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Homelab Journal

Homelab Journal #21: The first tidy rebuild plan

10 Jun 2026

Week twenty-one of the SmallGrid homelab: planning how I would rebuild the server if I had to, without pretending memory counts as a disaster recovery plan.

Cartoon homelab desk with Jellyfin working successfully
#journal#homelab#recovery#planning

This week’s goal

Work out whether I could rebuild the setup from notes and backups.

Not actually rebuild it. I am not that committed to chaos. Just check whether the plan exists.

What I actually did

I made a rebuild outline:

  1. Install the OS.
  2. Apply updates.
  3. Restore notes and scripts.
  4. Recreate storage mounts.
  5. Restore service config.
  6. Start Jellyfin.
  7. Confirm media paths.
  8. Test remote access.
  9. Check backups still run.

This turned a vague “I could probably rebuild it” into something much more useful.

The answer is: yes, but only because I have started writing things down.

What broke, or nearly did

I found two steps where I had the rough idea but not the actual command.

The rough idea is useful in a pub conversation. It is less useful when the server is offline.

What I’m keeping

  • Rebuild outline
  • Important commands saved
  • Backup and restore notes together
  • Less reliance on memory

SmallGrid takeaway

A recovery plan does not have to be perfect. It does need enough detail that you can follow it while annoyed, tired, and slightly blaming yourself.

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