What will this server be used for?
In order to determine the appropriate host and domain for my server, I needed to clearly define what I would use the server for.
I knew, at minimum, I wanted to:
- Host a small blog
- Host an RSS reader (as many hosted RSS readers are rather pricey)
But I also was thinking of hosting additional services in the future, such as:
- activitypub server / client
- a media server
- personal web projects
To keep things simple and to avoid my common trend of “aiming too big” with projects, to the point where I never finish them, I decided to focus primarily on the blog and RSS reader projects as a driving force for the server.
Choosing a Host
When choosing a host for my server, I came across two options:
- Host out of a machine you own and run in your home
- Host out of a virtual private server (VPS) you rent from a provider
Whilst the idea of owning my own hardware seems to offer the most independence, due to the unreliable nature of my own power and internet networks, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to host the machine myself.
I wasn’t super fond of the idea of renting either, as that is another monthly cost on top of other costs such as a domain. However, services like [Hetnezer] offered VPS’s for as low as 4 dollars a month, something I could upgrade in the long run
Choosing a Domain
The hardest part of all - a domain.
I decided to register a domain with Cloudflare because they are pretty cheap! I didn’t go for the cheapest domain; however, gilly.garden was still significantly cheaper than competitors.
What is really nice about Cloudflare is that the price they show you is the price you will renew at. A lot of other domain providers will show you a really low price for the first year. However, once you are locked in and go to renew, the price may be significantly higher. With Cloudflare, I felt like I was avoiding pricing surprises.
What’s Next?
If you are reading this, it means I got the blog setup! Right now, it is pretty simple. Moving forward, I want to work on making my own custom theme. For now, I am using Hugo with the Typo Theme