A warm welcome — I'm glad you're here!
My name is Josua, and I've been passionate about software development since building my first PC from junkyard spare parts at the age of 12. From that moment, I was hooked on creating software.
Whether you're uploading family photos to an online storage service, video chatting with loved ones, or saving recipes on a platform, these services all share a critical issue: they're not controlled by you. They can shut down, raise prices, or be bought by billionaires who use them for their own gain.
To counter this, I’ve always aimed to host my own services. Fortunately, the open-source community offers incredible alternatives to commercial platforms. However, they share a common challenge: they’re often difficult to install and maintain.
Turning an old PC into a Linux server, setting up Docker, managing a growing collection of docker-compose files — it’s tedious. I became frustrated with the time I had to invest just to keep my home server running: checking for updates, migrating databases, and building custom solutions for backups.
I explored projects like CasaOS, RunTipi, and UmbrelOS, which promised simpler setups. While they showed promise, they suffered from a significant limitation: too few apps. Each app had to be manually vetted, creating a closed ecosystem.
So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and created heim — the German word for "home." Heim prioritizes privacy, puts you in control, and delivers the amazing open-source community apps you love in an easy-to-use package.
If you find heim helpful, please consider supporting the project — it will allow me to continue developing and improving it.