Classes & TalksSaturday, November 7
LibreTechnica @BSidesDFW 2026
Saturday, November 7 · 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. · UT Arlington, Nedderman Hall Room 100
- When
- Saturday, November 7 · 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Where
- UT Arlington, Nedderman Hall Room 100416 Yates Street · Arlington, TX · 76010
About this event
LibreTechnica is hosting a new workshop at BSides DFW! Learn all about self-hosting your own services on any extra computer you have laying around or in the cloud! It will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 9:30am-4:30pm. Be sure to visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bsidesdfw-2026-tickets-2002676113165 and register. Registration is FREE! Full details at https://www.bsidesdfw.com
Description
You don't need expensive hardware to run a server. In fact, any old laptop or PC can be used to securely host a wide variety of services in your home for free! Or for the cost of a virtual private server, you can have your own cloud storage, search engine, or video chat service that doesn't sell your personal data to advertisers.
At this BSides workshop, you will get hands on experience with installing a server OS on a virtual machine, setting up a virtual private server, and installing a variety of applications for yourself, your family, or your organization.
Already savvy on setting up a server? Then join the afternoon sessions where we discuss overlay networks and advanced security hardening! This workshop has a unique format in that participants can learn about a variety of topics at different times throughout the day.
Workshop Activity Schedule
9:30 - Self Hosting Overview Why Self-Host? Comparisons - Hosting locally vs. in the cloud - Bare metal vs. virtual machine - Running app host vs. in containers Selecting your hardware
10:30 - Creating Your Server Demo: - Create a cloud-based server instance Hands on: - Create a virtual machine in Proxmox - Install Ubuntu Server
11:30 - Running your First Application Hands on: - Set up Docker - Create first container with Docker Compose - App choices: - Pi-hole – Network ad blocker - Jellyfin – Media server - SearXNG – Private search engine - Homepage – Personal dashboard - Mealie/Tandoor – Recipe management and meal prep - Using Docker helpers like Portainer or Dockhand Discovering self-hosting platforms - Reviewing Tipi, Caprover, and Yunohost
LUNCH
1:30 - Securing your server Hands on: - Create SSH keys - Lock down SSH - Disable root login - Enable host firewall
2:30 - Networking Accessing your remotely remotely VPNs and Overlay networks
3:30 - Advanced Topics Intro to Ansible Security hardening for your with OpenSCAP
Listed by Meetup: Carrollton, TX, gathered by the Flower Mound events calendar.