host your own HelpDesk

About this video

Chuck argues that anyone wanting to get into IT should get familiar with help desk ticketing by self-hosting their own system and making family, friends, and coworkers file tickets, since the help desk is the usual first step into IT and ticketing experience looks good on a resume. Everything is Docker-based and can run on hardware at home or in the cloud; he uses sponsor Linode. First he deploys Peppermint, an intentionally simple ticketing system, from Linode’s one-click marketplace on Ubuntu using a shared-CPU 1 GB plan he prices at five dollars a month, confirms the container with docker ps, and accesses it on port 5001. He logs in with the default credentials he shows, creates a user for Michael, then creates and assigns a high-urgency ticket about the office printer that still does not work; Michael’s view shows how to add notes, edit, transfer, and complete a ticket. He also shows installing Peppermint elsewhere by copying its Docker Compose file, creating a peppermint directory and docker-compose.yml, and running docker compose up -d. Then he installs a second, more feature-rich option, UVDesk, the same Docker Compose way on the same server, walks through its database setup wizard and super-admin creation, and highlights its knowledge base, where solved tickets become searchable articles for future issues. He presents Peppermint as best for simple family use and UVDesk for people who want to explore more features.

Key takeaways

• Self-hosting a ticketing system is pitched as hands-on help desk practice, since ticketing is the typical entry point into IT work
• Peppermint deploys in one click on Linode or anywhere via Docker Compose, and its simplicity suits family and small-team use
• He runs Peppermint on a shared-CPU plan priced at five dollars a month, accessing the web interface on port 5001
• The core ticket workflow is: create users, create a ticket, assign it to an engineer, add notes or transfer it, then mark it complete
• UVDesk is the more feature-filled alternative, adding a knowledge base built from solved tickets, at the cost of a longer database and admin setup

Episode details: published March 30, 2023 · 10:34 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are NetworkChuck’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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