Hi,
I hope this is the right sub for my question :D
Some months ago i stumbled across Naperless-NGX here on Reddit and i was hooked by the idea of having all my binders tidy and reduced to the bare minimum.
I love the concept of storing all files in one place, setting up some tags and never touch them again unless i need them…
Also, the search function which allows searching the content of the pdf’s as well as the tags is really nice to have when it comes to searching something within my paperwork.
As of right now i don’t own any home lab or spare parts i could use to set one up and I’m not much of an it guy, when it comes to docker containers etc.
So i don’t really so me setting up anything on my own at home.
The amount of documents in the average a single person receives during the year as if im not buying that much stuff and don’t need to store every receipt i get when buying a pair of pants e.g.
Also there is no need for me to access the documents on the go.
Now i’ve got some options that came up to me during the last week on how i might be able to achieve my dream of a cleaner shelf.
Option 1:
I’ve heard that there is a way to use a Synology NAS - the ones that support docker - to set up paperless-ngx.
Is it easier to set up than buying a let’s say RaspberryPi and installing everything on my own?
The NASes come with a hefty price tag in my opinion - so I’m not completely hooked.
Option 2:
I thought about using some software i’m already familiar with to try to store and tag my pdf’s similarly paperless-ngx does.
I thought about using Obsidian or Zotero as i use both a bit and really want to get more into PKM in Obsidian an need Zotero for my upcoming phd.
If i use any of the software mentioned above, i would like to store the files in my onedrive.
Has anyone used one of the two to store pdf’s similarly?
Are they capable enough for what i want?
Option 3:
Is there any other software service that you can recommend me to take a look at?
I’d really appreciate some advice on how to achieve my goal of having all files stored in one place without the need to keep hundreds of physical letters.
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My solution to this is setup an SFTPgo drive or mount a restic drive and have docspell (alt to paperless with worse UI) to watch for changes.
Main advantage of docspell that it consumes files without being destructive to consume folder. Having a network or cloud drive was already the way I stored my files, so I did not need to change much.
Go pick up a optiplex micro on ebay. 6th gen intel, or newer.
This will cost you around 50-150$ depending on which one you get.
Slap a couple NVMes into it, and a 2.5" SSD.
Run your docker containers here, including paperless-ngx.
This! Or a NUC alternative which has a smaller form factor but less slots fpr disks.
Where are you buying OptiPlex’s for 50? Get one for 30.
I would say look into i3 (more power efficient) and get some cheap budget SSDs or dirt cheap HDD (it will be plenty fast).
Because win11 requires TPMs there businesses had to replace office drone email terminals, so there are plates of those getting scrapped. Maybe less, so most probably have been turned to shredded metals.
Ebay.
Also, i3 doesn’t really use less power. The -T models will use a lot less power. But, you aren’t really going to notice a difference with the i3 models.
TDP is the same between them too.
For reference, I have 3 micros. i5-9500T, i7-6700, and i5-8500t. They all use pretty much the same 8-12watts of idle power.
Also, I generally avoid the pre-6th gen computers. DDR-3, slower, less efficient. i5-6500 is the oldest processors in my lab.
And- right now, 50$ is the going-price for M900s / Optiplexes/etc, with an i5-6500t.
Although, you can get the i3 models for 30$ or so.
Not really a self hosted case here, but you may want to try running Paperless-NGX on Pikapods. That’s what I do and I’m very happy with this arrangement.
You can run it on a docker container on your main pc. It will only be accessible when your pc is on of course, but look up docker for windows. You could also run a Linux vm in virtual box and have the docker container run on it.
It’s really worth considering hosting an instance on a platform like PikaPods which makes it suuuuper easy to setup and you’ll have a free subdomain as well so you can access it from anywhere, any time. They have wonderful backup procedures, update procedures, and they’re very cheap. Worth considering if you wanna use Paperless but not deal with any of the hassle. Highly recommend.
Small note, I host my Paperless instance on my home server so it’s local. This is for a few reasons. But I do use PikaPods for Baserow which I use for a few non-critical work things and I love the platform. You get $5 free to try it out with no credit card so you really can’t lose anything by trying.
Get any Synology plus model (the non-plus ones are too weak to anything other then serving files) and then go to mariushosting and read up on how to specifically do everything you need to run a long list of self-hosted software (on docker) for Synology. There are detailed step-by-step intructions on everything you need, including deploying paperless-ngx on your NAS.
If you feel it’s something you will be able to do, just buy it and get started.