Lexicon

What Is Vendor Lock-In? Why Switching Platforms Gets Hard
Vendor lock-in is when switching away from a platform becomes expensive, difficult, or impossible. What vendor lock-in means and how to avoid it. Read more...
What Is DRM-Free Gaming? Owning the Files You Bought
DRM-free gaming means owning the actual game files, with no copy protection or account requirement. What DRM-free means and why it matters for ownership. Read more...
What Is Itch.io? The Indie-First Alternative to Steam
Itch.io is a digital storefront for indie games and game tools, with creator-set pricing and no forced DRM. What Itch.io is and how it compares to Steam. Read more...
What Is Abandonware? (And Is It Legal?)
Abandonware is old software no longer sold or supported by its rights holder. What abandonware means, the legal gray area around it, and why it matters. Read more...
What Is Retro Gaming? Playing Yesterday's Games Today
Retro gaming means playing games from past decades via emulation, original hardware, or modern re-releases. What retro gaming is and where to start. Read more...
What Is RetroArch? One Interface for Every Emulator
RetroArch is a unified frontend that runs dozens of emulators through one consistent interface. What RetroArch is and how it compares to standalone emulators. Read more...
What Is MAME? The Arcade Cabinet Emulator, Explained
MAME emulates classic arcade cabinet games with near-perfect accuracy. What MAME is and why that accuracy matters for preservation. Read more...
What Is Git? Version Control for Your Homelab Configs
Git is version control software that tracks every change to your files over time. What Git is and how homelabbers use it to manage self-hosted configs. Read more...
What Is Degoogle? Replacing Google's Services, One at a Time
Degoogle means replacing Google's services — Search, Gmail, Photos, Drive — with privacy-respecting alternatives. What degoogling means and how people do it. Read more...
What Is Home Assistant? A Self-Hosted Smart Home Hub
Home Assistant is a free, open-source smart home hub you run yourself instead of Alexa or Google Home. What Home Assistant is and how it compares. Read more...
What Is Pi-hole? Network-Wide Ad Blocking, Explained
Pi-hole is network-wide ad-blocking software for a Raspberry Pi or Linux server. What Pi-hole is, how it compares to browser ad blockers, and how it works. Read more...
What Is Jellyfin? The Free, Open-Source Plex Alternative
Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server - a self-hosted alternative to Plex and Netflix. What Jellyfin is, how it compares, and how people use it. Read more...
What Is a Raspberry Pi? A Tiny, Affordable Homelab Computer
A Raspberry Pi is a small, inexpensive computer that runs real servers and self-hosted software. What a Raspberry Pi is and why it's a common first project. Read more...
What Is End-to-End Encryption? Privacy Even From the Provider
End-to-end encryption means only sender and recipient can read a message — not even the service provider. What E2E encryption is and why it matters. Read more...
What Is Open-Source? Software Anyone Can Inspect and Change
Open-source software has publicly available code anyone can inspect, modify, or redistribute. What open-source means and why it matters. Read more...
What Is Immich? The Self-Hosted Google Photos Alternative
Immich is a free, open-source photo backup app — a self-hosted alternative to Google Photos. What Immich is, how it compares, and why people start here. Read more...
What Is Nextcloud? Self-Hosted File Storage vs. Google Drive
Nextcloud is a free, open-source file sync platform you host yourself — a self-hosted alternative to Google Drive. What Nextcloud is and how it compares. Read more...
What Is NAS? Network-Attached Storage Explained
NAS is a dedicated storage device connected to your home network, centralizing files, backups, and self-hosted services. What NAS is and how it works. Read more...
What Is Data Ownership? Owning Your Information, Not Renting It
Data ownership means real control over the information collected about you — not just privacy. What data ownership means and why it matters. Read more...
What Is Godot Engine? The Free, Open-Source Game Engine
Godot Engine is a free, open-source tool for building 2D and 3D games with no royalties or licensing fees. What Godot Engine is and why devs use it. Read more...
What Is RetroPie? Turn a Raspberry Pi Into a Retro Console
RetroPie turns a Raspberry Pi into a multi-system retro gaming console. What RetroPie is, how it works, and what a build costs. Read more...
What Is Linux Gaming? Running Your Steam Library on Linux
Linux gaming means running your Windows game library on Linux via Proton and Wine. What Linux gaming is, how it works, and why it's taken off. Read more...
What Is Docker? Containers Explained for Self-Hosters
Docker packages an app with everything it needs into a portable container. What Docker is, why self-hosters use it, and a real example. Read more...
What Is an Indie Game? Creative Independence in Gaming
An indie game is made by a small team outside AAA studios, prioritizing creative vision over mass-market profit. What indie games are and why they matter. Read more...
What Is Game Preservation? Why It Matters Before It's Gone
Game preservation means archiving games and systems before hardware fails or publishers pull the plug. What preservation means and why it matters. Read more...
What Is a ROM? The File Format Behind Emulation, Explained
A ROM is a digital file preserving an old game cartridge or arcade board. What ROMs are, how they work with emulators, and why they matter for preservation. Read more...
What Is Emulation? Playing Classic Games on Modern Hardware
Emulation lets you run classic games and computers on modern hardware. What emulation is, how it preserves gaming history, and why it's legal preservation. Read more...
What Is a Homelab? Your Own Infrastructure, Explained
A homelab is a personal server setup for self-hosted apps, media, and smart home tools. What a homelab is and why it's the core of digital independence. Read more...
What Is Self-Hosted? Owning Your Data Instead of Renting It
Self-hosted means running software on your own hardware instead of a cloud provider's. What self-hosting is, why it matters, and a real example. Read more...