Understood. DietPi and CasaOS are both wrappers with a lot of effort spent on making “apps” work out of the box, including all server/database req’s. With DietPi using CLI + menus over SSH, and CasaOS using a web front end with Docker containers.
In my context, CasaOS solves the issue of access for people who know nothing about SSH, logins, or the command-line. The risk of losing remote access if the router or VPN setup breaks remains similar in both cases. I’ve been avoiding Docker until now (being another layer of complexity), but I guess if it’s mature and mostly handled under the hood, perhaps it’s now a viable option.
Many tradeoffs. I’ve been using BTRFS on two disks with RAID1 and simple r/o snapshots + rotation as a way to overcome disk failure + quick incremental backups. With a remote backup in case of fire/theft disasters (using Duplicacy). BTRFS is not currently supported in CasaOS, AFAICT. It’s not a show-stopper, there are many alternatives for all of this.
To prepare a future server, I have a spare Pi4, a NUC i3, and an old Mac Mini (Core 2 Duo) - each with 8 GB RAM. They all work splendidly with DietPi. I don’t intend to go into an exhaustive evaluation, but my main focus will probably be on longevity: creating a setup which can be kept going and well-maintained for many years.
Lots of work ahead. I’ll explore CasaOS w/ NextCloud, and perhaps also PhotoPrism and some music server for our in-house media “consumption”.