Hey everyone and welcome back. Today we're doing a deep dive on Cubby, a self-hosted
file sharing platform. Huge thanks to SaveServer for sponsoring this deep dive. If
self-hosting
piques your interest, they can help make it a reality for you. You can check them
out
at www.saveserver.de. But back to Cubby. It's basically like having your own
personal drop
box, or like Google Drive, but the main difference is you're not relying on those
huge companies.
With us to help break it all down is our resident expert when it comes to file
sharing. And
especially this whole self-hosting thing. Glad to be here. Yeah, it is really
interesting
to see more and more people wanting to take control of their data. So first, let's
start
simple. What exactly is Cubby? I totally get the file sharing part, but this whole
self-hosted
thing might be new to some people. Okay, so imagine your files live in a house. If
you
are using Dropbox or Google Drive, you're basically renting a room in their house.
You
have to play by their rules. But Cubby, Cubby is different. Cubby lets you build
the entire
house on your own WN land. You decide who has keys, what goes where. It is all
about
having that control. Okay. I like that analogy. So I am starting to get why people
like it,
but building a house sounds kind of hard. This is only for like tech super geniuses.
No, not at all. You don't have to be an architect to choose a house plan that's
already designed,
right? Cubby basically comes with instructions and there's tons of support out
there. Like
even from companies similar to our sponsor, Safe Server. Right. That makes sense.
Okay.
So we kind of get it now. Yeah. You build your own house for your data, but what
makes Cubby's
house special? Like what features are we talking here? Well, one of the coolest
things is how
you can share stuff with Cubby. You can give different people access to different
rooms.
Like think of it as separate folders for different projects. And you can even all
work on documents
together at the same time. Like if you were passing a notepad back and forth, but
digitally.
Ooh, now that is actually super useful. No more emailing files back and forth or
trying
to figure out who has the latest version. Ugh. Does this thing work with like the
normal
office stuff like Word docs and Excel and things like that? Oh yeah, for sure. It
integrates
with these open source office suites like Colabra online and only office. Think of
them
as like the tool shed in your Cubby house. And if you're someone that really likes
Markdown,
there's even a real time collaborative editor that's built right in there. Wow.
Okay. So
we were talking file sharing, collaborative editing, and it even has a built in
tool shed.
This Cubby house is sounding pretty awesome, but let's get back to the foundation
of it
all. Self-hosting. Can you break down like the real benefits for someone who maybe
isn't
like a data security expert? Okay. Well imagine this, you have this diary and it is
full of
your most personal thoughts. Would you rather keep that diary in your own like
locked drawer
or would you hand it over to some company to store and just hope they keep it safe?
Uh, yeah, that's an easy one. Definitely the locked drawers. Like having that peace
of
mind, you know, knowing that your sensitive stuff stays private. Exactly. And that
is
the whole point of cubby. Your files are only on your server, which is totally
controlled
by you. It's basically like knowing exactly where your diary is all the time. Yeah.
I
can see why that would be appealing to people, but I'm guessing there are probably
some downsides
too, right? Of course there are always trade-offs. It's like owning a house. You
are responsible
for all of the maintenance. You need to make sure that the software is up to date
and you
need to back up all of your data just in case something goes wrong. Okay, so maybe
not for
the totally completely non-technical person, but the trade-off seems worth it for
the amount
of control that you get. Yeah. Now who is behind this whole Cubby project? Is this
some
giant corporation or is it more of a community kind of thing? It's actually mostly
developed
by the Cloudrin team. They're really focused on making this whole self-hosting
thing easier
and they actually made Cubby open source, which is cool. That means that anybody
can
look at the code, they can tinker with it, or even contribute to making it better.
That's
really neat. So it's built with transparency and community involvement from the get-go.
But let's say someone wants to actually set up Cubby. What does that look like? We
talked
about building a house, but like what are the actual construction steps involved?
So
you'll need a server first, which might sound intimidating, but just think of it as
the
plot of land where your Cubby house will be built. You have a lot of options, even
renting
space in a data center. And then there's something called Docker, which is like
hiring a whole
construction crew. But this crew speaks a language that computers understand. They'll
build your house based on a blueprint that's provided by Cubby.
Okay. So it does require a little bit of technical knowledge, but it sounds like
there are tools
and frameworks in place to make it less intimidating. Plus you've got the whole
open source community
and companies like Safe Server to help. So now I'm curious, who do you think would
benefit
the most from Cubby? Is this for everyone or are there certain types of people or
organizations
who should be rushing to download this right now?
It's really perfect for anyone who cares about privacy and having control over
their own
data. Small teams can use it to collaborate securely. Individuals can use it as
like their
own personal cloud without having to rely on all of those big tech companies. Even
organizations
that deal with super sensitive data can benefit. They know that all of their info
is basically
under their own roof, metaphorically speaking.
I see. So it is really all about empowering people to choose where their data lives.
But
instead of just listing off features, let's get a little more practical here.
Yeah, sounds good.
Imagine you are a small team of freelance designers and they're working on a big
project
for a client. How would Cubby fit into their workflow?
Well, instead of emailing these huge design files back and forth, they could just
all
work together in a shared Cubby folder. Each designer could have their own space
for their
own personal files. But for the actual project, they would all be working in the
same room,
digitally speaking, of course.
That makes a lot of sense. So no more trying to dig through emails to find the
latest version
of the logo or worrying about file size limits. That has to be a huge time saver.
Right. And get this, because Cubby integrates with those office suites that we
talked about.
They could actually work on the same design file at the same time, and they would
see
each other's changes live, in real time. No more of that final underscore v2
underscore
final underscore actually final dot PSD file chaos.
Oh my gosh. I know exactly what you're talking about. Now that is some seriously
good collaboration.
It's almost like they're all huddled around the same computer, even if they're
miles apart.
But what about someone who's not on a team? Like maybe a researcher that has these
massive
data sets that they need to share securely.
Cubby's perfect for that too. It's basically like having a super high security
vault for
all of their data. The researcher gets to decide who has access and who doesn't.
And since
you can control where your Cubby server actually IS, researchers could even meet
data residency
requirements for super sensitive projects.
Okay, so it is not just about convenience then. It is also about meeting all of
those
real world compliance and security requirements. I'm definitely starting to see why
this whole
self hosting thing is getting so popular.
Yeah, it really is all about taking control, just like choosing where you want to
live
instead of being stuck in a generic apartment building. But like we were talking
about before,
owning a house means you have to do maintenance. Does that scare people off when it
comes to
self hosting?
It can, for sure. But you mentioned all of these support systems earlier. What
would
you say to someone who is like on the fence about it all? Because they are worried
about
the technical side of things.
First, remember those pre-designed house plans we were talking about? Well, setting
up Cubby
is not like building something from scratch. Plus, there is this whole community of
people
who have already done it. They are always sharing tips and tricks and helping each
other out.
It's like having those friendly neighbors who can always lend a helping hand, you
know?
Right. And don't forget about companies like our sponsor, Safe Server. They can
handle
a lot of the technical stuff for you. Kind of like hiring a contractor to manage
the
whole build. So you're never really alone, even if you're not a tech expert.
Exactly. That's the main point. You have choices. It's not about being some sort of
lone wolf
battling all of the scary technical demons. It's about having choices that align
with
your values.
I really like that empowerment. But let's go back to that researcher for a minute.
They've
got their secure data vault set up. But what if they need to analyze all of that
data with
colleagues at other institutions?
Well, that's where Cubby's built-in viewers are really helpful. They can just
preview
all kinds of different file types right there in Cubby. They don't have to download
huge
data sets every time. It's like being able to look through a window into that vault
to
see what's inside before you decide to take anything out.
So it really speeds up the research process by making those downloads unnecessary.
But
what about keeping track of all the different versions of a data set as the
research changes
and evolves?
Yeah, Cubby has that covered too, no worries. It's like having this detailed log
book for
your vault. It shows every single change that's made to every file. So there's no
more confusion
about which version is the most up to date.
So Cubby helps those researchers to collaborate efficiently, A&D securely. What
about for
individuals? Like people just looking for a secure way to back up their data?
Cubby is awesome for that. It's like having a super strong fireproof safe. For all
of
your precious digital valuables, photos, videos, important documents, all stored
securely under
your control. You just don't get that same peace of mind with those free cloud
services
out there.
It's like choosing a bank with those super high security vaults instead of just
stuffing
all of your money under your mattress. But this brings up an interesting point. We've
talked a lot about the security of Cubby, but it also has all of these
collaboration
features. How does that actually work in like a regular work environment?
Okay, so let's say we have a marketing team using Cubby. They could brainstorm all
of
their ideas, create content, design visuals, all within the platform. It's like
having
a virtual office where everyone's always working together, even if they're not
physically
in the same location.
So no more emailing drafts back and forth or trying to figure out which version of
a
file is the latest. It just streamlines everything.
Exactly. And they can work on the same document at the same time, see each other's
changes
in real time with that collaborative editing feature. It can really change the game
when
it comes to productivity and creativity.
Yeah, it's like having a virtual whiteboard where everybody can just brainstorm
together
no matter where they are.
Okay, we've talked a lot about the what of Cubby, but what about the why? What does
Cubby
represent in this like bigger picture of technology and data?
So the cool thing is that Cubby is part of this movement toward digital sovereignty.
It's about taking back control of your data and your whole digital life.
It's like saying, hey, my data is my house, and I get to decide who enters and what
happens
inside.
Exactly. In a world where our data is constantly being collected and analyzed, this
option
to self-host our own services gives us a sense of agency and ownership.
I can see how that would be empowering for people. But we would be doing a disservice
if we didn't acknowledge that this isn't for everyone. It does take a bit of
technical
know-how and definitely some commitment.
Yeah, that's true. It's not just clicking an easy button. But it's Syus clicking
that
take control button. And like we said before, there's a lot of support out there to
help
make the whole process a lot smoother.
Very well said. But before we wrap up this deep dive on Cubby, let's get a little
bit
more technical here.
Sounds good to me.
For those of you out there who are ready to peek behind the curtain, what can you
tell
us about Cubby's architecture and the technology that it's all built on?
Well, Cubby's built on a pretty modern tech stack. You can think of it as like the
building
materials for your digital house. So it uses node.js for the back end, which is
sort of
like the plumbing and the electrical systems. And then it uses view.js for the
front end,
which is the part that you actually see and interact with, like the walls and
furniture
and everything.
So it is using these popular and established technologies, which is good news for
anyone
who wants to tinker around with the code or maybe customize things.
Definitely. And remember that construction crew we were talking about earlier?
Docker.
It makes deploying Kubby super flexible. You can build your house on all kinds of
different
plots of land from a tiny little Raspberry Pi server all the way up to a massive
cloud
platform.
That's really cool. That's great for people who want to start small and scale up as
they
need to. But let's talk security. We are building this house for all of our
precious data. So
we want to make sure it's like Fort Knox level secure. What is Kubby doing to keep
everything
safe? So first off, all communication between your computer and the Kubby server is
encrypted
with HTTPS. Think of it as having this like secret tunnel between you and your
house so
no one can snoop on what you are carrying in or out. So even if someone is trying
to
peek through the windows, they can't see what's inside. Exactly. And to control who
gets in, Kubby uses something called OpenID Connect. Imagine it as the super high
tech
security system that integrates with your existing key cards like your Google
account
or your Microsoft account. You decide exactly who has access and what level of
permissions
they get. So it is secure by design, AD. It uses tools that people are already
familiar
with. But let's get practical again for a second. We've got our blueprint, our
construction
crew and our fancy security system. What are the actual steps that we need to take
to build
this Kubby house? Okay, so first you're going to need to install Docker and Docker
Compose
on your server. These are basically the tools that your construction crew needs to
understand
the blueprint and get to work. And then you need to create a Postgresql database.
That's
basically the vault inside of your house where all of your data will actually live.
So the
database is like the strong box inside the secure house. Exactly. What's next? Next,
you're going to download Kubby's Docker Compose file. This is that super detailed
blueprint
we were talking about. It tells Docker exactly how to build your Kubby house, where
to put
the vault, how to hook up the security system, all of that. It's like handing the
construction
crew a step-by-step guide. So there's no room for error. Exactly. And then after
that, you
just run one command in your terminal and Docker takes over from there. It gathers
all the materials, assembles the entire structure, and voila, your Kubby server is
up and running.
Wow. Docker makes it sound almost too easy. I'm guessing there's still some setup
that
needs to be done once the server is library. Yeah. You'll need to do some initial
configuration,
you know, like setting up your administrator account, connecting your security
system,
customizing things, like the server's domain name. Think of it as putting those
finishing touches on
your house, painting the walls, picking out the furniture, and just making it feel
like home.
So it's not completely hands off, but it definitely seems manageable with a little
bit of technical
knowledge. Any final words of wisdom for anyone out there who is ready to embark on
their self-hosting journey with Kubby? I would say just start small and don't be
afraid to ask for
help. The Kubby community is super supportive, and there are a lot of resources out
there,
like our sponsor, Safe Server. They can help you through the whole process.
Remember, this is all
about taking back control and having choices. It's about building a digital world
that reflects what
you believe in. I love that. So well said. And on that note, we've reached the end
of our deep dive
into Kubby. We've gone through the features, the benefits, we even peeked under the
hood at the tech
that makes it all work. Hopefully you're feeling a little more empowered to explore
self-hosting and
see if Kubby is a good fit for you. Big thanks to our expert for sharing all of
their insights,
and of course to all of you for joining us. If you're ready to take back control of
your data,
head over to the Kubby website or check out Safe Server at www.safeserver.de for
some expert
help with self-hosting. Until next time, keep exploring, stay curious, and remember,
your data,
your rules. Oh yeah, for sure, it's perfect for that. It's basically like having
the super high
security vault for their data, and with the researcher deciding who has access,
right? Right,
and since you control where your Kubby server actually is, researchers could even
meet those
data residency requirements for like really sensitive projects. Oh wow, so it's not
even
just about convenience then, it's also about meeting those real-world compliance
and security
needs. Yeah, this whole self-hosting thing is really starting to make more and more
sense to
me now. It really is all about just like taking back that control, just like
choosing where you
live instead of being stuck in some like generic apartment complex, you know?
Totally. But uh,
just like with owning a house, a Kubby server needs maintenance, right? Yeah. Does
that scare
people off? It can, yeah. Yeah. But you were talking about all those support
systems earlier,
what would you say to someone who's kind of on the sense about this whole self-hosting
thing?
Because they are nervous about the technical side of it all. Well, first off, just
remember those
like pre-designed house plans we were talking about. Setting up Kubby isn't like
building a
house totally from scratch, you know? Plus there's this whole community of people
out there who've
already done it. They're all sharing their tips and helping each other out. It's
like having
those friendly neighbors, right? The kind that can always lend a hand with those
home improvement
projects. Yeah, exactly. And plus don't forget about companies like our sponsor,
Safe Server.
They can actually handle a lot of that technical heavy lifting for you. Oh yeah,
definitely. Kind
of like hiring a contractor, right? Yeah. To just manage the whole build. Exactly.
So you're never
really alone, even if you aren't like a tech expert or whatever. Exactly. That's
the whole point. You
have choices. It's not about being like a lone wolf and battling all the technical
demons by yourself.
It's about having choices that match like your values. I love that. It's about
empowerment. Yeah.
Okay. But let's get back to that researcher for a second. They've got their secure
data vault all
set up. But what if they need to analyze all of that data with their colleagues?
But their colleagues
are at a different institution. Oh, well that's where Cubby's built-in viewers are
really helpful.
They can basically just preview a ton of different file types right there in Cubby.
They don't have
to go through the whole process of downloading those huge data sets every single
time. It's like
having a window into the vault, right? You can see what's inside before you have to
like take
anything out. So it makes the whole research process a lot faster because you don't
have to
do all those unnecessary downloads. That's really neat. But what about keeping
track of all the
different versions of a data set as the research, you know, evolves and stuff? Oh,
Cubby's got that
covered too. No worries. It's like having this super detailed blog book for your
vault. It shows
every single change that's made to each file. So there's never any confusion about
which version
is the most up-to-date one. So Cubby helps those researchers to collaborate
efficiently A and D
securely. That's really awesome. What about just regular people though? People who
are just looking
for a secure way to back up their personal data? Oh yeah, even for personal use Cubby
is amazing.
It's like having this like fireproof safe but for all your digital valuables. Like
think about your
photos, videos, all those really important documents. They're all stored super
securely but under
your control. You just don't get that peace of mind with those free cloud services
that are out
there. Yeah it really is like you're choosing a bank that has those super high
security vaults
instead of stuffing all your cash under your mattress at home. But this brings up
something
interesting. We've talked a lot about the security features of Cubby but it also
has all of these
really cool collaboration features too. So how does that actually play out in a
work environment?
Okay so let's say we have a marketing team that's using Cubby. They could like
brainstorm all their
ideas, create all their content, design their visuals all within the platform. You
know it's
basically like having a virtual office space where everybody is always working
together even if they
aren't all in the same physical location. Yeah so no more emailing those drafts
back and forth
or trying to figure out who has that latest version of the file which is always the
worst.
So it just streamlines everything right? Exactly and with that real-time
collaborative editing
feature they can literally work on the same document at the same time see each
other's
changes as they are happening live. It's a game changer when it comes to being
productive and
creative. It really is. Yeah it's like having a virtual whiteboard where everybody
can brainstorm
together no matter where they actually are. Okay so we've talked a lot about the
what's of cubby
but what about the why? Like what does cubby actually represent in the bigger
picture of
technology you know? Well what's really cool is that cubby is part of this movement
toward what
a lot of people are calling digital sovereignty. Oh it's interesting. Yeah it's all
about like
individuals and organizations taking back control of their data and their digital
lives. So it's
like saying my data is my house and I'm the only one who gets to decide who comes
in and what
happens inside. Exactly like in today's world our data is constantly being
collected and analyzed
and sold. So this whole idea of self-hosting our own services, it gives us this
sense of agency
right and like a sense of ownership. Right and control over our own stuff. Yeah I
can see how
that would be really empowering for a lot of people but we would be remiss if we
didn't
acknowledge that self-hosting isn't really for everyone. It does require some
technical knowledge
for sure and some commitment. Yeah that's true. It's not just about clicking that
easy button
but it is about clicking the take control button you know and as we said there's a
lot of support
out there and resources that can help to make that journey a lot smoother. That's a
really good point
well said. But before we completely wrap up this deep dive into cubby let's get a
little more
technical for a minute. Okay sounds good. For those of you out there who are ready
to like
peek behind the curtain a little bit what can you tell us about cubby's
architecture and like the
technology that it runs on and everything. Well cubby's built on a it's built on a
pretty modern
tech stack you know kind of like we were saying before the building materials for
your digital
house it uses no js for the back end think of that as like the plumbing and all the
electrical
systems right and then it uses view dies for the front end that's like all the
stuff you actually
see and interact with the walls the furniture all of that. So it's using these like
popular
technologies right well established ones at least that's good news for anyone who
wants to
you know maybe tinker around with the code themselves or customize things to fit
their needs
for sure and remember that construction crew we talked about way back when docker
well it actually
makes deploying cubby super flexible you can build your house in all different
kinds of land
from a tiny raspberry pi server to like a massive cloud platform you know that's
amazing
so people can really start small if they want to and then they can scale up as they
need to
okay but let's get back to security for a second we're building this house for all
of our important
data we want to make sure it's like fort Knox level secure what is cubby doing to
keep everything
safe so first of all all communication between your computer and the cubby server
it's all
encrypted using HTTPS of course it's like imagine there's this secret tunnel
between you and your
house no one can snoop on what you're taking in or out oh i like that so even if
someone's trying
to like peek through the windows or something can't actually see what's inside
exactly and for
controlling who actually gets in cubby uses something called open id connect think
of that
as like a super high tech security system that integrates with like your existing
key cards like
let's say you use your google account to log into things or your microsoft account
that kind of
thing so you decide exactly who has access and what level of permissions they get
so it's secure
by design any it integrates with tools that people are already using very cool okay
so we've got the
blueprint we've got our construction crew and our high tech security system in
place now what are
the actual steps for building this cubby house i mean okay so the first thing you
need to do is
install docker and docker compose on your server those are like the tools that your
construction
crew needs to understand the blueprint you know yeah to get to work and then after
that you need
to create a post-graswell database which is kind of like the vault inside of your
house is where all
of your data is actually going to live okay so the database is like the strong box
exactly but
it's inside the secure house that makes a lot of sense what's next then you
download cubbies docker
compose file which is basically that detailed blueprint we keep talking about this
tells docker
exactly how to build your cubby house where to put the vault how to connect the
security system all
the nitty-gritty details so it's like handing the construction crew a step-by-step
guide so there's
zero room for error right and then after all of that is done you literally just run
one command
in your terminal and docker does all the magic from there gathers all the materials
assembles
the structure and then boom your cubby server is up and running wow docker really
does make it sound
pretty easy but i'm assuming there's still some setup that needs to be done once
the server is
actually live right oh yeah you'll need to do some initial configuration like
setting up your
administrator account and connecting that security system we talked about and
customizing things like
the server's domain name it's like adding the final touches to your house you know
painting the
walls picking out furniture and just making it feel like yours so it's not entirely
hands-off
but it seems doable especially if you've got like a little bit of technical
experience any final
words of wisdom for anyone out there who's ready to start their own self-hosting
journey with cubby
hmm i would say start small and don't be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck
the cubby community
is super supportive and plus there are a lot of resources out there like our
sponsor safe server
they can guide you through the whole process and just remember this is all about
taking back control
of your stuff and having more choices building a digital world that actually aligns
with your
values wow that's a really beautiful way to put it well said so on that note we've
reached the end
of our deep dive into cubby we've talked about the features the benefits we even
got a little
technical and peeped under the hood and all the technology that makes it work so
hopefully you're
feeling a little bit more empowered to explore self-hosting for yourselves and see
if cubby is
the right fit huge thanks to our expert for joining us and sharing all of their
insights
and of course a big thank you to all of you for listening if you are ready to take
back control
of your data you can head over to the cubby website or check out save server at www.saveserver.de
for some expert help with self-hosting until next time stay curious keep exploring
and remember your
data your rules