Glossary

The processor architecture used by all Raspberry Pi models. Most software must be compiled specifically for ARM to run on a Pi. The Pi 4 and Pi 5 use 64-bit ARM (aarch64).

Firmware that runs before the operating system. On Raspberry Pi 4, the bootloader is stored in EEPROM and controls the boot order, including USB and network boot.

Carrier-Grade Network Address Translation. An ISP practice of sharing a single public IP across many customers. It blocks inbound connections, making self-hosting from that connection impossible without a tunnel or relay.

A lightweight, isolated process environment managed by Docker or a similar runtime. Each container includes its application and dependencies but shares the host OS kernel.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. The service on your router that assigns IP addresses to devices on your network automatically. Most routers support DHCP reservations to give a specific device the same IP every time.

Domain Name System. Translates human-readable domain names (example.com) into IP addresses. Pi-hole acts as a local DNS server and blocks ad-serving domains before they can be resolved.

A platform for running applications in isolated containers. On Raspberry Pi, Docker makes it straightforward to install and update complex software without dependency conflicts.

A tool for defining multi-container Docker applications in a YAML file. One command starts or stops all defined services.

A free dynamic DNS service. It provides a subdomain (yourname.duckdns.org) that automatically updates to point to your current public IP address.

Embedded MultiMediaCard. A type of flash storage soldered onto the board. Some Raspberry Pi Compute Modules use eMMC instead of microSD for faster and more reliable storage.

A log-monitoring daemon that automatically bans IP addresses that exceed a configurable number of failed login attempts. Commonly used to protect SSH.

Running a Raspberry Pi without a connected monitor, keyboard, or mouse. All interaction is done remotely over SSH or a web interface.

HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. HTTP with TLS encryption. Required for secure remote access to self-hosted services. Free certificates are available from Let's Encrypt.

A numerical label assigned to each device on a network. Devices on a local network typically have addresses in the 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x range.

A free, automated certificate authority. It issues TLS certificates that are trusted by all major browsers, renewable automatically every 90 days using Certbot.

Message Queuing Telemetry Transport. A lightweight publish-subscribe messaging protocol widely used in IoT and home automation. Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT, and ESPHome all use MQTT.

Network-Attached Storage. A device dedicated to storing files and making them accessible over a network. A Raspberry Pi running OpenMediaVault is a NAS.

A high-performance web server and reverse proxy. Commonly used on Raspberry Pi to route traffic from a single port to multiple services by domain name.

A router configuration that directs incoming connections on a specific external port to a device on the local network. Required to expose Pi services to the internet without a tunnel.

The official Linux distribution for Raspberry Pi, based on Debian. Comes in Desktop and Lite variants. The Lite variant is recommended for headless server use.

A server that sits in front of other services and forwards client requests to the appropriate backend. Nginx is the most common reverse proxy used on Raspberry Pi.

Software that implements the SMB network file-sharing protocol, allowing Linux servers to share files with Windows and macOS clients.

Server Message Block. The protocol used by Windows for file and printer sharing. Samba provides SMB support on Linux and Raspberry Pi.

Secure Shell. An encrypted protocol for remote command-line access to Linux systems. The primary way to manage a headless Raspberry Pi.

An IP address that does not change. Raspberry Pi servers should have a static IP, set either via DHCP reservation at the router or via static network configuration on the Pi itself.

Transport Layer Security. The cryptographic protocol that provides HTTPS. A TLS certificate encrypts traffic between the client browser and your server.

Uncomplicated Firewall. A simplified interface to the Linux iptables firewall. Used on Raspberry Pi to restrict incoming connections to only the ports that are needed.

Booting a Raspberry Pi from a USB-connected SSD or flash drive instead of a microSD card. Provides faster storage and much better write endurance for server workloads.

Virtual Private Network. An encrypted tunnel between two network endpoints. WireGuard is the recommended VPN for Raspberry Pi home servers.

A modern, high-performance VPN protocol. Built into the Linux kernel since version 5.6. The recommended VPN choice for Raspberry Pi servers.

A low-power, low-bandwidth wireless protocol used by many smart home sensors, bulbs, and switches. Zigbee2MQTT bridges Zigbee devices to MQTT for use with Home Assistant.