Homer — Static Server Dashboard with YAML Configuration

Introduction

Homer is a lightweight, fully static server dashboard that lets you organize and access all your self-hosted services from a single page. It requires no database, no backend runtime, and no API connections. Just edit a YAML configuration file, and Homer renders a clean, customizable dashboard in the browser.

What Homer Does

• Displays all your self-hosted services as organized, clickable tiles on one page
• Configures entirely through a single YAML file with no database required
• Supports custom themes, icons, and grouping for visual organization
• Provides optional health checks to show service status with color indicators
• Serves as a static site with zero runtime dependencies beyond a web server

Architecture Overview

Homer is a Vue.js single-page application that reads a config.yml file at load time and renders the dashboard client-side. There is no server-side processing. The Docker image uses a lightweight web server to serve the static files. Service health checks are performed directly from the browser via fetch requests. Custom icons and themes are loaded from the assets directory.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy as a Docker container with the assets directory mounted as a volume
• Edit config.yml to define service groups, links, icons, and layout
• Use Font Awesome or custom PNG icons for service tiles
• Enable health checks by adding url fields to service entries
• Customize colors and fonts through the built-in theme system or custom CSS

Key Features

• Zero runtime dependencies with no database, API, or backend process
• YAML-only configuration for fast and version-controllable setup
• Custom theming with built-in light and dark modes plus custom CSS
• Service health checks that display live green, orange, or red status indicators
• Keyboard navigation and search for quickly finding services

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Dashy — Feature-rich with built-in widgets and status checks; Homer is simpler and purely static
• Heimdall — PHP-based with enhanced tile features; Homer needs no runtime beyond static file serving
• Homarr — Dynamic with Docker integration; Homer focuses on simplicity with YAML-only config
• Flame — Bookmark-style with Docker labels; Homer provides more layout customization
• Homepage — YAML-configured with widget support; Homer is lighter with no API backend

FAQ

Q: Can Homer auto-discover my Docker containers? A: No. Homer is fully static and configured manually via YAML. Use Homarr or Homepage if you need auto-discovery.

Q: Does it require a database? A: No. Homer is entirely static. The YAML config file and optional icons are all it needs.

Q: Can I use it as a browser start page? A: Yes. Many users set Homer as their browser homepage for quick access to all self-hosted services.

Q: How do health checks work? A: The browser fetches each service URL directly. If the service responds, it shows green; timeouts show orange; errors show red.

Sources

• https://github.com/bastienwirtz/homer
• https://github.com/bastienwirtz/homer/blob/main/docs/configuration.md