The web/email server that I rolled myself almost 10 years ago and runs on a Digital Ocean droplet is seriously outdated. It originally started as an Ubuntu 12.04 x32 system and migrated several times. However, because it is a 32-bit x86 architecture, there doesn’t appear to be a clear migration path past Ubuntu 18.04. So, it’s time to upgrade.
I’ve decided to stick with Digital Ocean for DNS and web hosting, because they’re great. But I have absolutely no desire to continue to run my own email server. Looking at the available options, I think Proton Mail aligns the best with my core values. And it also gives me a migration strategy out of Google’s ecosystem. Given how erratic Google has been behaving the past few years, I’m terrified that one day they may decide to terminate my account and then my entire digital life will be destroyed. (Although, maybe that’s a good thing?) Interested in trying Proton Mail Plus? Here’s a referral code for a free month.
Ultimately the migration wasn’t as bad as I was dreading. I think I successfully migrated this blog. If you’re reading this, then it worked!
If you’re interested in rolling your own web server on Digital Ocean, they have amazing tutorials that consolidate all the technical details into one place. I was also particularly impressed with their NGINX configuration wizard. Give it a shot using this referral code and you’ll get $200 worth of service for 60 days. (That’s a ton, because this droplet only costs $6/month.)
Happy hacking!
Yes, that is a drone photo of my house. And, no, I couldn’t find a more ironic feature image for this post.