Self-Hosting and Open Source: Key Updates from Plex, Collabora, and Git

The past week brought several significant updates across the self-hosting, open-source, and privacy technology landscape. This roundup provides a professional overview of key developments, new software releases, and insightful content, free from advertisements or promotional material.

Key Technology Updates

• Plex Enforces Streaming Restrictions: Plex has officially begun enforcing previously announced restrictions that limit users from streaming personal media without an active subscription. Roku users are reportedly the first to be affected by these changes, which started this week.
• Collabora Online Expands to Desktop: Collabora Online, a popular open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, announced the release of its office suite for desktop environments. This initiative aims to bring the familiar interface and powerful features directly to users' devices, offering a consistent experience with its web counterpart.
• Git Transition to 'main' Branch: Discussions continue around the upcoming Git v3.0 transition, which will standardize the default branch name from 'master' to 'main'. This change, initiated by GitHub in 2020, signals an ongoing shift in industry standards.
• Portainer Adds Docker v29 Support: The Portainer team has released an update that introduces crucial support for Docker v29. This resolves connectivity issues for users who had prematurely upgraded their Docker instances.
• Home Assistant Device Certification: Home Assistant has published a centralized directory of devices officially certified under their "Works with Home Assistant" program, streamlining compatibility information for users.
• Stirling PDF v2.0.0 Release: Stirling PDF unveiled version 2.0.0, featuring a redesigned web interface, new desktop applications, and stricter enforcement of its open-core license, which introduces limitations on advanced features for a larger number of users.
• PdfDing Supports Open Source: The developer of PdfDing, a robust PDF toolkit, is promoting open-source contributions by matching user donations to various open-source projects.
• GrapheneOS Infrastructure Migration: GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused Android fork, swiftly relocated its infrastructure out of France following allegations of behavior similar to those that led to the arrest of Telegram's CEO last year.
• LinuxServer SWAG Docker Mod: The LinuxServer team has introduced a new Docker mod for SWAG (Secure Web Application Gateway), a popular reverse proxy. This mod enables SWAG to dynamically start and stop containers based on inactivity, optimizing resource usage.
• Podcast Ad Removal Tools: The emergence of new tools for podcast ad removal has highlighted a growing interest in ad-free audio experiences, sparking wider discussion about available services.

Insights and Trends

• The Value of Self-Hosting: Self-hosting continues to be advocated as an excellent method for gaining a deep understanding of technology, privacy, and the secure, efficient deployment of systems. Many enthusiasts manage extensive self-hosted environments encompassing home automation, homelabs, and various other systems.
• Linux Dominates Homelab OS: The 2025 Self-Host survey from selfh.st confirms that Linux remains the dominant operating system choice for self-hosting setups and homelab environments.
• Let's Encrypt's "Generation Y" Certificates: Let's Encrypt has rolled out its "Generation Y" hierarchy, comprising two new Root Certification Authorities (CAs) and six new Intermediate CAs. These new roots, designed to eventually replace their predecessors, feature RSA 4096 and ECDSA P-384 keys and are being submitted for inclusion in trust stores.
• WordPress Performance Benchmarks: New benchmarks provide insights into how different server types (dedicated vs. cloud), caching plugins, and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) impact WordPress performance.
• Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0: The release of Raspberry Pi Imager 2.0 aims to simplify the process of creating OS media for Raspberry Pi devices, enhancing accessibility for users.

Content Spotlight: BentoPDF

Meet BentoPDF, a versatile web-based PDF toolkit designed for direct browser-based PDF editing. It enables users to securely perform numerous file operations client-side, ensuring no data leaves the local machine. Its capabilities include organization (merge, split), editing/modification (including fillable forms), format conversions, security enhancements, and optimization (compress, remove metadata). BentoPDF can be deployed easily via Docker or bare metal and operates without external dependencies.

Media Highlights

• 2025 selfh.st Survey Results: 4K+ Self-Hosters Speak!
• Top 5 TrueNAS Errors Everyone Keeps Making
• The Ultimate Doorbell for Home Assistant
• How to Set Up Remote Access on Unraid (Nginx Proxy Manager)

Command Line Corner

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$ cat example.txt
  self
  host
  weekly
  weekly
$ sort example.txt | uniq
  host
  self
  weekly

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