HomeHub: Your Private, Self-Hosted Family Utility Dashboard

Introduction

HomeHub is a private, lightweight, and self-hosted web application designed to be your family's all-in-one dashboard. It transforms any computer, even a Raspberry Pi, into a central hub for managing daily household activities. With no login required and a focus on privacy, all your data remains on your local network, ensuring no cloud dependency or tracking. It's built to be intuitive and accessible for every family member, offering a clean interface that works seamlessly across various devices.

Installation

Getting HomeHub up and running is straightforward, especially using Docker.

1. Configuration: Begin by copying config-example.yml to config.yml. This file allows you to customize your hub's name, add family members, and toggle various features. You can also set an optional password for site access.

instance_name: "My Home Hub"
password: "" #leave blank for password less access
admin_name: "Administrator"
feature_toggles:
  shopping_list: true
  media_downloader: true
  # ... other toggles
family_members:
  - Mom
  - Dad
  # ... other members

2. Run with Docker Compose: Utilize the provided compose.yml file for a quick setup.

# compose.yml
services:
  homehub:
    container_name: homehub
    image: ghcr.io/surajverma/homehub:latest
    ports:
      - "5000:5000" #app listens internally on port 5000
    environment:
      - FLASK_ENV=production
      - SECRET_KEY=${SECRET_KEY:-} # set via .env; falls back to random if not provided
    volumes:
      - ./uploads:/app/uploads
      - ./media:/app/media
      - ./pdfs:/app/pdfs
      - ./data:/app/data
      - ./config.yml:/app/config.yml:ro

Execute the following command in your terminal:

docker compose up -d

Once running, access HomeHub by navigating to http://localhost:5000 in your web browser.

Examples

HomeHub comes packed with a variety of useful tools to streamline family life:

• Shared Notes: A simple space for quick notes visible to everyone.
• Shopping List: A collaborative list with history-based suggestions.
• Chore Tracker: Manage household tasks efficiently.
• Expense Tracker: A powerful tool for tracking family spending, including recurring bills.
• Media Downloader: Save videos or music from popular sites directly to your server.
• Shared Cloud: Easily upload and share files across your home network.
• Calendar & Reminders: Keep track of important dates and events.
• Who's Home?: See at a glance which family members are currently at home.
• Recipe Book, Expiry Tracker, URL Shortener, PDF Compressor, Weather Updates, and QR Code Generator: Additional utilities to enhance your home management.

Why Use HomeHub?

HomeHub stands out for several compelling reasons:

• Privacy and Self-Hosted: All your sensitive family data remains on your network. There is no reliance on external cloud services, ensuring maximum privacy and control.
• Simple and Lightweight: It's designed to run efficiently on minimal hardware, making it suitable for devices like a Raspberry Pi, without consuming excessive resources.
• Family-Focused Design: The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, catering to all technical skill levels within a family.
• Customizable: You have the flexibility to enable or disable features and even personalize the color theme directly through the config.yml file, tailoring the experience to your family's specific needs.

Links

• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/surajverma/homehub