The problem I constantly saw
For years, I’ve implemented enterprise solutions for small and medium-sized businesses: Odoo for business management, GLPI for helpdesk and asset management, Nextcloud for collaboration, Zabbix for monitoring, among many other solutions in this line of business. Each successful implementation, each satisfied client, came with the same reality: too much time spent on manual configuration.
It didn’t matter how many times I had installed Odoo or configured Zabbix: each deployment meant hours of repetitive work. Editing configuration files, resolving dependencies, adjusting permissions, generating credentials, documenting everything. The process was always the same, but it never stopped consuming valuable time.
Over time, one builds up configurations and especially experience, which drastically reduces times, but manual work remains, bringing configurations and so on. Not only in client implementations, but also when setting up testing environments for trials.
So, why not create an application that can automate all this work? At least, a large part of this work.
The birth of ServerHub
ServerHub was born from that frustration and that need. I wanted to create something that:
Automated the repetitive without eliminating control. Each installation should follow best practices, but allow customization when necessary.
Was genuinely simple so that anyone with basic Linux knowledge could use it. Not everyone is a DevOps engineer, and they shouldn’t need to be to install a file server or an ERP.
Had complete traceability. In consulting, auditing is critical. You need to know exactly what changed, when, and how to revert it if something goes wrong.
Added real value beyond “automatically executing commands.” Automatic credential generation, post-installation documentation, prior validations, intelligent dependency management.
Beyond my own need
While developing ServerHub, I realized something important: this problem wasn’t just mine.
When talking with fellow consultants and system administrators, I found the same pattern: we all dedicate significant time to repetitive configuration tasks that, while necessary, aren’t where we truly add value as professionals. The value is in designing the right solution, integrating it with client processes, training the team, optimizing performance. Not in manually editing the same Apache configuration file for the hundredth time.
And beyond the professional sphere, I saw another reality: people with intermediate Linux knowledge, technology enthusiasts, students, small technical entrepreneurs, all with the genuine desire to implement these tools, but facing a steep learning curve. Not due to lack of capability, but because the process is fragmented: a tutorial here, a forum there, official documentation that assumes knowledge they may not have yet.
The need was clear in both cases: optimize the repetitive for professionals, and make the complex accessible for those who are learning, without either group sacrificing quality or control.
ServerHub became more than a tool to optimize my work: it became a facilitator. A means for professionals to focus on what truly matters, and for those who are starting out to experiment and learn without the initial configuration becoming an insurmountable barrier.
The philosophy behind the design
Every technical decision in ServerHub reflects this philosophy:
- Modular: Because not everyone needs everything. Install only what you’ll use.
- Transparent: Every change is logged. There’s no hidden “black magic.” If something fails, you know exactly what happened and where.
- Reversible: Because on production servers, being able to undo changes is as important as being able to make them.
- Educational: The interface doesn’t just execute commands. It shows you what it’s doing, what requirements it validates, what dependencies it installs. It’s a learning tool as much as an automation tool.
The differential value
Many automation tools exist in the market, each designed for specific contexts: large-scale orchestration, complex configuration management, massive hosting. All valuable, all with their purpose.
ServerHub doesn’t compete in those spaces. Its differential value lies in professional simplicity: effective automation without unnecessary complexity.
If you need to manage hundreds of servers with dynamic configurations, there are specialized tools for that. But if you need to deploy specific enterprise applications quickly, consistently, and documented —whether to optimize your work as a consultant, implement solutions for your clients, or experiment and learn— ServerHub is designed exactly for that.
It’s not the most powerful tool on the market. It’s the most direct tool for its specific purpose.
A tool for the community
From the beginning, ServerHub was conceived as open source. Not because it’s fashionable, but because the problem it solves is universal.
Every systems consultant has reinvented these scripts. Every administrator has documented these processes over and over. Every person new to the server world has stumbled over the same obstacles.
By making ServerHub open and modular, I hope others can:
- Use it for their own implementations
- Learn from how the modules are configured
- Contribute new modules for applications I don’t use but others need
- Improve existing modules with their own optimizations
The future
ServerHub is in its early stages. The current 7 modules (LAMP, Docker, Nginx Proxy Manager, Zabbix, Nextcloud, GLPI, Odoo) are just the beginning.
But more important than the number of modules is the solidity of the framework. I want ServerHub to be a reliable foundation to build upon. That each new module maintains the same standards of quality, documentation, and reversibility.
And above all, I want ServerHub to fulfill its original purpose: reduce the friction between need and solution. That an SMB can have their ERP running in 10 minutes. That a student can learn about Nextcloud without losing a weekend on configuration. That a consultant can focus on adding value to the client’s business, not on editing configuration files.
An invitation
If you’re a consultant, system administrator, technology enthusiast, or simply someone who needs these tools: try ServerHub. Use it, break it, improve it.
Your feedback, your bug reports, your ideas for new modules, are what will turn ServerHub from a personal tool into a community solution.
Because in the end, that’s the true purpose: make enterprise technology accessible without ceasing to be professional.