---
title: what-is-blumeops
tags:
  - tutorials
  - getting-started
---

# What is BlumeOps?

> **Audiences:** Reader, AI

BlumeOps is Erich Blume's personal infrastructure GitOps repository - a system for managing homelab services and infrastructure through version-controlled configuration.

## The Short Version

BlumeOps runs a collection of self-hosted services (media streaming, git hosting, photo management, RSS feeds, etc.) on home hardware, managed through code rather than manual configuration. Everything is tracked in a git repository, meaning changes are reviewable, reversible, and reproducible.

## Why Does This Exist?

Three motivations:

1. **Learning** - A playground for exploring DevOps, Kubernetes, and infrastructure automation
2. **Privacy** - Self-hosting services keeps data under personal control
3. **Resilience** - Less dependence on cloud providers and their service changes

## What's Running?

BlumeOps consists of:

- **A Mac Mini server** ([[indri]]) running Kubernetes and native services
- **A NAS** ([[sifaka]]) for storage and backups
- **~16 services** ranging from [[jellyfin|media streaming]] to [[grafana|observability dashboards]]
- **A Tailscale network** connecting everything securely

See [[reference/index|Reference]] for the complete service inventory.

## How Is It Organized?

```
blumeops/
├── ansible/      # Configuration for services on indri
├── argocd/       # Kubernetes manifests and ArgoCD apps
├── pulumi/       # Tailscale ACLs and DNS
└── docs/         # This documentation
```

Changes follow a GitOps workflow:
1. Modify configuration in a feature branch
2. Create a pull request for review
3. Deploy via ArgoCD (Kubernetes) or Ansible (indri)
4. Merge to main after verification

## Key Concepts

| Concept | What It Means in BlumeOps |
|---------|---------------------------|
| **GitOps** | All infrastructure defined in git; deploys happen by syncing git state |
| **IaC** | Infrastructure as Code - servers, networks, services defined in files |
| **Homelab** | Personal server infrastructure at home, not in a datacenter |
| **Tailscale** | VPN mesh network connecting all devices securely |

## Where to Go Next

- **Want to understand the architecture?** See [[reference/index|Reference]]
- **Want to help with BlumeOps?** See [[contributing]]
- **Want to build something similar?** See [[replicating-blumeops]]
- **Working with AI assistance?** See [[ai-assistance-guide]]