A person shares their experience of turning an old laptop into a web server to host their personal portfolio website.
The guide not only provides information but also shares a story of repurposing old technology, saving money, and gaining valuable skills.
The individual chose to self-host their website by repurposing an old laptop that had low resale value.
Skills learned include building a website with React & Node, using Docker for containerization, securing it with Cloudflare Tunnel, tracking visitors with Google Analytics, and gaining devops skills.
The tech stack used includes React.js, Node.js, CSS3, Docker, Nginx, and Cloudflare Tunnel for secure external access.
The setup involves cloning a repository, installing dependencies, and configuring the Google Analytics Measurement ID.
Containerization with Docker simplifies deployments and allows for live updates through volume mounts.
To make the site accessible globally, the guide compares Cloudflare Tunnel with port forwarding, with Cloudflare Tunnel being preferred for security and flexibility.
Instructions for setting up Cloudflare Tunnel include installing, creating a tunnel, configuring, and binding DNS.
Analytics integration involves setting up Google Analytics to track visitors and using Cloudflare for real-time traffic insights.
The next step is SEO optimization, with details on improving site visibility and loading speeds.
Future posts will cover meta tags, schema markup, and speed optimization for better search engine rankings.
The guide includes references to the GitHub repository, Cloudflare Tunnel documentation, and integrating Google Analytics with React.