July 2026 has delivered another wave of major updates for the self-hosting community. Let’s start with the biggest news for Synology users: DSM 7.4.1 is now available. Synology released DSM 7.4.1-90080 on July 23, 2026. This is a stability-focused point release that mainly fixes an issue where a USB UPS could not be recognized after updating to DSM 7.4, and another where USB devices could not be used on certain models. As always, the update restarts the NAS and you cannot downgrade afterward. Many older models still receive it (though some will remain on their last suitable version). Full details and the manual update guide are already live on the site.
Immich 3 landed at the beginning of the month (v3.0.0 on July 1, with subsequent 3.0.x and 3.1.0 releases). This is a substantial major version. Highlights include mobile non-destructive editing (crop, rotate and adjust without touching the original file, fully synced with the web editor), a first preview of Workflows (drag-and-drop automation with triggers, filters and actions), much more reliable background backup on Android and iOS, a new “Recently Added” page, integrity checks that compare filesystem vs database, slideshow on mobile, experimental real-time HLS video transcoding, a new web video player, OCR on mobile, and various performance and UX improvements. There are breaking changes (mostly API-related for third-party tools), so check the official migration guide before updating. My Immich guides for Synology and UGREEN have been refreshed accordingly.
Paperless-ngx 3 followed later in the month (v3.0.0 on July 22, already up to 3.0.4). This is one of the biggest releases in the project’s history. Notable additions: a new Tantivy search backend replacing Whoosh, document file versions, share-link bundles, a document parser plugin framework, and Paperless AI (local or remote LLM features) plus remote OCR via Azure AI. There are several breaking changes: PAPERLESS_SECRET_KEY is now mandatory, document/thumbnail encryption support is removed (decrypt first), consumer and OCR settings have been reworked, older API versions and Python 3.10 are dropped, and duplicate handling defaults have changed. The Paperless-ngx guides on mariushosting for Synology and UGREEN have been updated.
Jellyfin went through significant internal changes. Project leader Joshua Boniface stepped down (effective July 19), citing severe burnout after more than seven years. Long-time core team member Anthony Lavado also left for personal priorities, and co-founder Andrew Rabert departed a few days earlier, moving his desktop client work outside the official organization (now continuing independently). The departures were described as amicable. The remaining team continues day-to-day development; RC work on the 12.0 series is progressing and infrastructure is still being handled by familiar hands. Jellyfin is not disappearing and is not changing its free, non-monetized direction. It remains an excellent fully self-hosted alternative with free hardware transcoding. My guides for Jellyfin for Synology and UGREEN stay current.
On mariushosting, every article and guide continues to be kept rigorously up to date with real-world testing. No stale screenshots, no outdated compose files, no “it used to work” excuses. When a major container or DSM update lands, the relevant guides are revised promptly so you can follow them with confidence.
Codeberg has drawn a clear line: after a community vote (358 in favor, 144 against), the platform now prohibits projects that “mostly consist of code written by generative AI tools” (vibe-coded projects). The change targets repositories that are largely AI-generated with little human maintenance, citing resource costs, unclear copyright, and the desire to keep the forge focused on genuine human collaboration. Existing projects with real history and active communities are not being mass-deleted; enforcement is case-by-case. Codeberg also reaffirmed it will never train AI models on hosted code or user data.
🔥Meanwhile, a fierce, relentless heatwave has been sweeping across Europe. Scorching days, tropical nights, record-breaking temperatures that turn the air into a heavy, shimmering veil, the kind of heat that presses on the chest and makes every movement feel slower. Romania has not been spared; the great heat arrived and settled in, turning ordinary days into a test of endurance. For those who have not been following me closely: I have been dealing with 🩸blood-pressure problems, and everything started precisely with the arrival of this intense heat. You can read more on my personal blog.
For the curious: Synology has not sent me any products for review in 4 years and has been ghosting me completely. UGREEN did the same with the new GT series. Marius is being ignored by the big brands, but that does not discourage me. What really hurts, though, is something else. Every single week I receive dozens of emails. People ask for help with Docker stacks that refuse to start, with Immich migrations that go wrong, with Paperless-ngx that won’t OCR, with reverse proxies, with permissions, with hardware transcoding and I answer. I spend hours writing detailed replies, testing on my own machines, sending corrected compose files, explaining step by step. Many of you write back saying “thank you, it finally works” or “you saved my weekend”. And then, silence. When it comes to supporting Marius at mariushosting that made all of this possible, most of those same people simply disappear. 🎗️This is a blog that lives only on donations. No ads, no sponsors, no affiliate links, no paid memberships, no corporations. Just me, the electricity, the hardware, the time, and the will to keep every single guide up to date. If you enjoy the content, Support My Work. Recently, I also added WISE as an alternative method to support me. Now you can support me via PayPal, Stripe and WISE. Thank you to everyone who continues to support the blog.
Despite the heat and the personal challenges, the passion for clean, independent, carefully tested guides remains the same. New articles are already in production. Below you will find the most recent guides updated in July 2026. See you in the next August update.
Immich is a very high performance self-hosted photo and video backup solution directly from your mobile phone. You can run Immich on your Synology NAS and it lets you upload photos and videos from your browser or mobile phone via the dedicated Android Immich app or the iOS Immich app. The Immich user interface feels like Google Photos, especially if you are using the mobile apps. Note: Install Immich on Your Synology NAS.
Paperless-ngx is a document management system that transforms your physical documents into a searchable online archive so you can keep, well, less paper. Note: Install Paperless-NGX on Your Synology NAS.
Dockhand is a modern, self-hosted Docker management platform with an intuitive web interface for homelabs, small businesses, and enterprises. It simplifies container operations, stack deployments, and observability through real-time management (start/stop/restart containers, web terminals, file transfers), a visual Compose editor, GitOps auto-sync, metrics, logs, OIDC/SSO, MFA, vulnerability scans, and multi-host support via the open-source Hawser agent. You can deploy it quickly as a Docker container with no cloud dependencies or telemetry. It’s forever free for personal use. Note: Install Dockhand on Your Synology NAS.
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS). It’s the simplest and most popular solution to create your own website or blog. WordPress makes building a website accessible to anyone, even people who aren’t developers. With WordPress you can create any type of website such as blogs, eCommerce stores, portfolio websites, forums, resumes, business websites etc. In this step by step guide I will show you how to install WordPress on your Synology NAS using Docker & Portainer. Note: Install WordPress on Your Synology NAS.
Sync-in is a secure, open-source platform for file storage, sharing, collaboration, and synchronization, giving users full data control through self-hosted infrastructure. It ensures privacy with no tracking or telemetry and offers granular permission management for users and groups at space and file levels. The platform supports cross-device synchronization with native desktop clients for Windows, macOS, and Linux, real-time collaborative document editing via OnlyOffice integration, and organized, secure spaces for personal, team, or public use. Files can be shared with specific users, groups, or via time-limited public links. It includes server-side full-text indexing for fast content search, activity history with notifications, and WebDAV support to mount spaces as remote drives. Note: Install Sync-in on Your Synology NAS.
Zipline is a modern file upload and sharing platform designed for simplicity and flexibility, featuring a sleek dashboard to manage uploads, shortened URLs, and folders. It enables quick setup through Docker, allowing deployment in minutes with easy configuration via the dashboard. Users can upload images, videos, and text files with syntax highlighting, supported by automatic video thumbnails and image compression. Files can be organized using folders and tags, with a gallery view for efficient management. Zipline offers custom URL shortening with performance tracking through metrics. The platform supports extensive customization with themes and embeds for apps like Discord. Security features include password-protected files and URLs, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), passwordless passkeys, and OAuth2 authentication with Discord, GitHub, Google, and OIDC providers. A robust API, HTTP and Discord webhooks, partial uploads for large files, user quotas, and invite links enhance functionality. Ideal for individuals or teams, Zipline simplifies file and link sharing with a focus on performance and user experience. Note: Install Zipline on Your Synology NAS.
Leantime is an open source project management system for small teams and startups written in PHP, JavaScript and using MySQL as the database. It combines lean product development and agile project management into one platform so that users have the right features from start to finish. Note: Install Leantime on Your Synology NAS.
Solidtime is a modern, open-source time-tracking application designed for freelancers and agencies. Built with PHP (Laravel) and Vue.js, it offers features like project and task management, client billing, and seamless data imports from tools like Toggl and Clockify. Available as a hosted cloud service or self-hosted via Docker, Solidtime provides a flexible, user-friendly solution for tracking time and managing work efficiently. Note: Install Solidtime on Your Synology NAS.
Password Pusher is an opensource application to communicate passwords over the web, similar to Yopass and Private Bin. Links to passwords expire after a certain number of views and/or time has passed. Note: Install Password Pusher on Your Synology NAS.
Mail-Archiver is an open-source web app that archives, searches, and exports emails from multiple IMAP accounts. It automatically saves incoming and outgoing emails with attachments, syncs folder structures, and supports mailbox migration. A powerful search feature helps find emails quickly, while bulk export to PDF or PST aids backups and compliance. The intuitive dashboard manages accounts and archives. Note: Install Mail Archiver on Your Synology NAS.
Open Archiver provides a robust, self-hosted solution for archiving, storing, indexing, and searching emails from major platforms, including Google Workspace (Gmail), Microsoft 365, PST files, as well as generic IMAP-enabled email inboxes. Use Open Archiver to keep a permanent, tamper-proof record of your communication history, free from vendor lock-in. Note: Install Open Archiver on Your Synology NAS.
Homebox is the inventory and organization system built for the Home User! With a focus on simplicity and ease of use, Homebox is the perfect solution for your home inventory, organization, and management needs. Note: Install Homebox on Your Synology NAS.
Trilium Notes is a hierarchical note taking application with focus on building large personal knowledge bases. You can look at Trilium as your own self-hosted Wikipedia. Note: Install Trilium on Your Synology NAS.
Seerr is a free, open-source media request and discovery manager that serves as the unified successor to Overseerr and Jellyseerr following the teams’ merger on February 14, 2026. It provides a modern, mobile-friendly interface for users to easily discover, browse, and request movies, TV shows, or individual seasons to be added to self-hosted media libraries. Administrators can review and approve requests through a simple dashboard, with automatic integration into automation tools like Sonarr for TV and Radarr for movies to handle downloading and organization. Fully compatible with Jellyfin, Plex, and Emby, Seerr supports library scanning to track availability, granular user permissions, watchlists, blocklists, multiple notification channels, and customizable override rules. Note: Install Seerr on Your Synology NAS.
This post was updated on Friday / July 31st, 2026 at 12:36 AM