April 2025 | MAHESH PALAMUTTATH

Home Lab: Building Your Tech World from Home

In this modern era, technology has become an inseparable part of our daily lives. For IT professionals, software developers, and anyone interested in learning new things, setting up a home lab can be extremely beneficial for gaining knowledge and conducting new experiments. Let’s examine what a home lab is and why you should own one.

What is a Home Lab?

Simply put, a home lab is a setup in your home where you run your own computer servers or networked computers for personal use. This doesn’t have to be a large server system. It can even be set up using an old laptop or a compact mini PC. Primarily, it’s a self-controlled space where you can install software, configure networks, and test various operating systems without affecting your main computer.

Why Should You Own a Home Lab?

There are many reasons to set up a home lab:

Excellent Way to Learn: A home lab is very helpful for in-depth learning about technologies like Linux, networking, and virtualization. It allows you to experiment with new things and learn from your mistakes without causing any damage to your primary computer.
Platform for Innovation: IT professionals and system administrators can test the possibilities and limitations of new tools or ideas in their home lab before implementing them in their professional environment.
Cost-Effective Tech Solutions: Instead of paying large sums for cloud-based services, you can host many services yourself. Setting up your own media server or personal cloud storage can provide long-term financial benefits.
Privacy and Control: You gain complete control over your information and data. This helps you avoid over-reliance on commercial cloud services and ensures your privacy.
A Rewarding Hobby: For individuals interested in technology, building and modifying a home lab can become an enjoyable hobby. It helps you gain new knowledge and develop your technical skills.

What Can You Do in a Home Lab?

The possibilities of a home lab are endless. Here are some common uses:

Media Server: Store all your movies, music, and pictures in one place and access them from any device (using software like Plex or Jellyfin).
Development Servers: Create a dedicated environment to develop and test websites and applications.
Video Surveillance System: Set up your own security surveillance system at a low cost (using open-source tools like ZoneMinder or Shinobi).
Remote Desktop Access: Remotely access your office computer or other devices from home (using tools like Apache Guacamole).
Personal Cloud: Host your own files, calendars, and contacts (using software like Nextcloud or ownCloud).

What Do You Need to Get Started?

You don’t need the latest and most powerful hardware to start a home lab. An old laptop, a Raspberry Pi, or a small mini PC will suffice. Install any Linux distribution on it (Ubuntu and Debian are suitable for beginners). Then, you can start experimenting using virtualization tools (VirtualBox, Proxmox VE) or containerization tools (Docker).

For beginners, operating systems like CasaOS and ZimaOS can help simplify home lab management. They make setting up servers and installing applications very easy.

A home lab is an excellent way to understand technology more deeply, learn new things, and create your own digital world from the comfort of your home. Whether you are a student, an IT professional, or just someone interested in technology, a home lab will undoubtedly open new doors for you. By setting up your own home lab, you can gain new knowledge every day and improve your technical skills.

Digitizing Library Archives with Paperless NGX: A Game-Changer for Searchable PDFs

Libraries, as we know, have always been keepers of knowledge—both past and present. But what happens when that knowledge is locked away in file cabinets, old scanned documents, or decades of paper-based reports and notices? That’s the challenge we faced in our library too.

We’ve had a growing pile of digitized content—meeting minutes, handwritten letters, internal circulars, scanned newspaper clippings—you name it. While scanning these into PDFs was a start, they weren’t really useful. Sure, they were “digital,” but they weren’t searchable. And for a library, that’s a big limitation.

That’s when I came across Paperless NGX.

What is Paperless NGX?

Paperless NGX is a free, open-source document management system. It’s designed to help organize, tag, and store documents in a way that’s both efficient and future-friendly. But what caught my attention—and eventually won me over—is its built-in OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capability.

This isn’t just some add-on. It’s part of the core experience. Once a document is uploaded—be it a PDF, a scanned image, or even a photo of a document—Paperless NGX quietly processes it using a tool called ocrmypdf.

And here’s the best part:

Even images converted into PDFs get a hidden text layer that becomes fully searchable.

Yes, even that scanned, handwritten note from 2005 with faded ink can be indexed and searched. That’s powerful.

Why It Matters for Libraries

For libraries, this changes everything. Many of us are working with physical archives—some of which have already been scanned, others waiting to be digitized. Until now, those scans were mostly just static images in a digital wrapper. We could store them, but searching through them meant opening files one by one.

With Paperless NGX, the workflow is different:

Upload the document.
It automatically runs OCR in the background.
It becomes searchable by its actual content.

Is It Hard to Set Up?

Not at all. If you’re familiar with Docker, the developers have made it incredibly simple with an installation script. Within minutes, we had it running on a spare Ubuntu server. You just choose your database (SQLite works great for starters), set your folders, and it’s ready to go.

Of course, there’s room to grow:

You can tag documents
Organize by type or date
Set up folders to automatically watch and import documents
Even configure workflows and email-based imports

But even with the basic setup, it’s more than enough to start building a searchable digital archive.

If your library is thinking about building a digital archive, or if you’re sitting on a mountain of scanned files that no one really wants to open one by one, give Paperless NGX a try.

It’s not just about going paperless—it’s about making what you already have more useful, more accessible, and more alive.

Want help getting started? Feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to share tips from our own setup.

– Mahesh Palamuttath

Why Every Higher Education Institution Should Subscribe to the “In-Out Plus”

In the day-to-day functioning of educational institutions, communication is a cornerstone. Whether it is notifying students of a last-minute class cancellation, sending a gentle reminder about a library book due date, or coordinating a campus-wide event, the process often becomes fragmented and difficult to manage.

Many institutions still rely heavily on WhatsApp, email, or physical notice boards, which are either not centralised, difficult to track, or simply ineffective. The “In-Out Plus” App by PlayTech offers a robust alternative. It is a centralised and secure mobile application designed specifically for colleges and universities to streamline communication, notifications, library updates, and even campus gate registers.

Key Features and Benefits

1. Unlimited Push Notifications

The app supports unlimited push notifications which can be sent to individuals, groups, departments, or the entire institution. Notifications are trackable, so senders can view delivery status and reporting. This feature eliminates the need for bulk SMS or third-party messaging tools. The app also provides ready-to-use templates, making it easy to send structured messages quickly.

2. Koha LMS Integration

For institutions using the Koha Library Management System, In-Out Plus offers a seamless and secure integration. OPAC can be accessed directly through the app. Students and staff receive real-time push notifications for check-outs, check-ins, due date reminders (2 days before, 1 day before, and on the due date), renewals, and fines.

Importantly, this integration works without exposing the Koha system or its database to the internet. There is no need for a static IP or cloud deployment, which addresses common concerns regarding data privacy and infrastructure costs.

3. Campus Feed and Community Module

The app includes a centralised feed system where moderated posts and polls can be shared with the campus community. Departments, clubs, extracurricular groups, and academic units can create their own spaces (called “Squads”) to post updates and conduct polls.

Students can join public groups or be invited to private ones. This controlled environment enables collaboration and information sharing while keeping communication professional and focused. Students cannot comment on posts, ensuring that content remains distraction-free and relevant.

4. Gate Register System

The gate register feature simplifies the process of managing library and campus entries. Previously dependent on Koha and additional infrastructure (computers, barcode scanners, etc.), institutions can now manage visitor logs directly through the app.

Each student or staff member can check in or out using their mobile device, and new locations can be added by simply printing a barcode generated by the app. All location data can be managed via a single dashboard, and users can view their own visit reports directly from the app.

5. Virtual Achievement Board

Recognising student achievements can have a significant impact on motivation and campus spirit. The In-Out Plus App includes a virtual achievement board where institutions can highlight awards, recognitions, and contributions from students, fostering a culture of encouragement and visibility.

Why It Matters

Educational institutions often face the challenge of managing multiple communication channels while trying to maintain efficiency and oversight. The In-Out Plus App by PlayTech addresses this challenge by bringing all communication, notifications, library updates, and entry logs into a single, cohesive mobile application.

It replaces disjointed systems with a structured, accountable, and private platform that benefits administrators, faculty, students, and parents alike.

The In-Out Plus App is a practical solution for any library or higher education institution aiming to modernise its communication systems without compromising on data privacy or incurring heavy infrastructure costs. It offers everything an academic campus needs to stay connected, organised, and efficient.

For more details or to request a demonstration, institutions can contact:

Mahesh Palamuttath
Library Technologist
Mobile: +91 9567 664 972
Email: mail@maheshpalamuttath.info

A Sweet Goodbye: Wrapping Up the 4th Batch of DLA

Yesterday marked the informal end of the 4th Batch of the Diploma in Library Automation (2024–25) at the Department of Library and Information Science, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kochi, and I’m still processing the whirlwind of emotions and memories that came with it.

This batch was something special. Not only were you all fully present and enthusiastic learners, but you were also warm, kind, and full of life. The last day was proof of that, from the surprise cake-cutting ceremony to a thoughtful feedback session, and yes… the sweet gift you gave me, a lovely watch (and if you know me, you know how much I adore wearing watches!).

These small gestures speak louder than words. They’re not just tokens, they’re memories that I’ll hold close for a very long time.

And naturally, we froze the moments, smiles, group shots, and laughter that now exist both in our hearts and in pixels.

What made this batch even more lively was the diversity it brought. There were 6 participants from Tamil Nadu out of the total 30. It was a pleasure to meet each one of you and to witness how all of you embraced every bit of the course, from Linux fundamentals to Koha, DSpace, Cloud Technology, and everything in between.

As a trainer, nothing makes me happier than knowing you’ve got everything you need for a tech-driven librarianship journey. You’ve equipped yourselves not just with tools, but with a mindset of innovation, and that’s powerful.

To each one of you: thank you.

For being learners, contributors, and most of all, wonderful human beings.

With appreciation,
Mahesh Palamuttath

Snapshots

Self-Host Your Own Tunneled Reverse Proxy Server – Pangolin

In today’s digital landscape, secure and efficient remote access is crucial for self-hosted applications. Many users rely on cloud-based solutions like Cloudflare Tunnel, Ngrok, or Tailscale. However, for those who prioritize self-hosting and control over their infrastructure, Pangolin offers a powerful open-source alternative. Pangolin allows users to set up a tunneled reverse proxy server while maintaining privacy and security. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through installing and configuring Pangolin on a Linux server.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

A Linux VPS running a recent version of Debian, Ubuntu, or another supported distribution.
A domain name that you control.
Access to your domain’s DNS settings to create required records.
A public IP address assigned to your VPS.
Docker Installed
Basic knowledge of Linux commands and SSH access to your server.

Step 1: DNS Record Setup

Before installing Pangolin, you need to configure your DNS settings. In your DNS service, create A (or AAAA for IPv6) records pointing at your VPS hosting Pangolin.

Wildcards

You will need a wildcard subdomain for each level you want to create, and many providers do not support multiple consecutive wildcards. For example, if you want your resource’s domain to be app.example.com, then you should create *.example.com.

If you plan to use a base domain for a resource, you will need to create a separate A record for that domain.

The Root

If you intend to use the root of your domain, then you need an additional A record pointing at the IP of your VPS. For example, if you want to use example.com as a resource, you must create an A record for example.com pointing at your VPS.

Step 2: Install Docker

wget gist.githubusercontent.com/maheshpalamuttath/f454a85ca8704d75de5c7fb2eb803f61/raw/fd8e600eaee2845b716c28f6e15e12227eae21a6/install_docker.sh

sudo chmod +x install_docker.sh

sudo ./install_docker.sh

Step 2: Download and Install Pangolin

To install Pangolin, execute the following command in your terminal:

mkdir -p docker/pangolin

cd docker/pangolin

wget -O installer "https://github.com/fosrl/pangolin/releases/download/1.1.0/installer_linux_$(uname -m | sed 's/x86_64/amd64/;s/aarch64/arm64/')" && sudo chmod +x ./installer

sudo ./installer

The above command downloads the appropriate installer for your system architecture, grants execution permissions, and runs the installer.

Step 3: Basic Configuration

During installation, the setup wizard will prompt you for basic configuration details:

1. Define Base and Dashboard Domain Names

Base Domain Name: Enter your root domain (e.g., example.com).
Dashboard Domain Name: Specify the subdomain where Pangolin will be hosted (e.g., pangolin.example.com).

2. SSL Certificate Setup

Provide an email address for Let’s Encrypt SSL registration. Ensure you have access to this email.

3. Admin User Setup

You’ll be asked to create an admin user. Provide:

Admin Email: (e.g., admin@example.com)
Admin Password: Ensure it meets security requirements (at least 8 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters).

4. Security Settings

Signup Without Invite: Choose whether users can sign up without an invite (recommended to keep disabled for private deployments).

Organization Creation: Allow or restrict users from creating their own organizations.

Step 4: Email Configuration (Optional)

To enable email notifications and verification requests, configure SMTP settings:

SMTP Host: Your mail server hostname
SMTP Port: Default is 587
SMTP Username: Your email username
SMTP Password: Your email password
No-reply Email: The email address used for outgoing messages

Step 5: Finalizing Setup

Once the installation is complete, restart the Pangolin service:

sudo systemctl restart pangolin

Then, open your browser and visit https://pangolin.example.com to log in with your admin credentials.

Reference: https://docs.fossorial.io/Getting%20Started/quick-install