: WriteFreely on LXC (Proxmox)

Why Native Installation Instead of Docker?

After several frustrating hours with Docker mount problems, I decided on native installation. Best decision ever!

Homelab

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My Daily Companions (last update: 13.06.2026)

I strive to use resources sustainably and consciously, opting to repair rather than replace items whenever possible. This philosophy is reflected in the list of my daily companions. The only exception is my iPhone, which is provided by my employer and replaced approximately every three years.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro (2025), A19 Pro, 6.3", 256 GB
Apple iPad Pro (2024), M4, 11", 1 TB, Cellular, Nanotexturglas

Self-hosting Matrix in 2025

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

After a longer hiatus, I decided yesterday to tackle setting up my own Matrix server again. The last time I tried this, it was quite a battle with cryptic error messages, Docker permission problems, and federation headaches. This time should be different - and indeed: A lot has changed!

TL;DR: It finally works smoothlyThe key takeaways upfront:

✅ Docker installation runs cleanly through
✅ .well-known federation is recognized immediately
✅ Element X with Sliding Sync works out-of-the-box
✅ Traefik integration without hickups
✅ IPv4 & IPv6 federation active from the start

In short: What used to cost hours or days now works in under an hour. But let me explain step by step…

GoToSocial - ready for Prime Time?

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Short answer: Hell yes.

After completing the full migration and running in production for weeks, I can confidently say GoToSocial is ready for serious use.

Perfect For: ✅

Self-hosters with limited resources (VPS with 1-2GB RAM? No problem!)
Single-user or small family instances (works great up to ~50 users based on community reports)
Homelab enthusiasts who value efficiency and simplicity
Privacy-conscious users who want full control over their data
Developers who appreciate clean, well-documented APIs

Think Twice If: ⚠️

Why I Use OpenPGP and How You Can Too

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

We live in a time in which our most personal conversations happen through screens and keyboards. Every email, message, and document we send travels through countless servers before reaching its destination. As someone who works in IT, I’ve seen firsthand how easily digital communication can be intercepted or compromised.

That’s why I rely on OpenPGP – not because I have anything to hide, but because I value the fundamental right to private communication. It’s one of the most robust encryption standards available, protecting digital conversations for over three decades.

✉️ Sending mails from scripts failed? – How to fix it with mutt

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever tried to send emails from a shell script, you’ve likely run into tools like mail, mailx, or even sendmail. They seem easy at first glance – but quickly become frustrating: strange formatting, attachment issues, encoding errors, and cryptic failure messages.

💨 Common Issues with `mailx`

Different implementations across distros (BSD vs. Heirloom vs. GNU)
Inconsistent or broken attachment support via -a
Poor handling of UTF-8 content
No built-in HTML mail support
Lack of clear error messages or logs

✅ A Better Way: Using `mutt`

mutt is primarily a full-featured email client, but it also works reliably in scripts. Here’s why it’s a great choice:

List of my default apps in 2025

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I started blogging (sometime in the 2000’s), a popular tradition alongside the blogroll - a curated list of recommended blogs - was the “blog baton.” Bloggers would write about a specific topic and then pass it on to others, encouraging them to share their own perspectives.

These year-end and New Year lists of standard apps used by bloggers feel like a modern take on that tradition, as they pop up across the web. While I wasn’t directly invited to join the conversation this time, I decided to jump in after seeing Oliver’s take on the topic, which caught my interest.

Setting up an internal domain

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Why Use an Internal Domain?

A domain accessible only within the internal network can be incredibly useful when you host multiple services within your home lab. Not only does it provide a clean organization, but it also offers additional security since the services are not directly accessible from outside. In this article, I’ll show you how to set up an internal domain using an additional Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) and an AdGuard Home Server within your home lab to structure and secure your self-hosted services.

I switched from WordPress to Ghost

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Recently, a controversy surrounding WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has caused unrest within the community.

At the center of the conflict is the hosting provider WP Engine, which Mullenweg accused of benefiting from the open-source nature of WordPress without contributing enough back to the project. This dispute escalated when Mullenweg demanded substantial financial compensation and threatened drastic measures. As a result, a significant portion of the workforce at Mullenweg’s company Automattic left the company.

Ghost in compliance with the GDPR

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the era of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), it’s essential for you to run your website in compliance with data protection regulations. Ghost is a modern, fast content management system that’s gaining popularity in the self-hosting community. In this post, I’ll guide you through how to run Ghost CMS with Docker-Compose while meeting GDPR requirements.

Requirements and Setup

Before you begin, make sure that Docker and Docker-Compose are installed on your server.

My software stack: tools I rely on

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

After introducing you to my daily companions in my homelab post, where I explained my Proxmox cluster and showcased other notable features of my #homelab, it’s time to dive into the software that powers my daily workflow.

At work, I’m required to use Windows 11 - sometimes necessity dictates our tools. However, in my personal life, I gravitate toward macOS and always keep at least one Linux system running. My go-to distribution is usually #Debian-based, and right now, it’s Linux Mint.

Homepage (Dashboard) with Docker-Compose

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

After using [Heimdall](http://After using Heimdall as my preferred dashboard for a while, I decided to give Homepage another try. Homepage simply offers a more versatile, customizable, and functional dashboard. While I appreciated the simplicity of Heimdall, it limited me in some significant ways. Homepage provides a wider range of features and integrations that better suit my needs. Setting up Homepage within a home lab is straightforward, especially with Docker Compose. I use a separate Linux container within my Proxmox cluster for almost every self-hosted app. This setup allows for replication between nodes and high availability features. The following is a guide on how I set up Homepage in my home lab.) as my preferred dashboard for a while, I decided to give Homepage another try. Homepage simply offers a more versatile, customizable, and functional dashboard. While I appreciated the simplicity of Heimdall, it limited me in some significant ways. Homepage provides a wider range of features and integrations that better suit my needs.

Apps I selfhost

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Updated 05.06.2024 | added short descriptions and links Updated 13.08.2025 | latest list update Welcome to this page, a dynamic work in progress, where I introduce you to the various applications I host in my home lab. Each application will be explored in detail through individual articles, which I will link here as they become available. This ongoing project aims to provide insights into the functionalities and benefits of each self-hosted solution, showcasing how they enhance my home lab environment. Stay tuned for comprehensive guides and in-depth reviews, designed to help you understand and potentially implement these applications in your own setup.

Custom CSS within Uptime Kuma

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I was asked in the #Fediverse today for my custom css code for UptimeKuma. So I thought I’d quickly create this post in case anyone else is also searching for a solution.

I didn’t come up with the code, it was a finding on the web. ~~Unfortunately, I can no closer say where I found it.~~

Update (06.09.2024): While searching for something completely different, I came across the original creator of the CSS by chance. His name is Brooks Van Buren and here you’ll find the link to the modified CSS.

Self-Hosting Guide | Kick-off

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Imagine you could run your own server that is not only space-saving and quiet, but also saves on your electricity bill. A mini PC with an Intel N100 CPU as a Proxmox server makes exactly that possible. This article marks the start of an exciting series in which we will be looking in detail at the topics of “Proxmox and its possibilities”, “Hardware recommendations” and “Self-hosting applications”.

Proxmox?

Proxmox VE is an open source platform for virtualisation and containerisation. In an upcoming article, we will take a closer look at how you can create, manage and operate virtual machines and containers with Proxmox and how you can connect several mini PCs to form a powerful cluster.

Self-Hosting | An introduction

Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

If you follow me on Mastodon, you’ve probably already noticed one or two posts about “self-hosting”. But what does that actually mean and why did I decide to do it?

Let’s start with the first question: What is self-hosting?

Imagine you want to run a website or use an online service. Normally, you would host it on the servers of a company that offers such services. With self-hosting, however, you run the website or service on your own server, be it in a data centre or even at home on your own hardware. This gives you the following advantages:

Datenschutz

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1. Datenschutz auf einen Blick

Allgemeine Hinweise

Die folgenden Hinweise geben einen einfachen Überblick darüber, was mit Ihren personenbezogenen Daten passiert, wenn Sie unsere Websites und Services besuchen oder nutzen. Diese Datenschutzerklärung gilt für alle Dienste unter der Domain klein.ruhr und deren Subdomains.

Geltungsbereich

Diese Datenschutzerklärung gilt für:

klein.ruhr - Hauptdomain

*.klein.ruhr - Subdomains

Verantwortliche Stelle

Matthias Klein

Wüllers Weg 27

45768 Marl

Deutschland

E-Mail: datenschutz@klein.ruhr

2. Besonderheiten unserer self-hosted Services

Serverstandort und Datenspeicherung

Alle Daten werden ausschließlich auf eigenen Servern in Deutschland gespeichert. Es erfolgt keine Übertragung an Drittanbieter oder Cloud-Services außerhalb unserer Kontrolle.

Impressum

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Angaben gemäß Impressumspflicht

Matthias Klein

Wüllers Weg 27

45768 Marl

Deutschland

Kontakt

Telefon: 02365-6993675

Telefax: 02365-2021655

E-Mail: post@klein.ruhr

Verantwortlich für den Inhalt

Matthias Klein

Wüllers Weg 27

45768 Marl

Geltungsbereich

Dieses Impressum gilt für alle Dienste und Subdomains unter:

klein.ruhr - Hauptdomain

*.klein.ruhr - Subdomains

Haftungsausschluss

Haftung für Inhalte

Die Inhalte unserer Seiten wurden mit größter Sorgfalt erstellt. Für die Richtigkeit, Vollständigkeit und Aktualität der Inhalte können wir jedoch keine Gewähr übernehmen. Als Diensteanbieter sind wir für eigene Inhalte auf diesen Seiten nach den allgemeinen Gesetzen verantwortlich. Wir sind jedoch nicht verpflichtet, übermittelte oder gespeicherte fremde Informationen zu überwachen oder nach Umständen zu forschen, die auf eine rechtswidrige Tätigkeit hinweisen.

Über mich

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Matthias Klein - Informatiker, Homelab-Enthusiast und angehender Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie aus dem Ruhrgebiet.

Ich bin Matthias, 50 Jahre alt, und lebe mit meiner Frau Juliane, unseren Kindern Carla und Theo sowie drei Hunden, zwei Katzen und vier Hühnern in Polsum im Ruhrgebiet.

Beruflich arbeite ich als Identity & Access Manager bei einem großen europäischen Energieunternehmen. Digitale Souveränität ist mir dabei nicht nur ein berufliches Thema: Ich betreibe seit Jahren eine vollständig selbst gehostete Infrastruktur, weil ich überzeugt bin, dass Daten einem selbst gehören und nicht irgendwelchen Konzernen.

Über mich

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Matthias Klein - Informatiker, Homelab-Enthusiast und angehender Heilpraktiker für Psychotherapie aus dem Ruhrgebiet.

Ich bin Matthias, 50 Jahre alt, und lebe mit meiner Frau Juliane, unseren Kindern Carla und Theo sowie drei Hunden, zwei Katzen und vier Hühnern in Polsum im Ruhrgebiet.

Matthias Klein

Mein Blog läuft jetzt auf Hugo

From Ghost to WriteFreely: My Migration to the Fediverse

Why WriteFreely?

Setup: WriteFreely on LXC (Proxmox)

Why Native Installation Instead of Docker?

Homelab

My Daily Companions (last update: 13.06.2026)

Self-hosting Matrix in 2025

TL;DR: It finally works smoothlyThe key takeaways upfront:

GoToSocial - ready for Prime Time?

Why I Use OpenPGP and How You Can Too

✉️ Sending mails from scripts failed? – How to fix it with mutt

💨 Common Issues with mailx

✅ A Better Way: Using mutt

List of my default apps in 2025

Setting up an internal domain

Why Use an Internal Domain?

I switched from WordPress to Ghost

Ghost in compliance with the GDPR

Requirements and Setup

My software stack: tools I rely on

Homepage (Dashboard) with Docker-Compose

Apps I selfhost

Custom CSS within Uptime Kuma

Self-Hosting Guide | Kick-off

Proxmox?

Self-Hosting | An introduction

Datenschutz

1. Datenschutz auf einen Blick

Allgemeine Hinweise

Geltungsbereich

Verantwortliche Stelle

2. Besonderheiten unserer self-hosted Services

Serverstandort und Datenspeicherung

Impressum

Angaben gemäß Impressumspflicht

Kontakt

Verantwortlich für den Inhalt

Geltungsbereich

Haftungsausschluss

Haftung für Inhalte

Über mich

Über mich

💨 Common Issues with `mailx`

✅ A Better Way: Using `mutt`