Are you ready for another bout of Raspberry Pi projects to try this weekend? Today, I’m showing you how to run your own git server, get your subscriptions under control, and even build your own Wi-Fi travel router.
- Brand
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Raspberry Pi
- CPU
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Cortex-A72 (ARM v8)
With the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, you can create all kinds of fun projects, and upgrade gadgets around your home. Alternatively, install a full desktop OS and use it like a regular computer.
Run your own git server with Gitea
Leave GitHub in the dust
I currently run GitLab in my homelab, but I’ll be moving to Gitea here soon because it’s lighter weight and better at the job if you don’t need a full-featured GitHub replacement. Gitea is still based on git and gives you great revision history capabilities.
Why would you want to run your own version of GitHub in your homelab? Having a locally hosted git instance means your code never leaves your lab and it’s as protected as you want it to be. You could have it on a server that has LAN access only and is firewalled off from all other systems, but one with a super locked-down security setup if you have code that you want to make sure no one else has access to.
Self-hosting your own git also means you’re free from any restrictions that might be present on public git offerings like GitHub. Running your own git instance isn’t difficult, but it’s definitely worth it at the end of the day. I’ve really enjoyed having my own internal git server, and while I’m moving from GitLab to Gitea, I don’t see my internal git instance going away anytime soon.
These 4 GitHub alternatives are just as good—or better
For many years, GitHub’s has reigned as the ultimate open source forge, but its grip may be loosening.
Keep up with your subscriptions with Wallos
Do you really know everything you’re subscribed to?
Have you ever thought about just how many subscriptions you pay for? Or, maybe tried to think of everything and then realized “I bet there’s more subscriptions that I don’t even remember…” Wallos is for you.
Wallos is a lightweight web app that can run on your Raspberry Pi and help you keep track of all your subscriptions in one place. Wallos will only work if you actually input every subscription that you have, but if you can stay on top of it, it seems like a really nice tool for your personal finances.
Within the Wallos interface, you’ll see things like upcoming subscription renewals as well as some AI recommendations to help save you some cash. In my short time trying out Wallos, it was able to show redundant services (like multiple cloud storage subscriptions) and even make suggestions about canceling multiple streaming subscriptions and rotating them out.
The suggestions seem well-thought-out, and they could really help save you money. While I don’t have Wallos permanently deployed in my homelab (yet), it’s something that I definitely plan to deploy soon. I’m just afraid of what it might tell me.
This self-hosted Linux app cut my subscription costs by $300
I’ll probably cut even more soon.
Build your own travel Wi-Fi router with RaspAP
You already have a Raspberry Pi, might as well put it to use
I’ve been eyeing a portable travel router for a while, and when Unifi dropped their travel router, it was quite tempting. While I haven’t pulled the trigger on one yet, using a Raspberry Pi as a travel router is actually a pretty great idea.
With RaspAP, you’re able to fully customize your mobile router experience. It works well with Raspberry Pi models, but also works with other Debian-based systems, too. Within RaspAP, you’re able to configure things like a VPN, ad blocking, bridging, and much more.
You don’t have to install RaspAP bare metal, either, as it can easily be deployed in a Docker container on whatever device you want to run it on. There’s even a RESTful API based on FastAPI if you need API-level integrations.
I’m about to go on a trip for one of the businesses I run, and I’m thinking about converting one of my spare Raspberry Pi 4b’s into a RaspAP travel router. It would make connecting my devices at the hotel much easier, because I could plug the RaspAP into the Ethernet port of the hotel, connect it to the hotel’s network, then just simply connect my devices to the RaspAP.
Either way you slice it, having a RaspAP around would be handy, especially if you have a Raspberry Pi sitting around collecting dust.
Stop trusting hotel Wi-Fi: Build this Raspberry Pi travel router instead
A Raspberry Pi turns a travel router into a self-hosting Swiss army knife.
Once you finish one (or more) of these projects, why not check out a few more in-depth tasks that you can do with your Raspberry Pi? While the above projects take just a few hours to do, there are projects that can take a couple of days to complete. From building a RetroPie setup to a magic mirror, there are several Raspberry Pi projects I would do if I had extra time.
