BrahmaNode — Tiny Home Server Stack

Turn a mini PC into a complete self-hosted home lab running storage, smart home, media, automation, and local AI.

Architecture

Geekom A5 Pro Mini PC (AMD Ryzen 5 7530U · 16 GB RAM · 1 TB NVMe)
└── Proxmox VE (hypervisor)
    ├── VM: OpenMediaVault (NAS / shared storage)
    ├── VM: Home Assistant (smart home automation)
    ├── VM: DockerApps — Ubuntu + Docker Compose
    │   ├── Portainer      (container management)
    │   ├── Jellyfin       (media streaming)
    │   ├── Immich         (photo management)
    │   ├── Pi-hole        (network ad blocking)
    │   ├── n8n            (automation workflows)
    │   └── Heimdall       (dashboard)
    └── VM: Ollama         (local AI models)

Repo Layout

Folder	Contents
proxmox/	Proxmox setup notes
omv/	OpenMediaVault setup notes
home-assistant/	Home Assistant on Proxmox setup notes
docker/	Docker install script + full Compose stack
ollama/	Ollama VM setup notes

Quick Start

1. Install Proxmox — see proxmox/README.md
2. Create the OMV NAS VM — see omv/README.md
3. Create the Home Assistant VM — see home-assistant/README.md
4. Create the DockerApps VM, then run the install script and Compose stack — see docker/
5. Create the Ollama VM — see ollama/README.md

Hardware Used

• Mini PC: Geekom A5 Pro (or any x86 machine — Mac mini M4, old desktop, etc.)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (6c / 12t)
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4 (upgradeable to 64 GB)
• Storage: 1 TB NVMe (second M.2 SATA slot available)
• Network: 2.5 GbE Ethernet

Idle power draw with all services running: ~20–30 W

Related Videos

• Full Proxmox install walkthrough
• OpenMediaVault NAS setup
• Home Assistant configuration deep-dive
• Local AI with Ollama