Is your Raspberry Pi unused in a drawer? Well, it’s time to break them out, because these are seven Raspberry Pi projects you’ll definitely use every day.
Lightweight file server
You don’t always need a rugged NAS to share files over the network
If you’ve ever wanted to make some files available across your entire network, but didn’t want to go all out the NAS (network attached storage), then your Raspberry Pi is the perfect solution.
In fact, you can set this up quite simply. All you need is some type of storage, whether it’s an SD card in the Raspberry Pi, NVMe or SATA drives connected to your Pi 5, or a USB drive or hard drive, any storage will work.
From there, you just need your Raspberry Pi on the network (I recommend wired, although Wi-Fi will work) and you’ll be ready to go. Simply enable SMB or NFS file sharing within the Raspberry Pi operating system and it will begin to share the folders you indicate on the network.
Website Control Panel
What is your website uptime like?
Whether you host a few websites at home or have dozens of sites you want to keep an eye on, Kuma Uptime It is the perfect software for it. It’s lightweight and also runs easily on almost any Raspberry Pi.
The easiest way to deploy Uptime Kuma on your Pi is with Docker Compose. Uptime Kuma Provides the Docker Compose file you need to get started, and you should be up and running in just a few minutes.
I’ve used Uptime Kuma for years for a variety of purposes, but I typically use it to monitor my self-hosted websites at home. However you choose to use it, Uptime Kuma makes it easy to ensure your website isn’t always down.
Your own private cloud with Nextcloud
It’s time to get rid of Dropbox and Google Drive
Tired of paying Google or Dropbox for online cloud storage? You can use your Raspberry Pi to build your own personal and private cloud using Nextcloud.
Now, next cloud It’s a pretty heavy application if you use all its features, so you might want to have a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with a decent amount of RAM. However, if you use Nextcloud on a basic basis, it should still run on a Pi 3B.
Whatever you choose to run Nextcloud on, it’s one of the best Google Drive or Dropbox replacements out there. It is designed to work with a reverse proxy for external network access and allows you to share files with others, access your storage from your phone or another computer, and much more.
Paperless-ngx document archive
When you need to find a document, do you know where it is stored?
I don’t know about you, but I have a file cabinet full of papers and I can’t find anything in it. That’s exactly what Paperless-ngx It is designed to fix.
Created to help you go paperlessPaperless-ngx is an easy-to-use software that can easily run on your Pi. Once you have it up and running, you can upload PDF files and have Paperless run OCR (optical character recognition) on the documents to extract information like names, titles, invoice numbers, and more.
From there, you can categorize your Paperless-ngx however you want. Additionally, since it runs OCR on every uploaded document, you can simply search for a word and it will display all documents containing that word.
Host your website or personal blog
Why pay for website hosting when you don’t have to?
Your Raspberry Pi can host websites pretty wellIn fact, you can use it to host multiple websites at once. All websites need are a few key tools and an operating system, which is exactly what a Raspberry Pi offers.
I personally prefer to use Docker to run websites on my Pis because it makes deploying new websites extremely easy. If you want to run WordPress, Ghostor any other platform on a Raspberry Pi, there is likely a Docker container pre-built and ready to go.
A Tailscale subnet router
The best way to access your LAN from anywhere
I wish I had started using Tailscale sooner than I did, but I am very happy to be able to use it now.. One of my favorite parts of Tailscale is its subnet router functionality.
Basically, what the Tailscale Subnet Router does is expose your LAN (Local Area Network) through Tailscale to your connected devices. So on my iPhone, I can connect to Tailscale and access my network as if I were at home. Typically, Tailscale only allows you to access devices on which you have Tailscale installed.
With your Raspberry Pi, you can configure the Tailscale Subnet Router to expose your LAN without having to always keep another, more powerful system online. Raspberry Pis drink energy and are the perfect place to expose your LAN.
Just make sure your Raspberry Pi has a solid network connection, preferably wired, as the speed of your connection to your network will be limited by the speed at which your Pi can operate.
Home Assistant Smart Hub
It’s time to ditch the cloud and take control of your smart home
If you’re still using a cloud-based smart home platform, it’s time to rethink your smart home strategy. While most smart devices require Wi-Fi connectivity and calling home quite frequently, Home Assistant solves many of those problems bringing everything local.
With Home Assistant, many smart devices can be controlled without requiring any cloud access. Home Assistant is also great for integrating a wide range of devices that don’t normally work well together.
As an example, you can integrate your Bambu Lab printers with Home Assistantcreating automations that turn on the lights in your office when a 3D print is finished. Or you could take non-HomeKit devices and make them HomeKit compatiblewhich is what I use Home Assistant for.
Whatever purpose you have for Home Assistant, you should definitely try it. It is a fantastic software that will probably solve many of your smart home problems.
- Brand
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Raspberry Pi
- UPC
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Cortex-A72 (ARM v8)
With the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, you can create all kinds of fun projects and upgrade devices around your home. Alternatively, install a full desktop operating system and use it like a normal computer.
Don’t let your Raspberry Pis collect dust
Raspberry Pis are so versatile that no one should leave them in a drawer collecting dust. Whether you use them to host a website, create a fun digital photo frame, or turn it into the perfect smart home hub, there’s always something you can do with a Raspberry Pi.
