Containers are weird, and I don't get them. Why perform some weird voodoo magic when you can simply install everything bare-metal like I've always been doing? Docker is a scary word that I tried to avoid as long as possible.

Until my parents-in-law asked me if I wanted to revamp their network. So I needed a controller for the hardware. They also wanted a Home Assistant install. And a PiHole to get rid of those pesky ads. And an NVR for the security camera they wanted to install in their shed... And why knows what else they want in the future?

The hardware? A simple Raspberry Pi.
The goal? All of the above requirements and more.

Embark with me on a journey where I went from skeptic to believer, and where I used Docker for the first time in my life with Portainer.