3 days ago mod
Removed Comment If anyone else is confused what this does, I pointed the clankers at it and asked. Way to bury the lede OP.
See [6] for some missing features (?) that would be nice to clear up.
---
[1]
- You open a webpage normally.
- The browser extension reads the page that your browser loaded.
- It sends the page text, title, URL, and other details to your Hister server.
- Hister stores and indexes that content.
- Later, you search Hister for words from the page.
- Hister finds the saved page, even when you cannot remember its title or URL.
[2]
> so, like a Google search of visited sites and my own drive?
Yes. That is actually a reasonable use case.
If you pointed Hister at:
C:\Documents
it would:
1. Walk the folder tree.
2. Read supported files.
3. Build a full-text index.
4. Watch for changes.
5. Re-index new or edited files automatically.
You could then search for things like:
tax invoice lenovo
lumbar radiculopathy
that python script with sqlite
"Methylphenidate" (exact phrase)
without caring which folder the file lives in.
Is it like Google?
Yes, but only for your own data.
Imagine Google, except the only websites are:
C:\Documents
D:\Notes
your browser history
pages you crawled yourself
You open a browser, type a search, and receive ranked results from your own files instead of the internet.
[3]
Can you access it from elsewhere on your LAN?
Yes.
By default it listens only on localhost:
127.0.0.1:4433
However, you can configure it to listen on all network interfaces:
0.0.0.0:4433
Then any device on your LAN can use the web interface or API, provided your firewall allows it. You should also enable an access token or user accounts if you expose it beyond your own PC.
---
[4]
What interests me more for your home setup is that Hister is not just a search engine.
It already exposes:
a web UI,
a REST API,
and an MCP endpoint for AI assistants.
That means you could run one Hister instance on your server, index your documents once, and then:
search them yourself from any device on the LAN,
or let an AI search the same index through MCP.
If I wanted a self-hosted "Google for my own stuff" with minimal setup, Hister is much closer to that goal than Meilisearch. Meilisearch is an indexing engine. Hister is already a complete document search application.
---
[5]
Yes. By default, Hister stores its data in SQLite:
Search index and metadata: db.sqlite3
Stored HTML previews: separate files on disk
Configuration: YAML
It can also use PostgreSQL instead of SQLite if you want.
Regarding browser history, there are two separate things:
1. Your browser's history database (Chrome, Firefox, etc.).
2. Hister's own index.
They are independent after import.
For example:
Monday: You visit example.com.
The extension sends the page to Hister.
Hister stores the text, title, URL, metadata, and optionally the HTML preview.
Tuesday: You clear Chrome's history.
The Hister copy remains. Clearing your browser history does not delete Hister's copy. Hister is designed to be a long-term knowledge store, not a mirror of your browser history.
If you want Hister to forget something, you must delete it from Hister itself. The web UI and terminal both support deleting indexed entries.
I actually like that design. If it deleted documents every time you cleared browser history, it would defeat one of its main purposes. It treats browser history as an ingestion source, not as the source of truth.
---
[6]
From the current documentation:
Are sources timestamped?
Yes.
Each indexed document records at least:
Added timestamp.
Updated timestamp.
For browser pages, the visit timestamp.
URL, title, and metadata.
---
Is there a TTL (auto-expiry)?
No.
I could not find any TTL, age-based expiry, or retention policy.
Documents remain until you delete them or overwrite them with newer content.
---
Can I set a maximum database size?
Not that I can find.
There is no option such as:
10 GB maximum.
Delete oldest first.
Keep only the last 365 days.
Limit to 1 million documents.
You can reduce storage by:
Disabling HTML previews.
Limiting indexed file size.
Restricting indexed file types.
Excluding paths or domains.
---
Can I cleanly delete by topic?
Partly.
You can:
Delete individual documents.
Delete crawl jobs (but not the indexed documents).
Label imported content.
Query by labels and metadata.
Configure rules to stop future indexing.
I did not find built-in support for bulk deletion such as:
"Delete everything about Tesla."
"Delete all Reddit pages."
"Delete every page tagged AI."
The API may allow scripted deletion, but I did not see a first-class "delete by query" feature in the documentation.
---
Is browser ingestion automatic?
Yes.
That is one of its main features.
Once the browser extension is installed and pointed at your server:
Every page you visit is captured automatically.
The extension extracts the rendered page.
It sends it to Hister.
If the page later changes, the extension periodically checks it and updates the stored copy.
Duplicate visits update the existing document rather than creating a new one.
You do not need to press a button.
---
My only concern
This project feels like it is missing a lifecycle policy.
For a personal knowledge base, I would want options such as:
Keep browser pages for 90 days.
Keep GitHub forever.
Keep PDFs forever.
Delete pages that nobody has opened for two years.
Maximum database size: 20 GB.
Delete by label or query.
I could not find those features in the current documentation.
The project is very good at collecting information. It appears less mature at managing its lifetime. That would probably become the first thing I wanted if I intended to leave it running for years.
---
[7]
Yes, on both counts.
Can I exclude particular sites?
Yes, and it is quite flexible.
Hister has skip rules that apply before a page enters the index. You can exclude:
Entire domains.
Subdomains.
URL patterns.
Login pages.
Admin pages.
Cookie consent pages.
Anything that matches a regular expression.
For example:
^https://reddit//.com/
^https://mail//.google/.com/
^https://.*\.bank\.com/
Those pages never enter the index.
The nice part is that the rules apply both to new browser captures and to re-index operations, so they stay excluded.
---
How does multi-tenancy work?
It is better than I expected.
Each user has:
Their own login.
Their own search index.
Their own browser history.
Their own skip rules.
Their own search aliases.
Their own API token.
If you and your wife both use the same Hister server:
You
├── browser history
├── indexed pages
├── rules
└── API token
Wife
├── browser history
├── indexed pages
├── rules
└── API token
Neither user can search the other's documents.
There is also a global area.
You can configure directories such as:
/shared/docs
Those appear in everyone's searches, while personal folders remain private.
---
One feature I really like
Directory indexing also supports user ownership.
For example:
alice -> /nextcloud/alice
bob -> /nextcloud/bob
global -> /shared/docs
The server enforces that visibility automatically. Even administrators do not automatically see other users' indexed files.
Overall, I came into this expecting "browser history search". After reading the documentation, it is closer to a lightweight, self-hosted personal search appliance with sensible multi-user support. The remaining gaps are lifecycle management features such as retention policies, TTL, storage quotas, and richer bulk deletion. Those do not appear to be built in. by SuspiciousCarrot78 @aussie.zone reason: Feel free to bring up concerns that you parsed through, but lets not just copy/paste a wall of text of llm output.
5 days ago mod
Removed Post NaviDash — A lightweight self-hosted start page with a free-form canvas reason: Rule 7: Account is too new to make promo posts. Please stick around, get to know the community, and post again when requirements are met. Note you'll also need to tag appropriately then, so please review rules 7 & 8.
8 days ago mod
Removed Comment Yeah, you're the asshole by gwl [he/him] @lemmy.blahaj.zone reason: Rule 1 - lets not do that here.
9 days ago mod
Banned reluctant_squidd @lemmy.ca deleted by creator from the community reason: Insulting people over DM
expires: in 22 days
10 days ago mod
Locked Post NaviBeat - iOS client for Navidrome Testflight 11 days ago mod
Unbanned B0rax @feddit.org from the community 11 days ago mod
Banned jaksoy @shredderfood.net Banned from the community reason: advertiser
11 days ago mod
Banned B0rax @feddit.org from the community reason: URL Blacklist
12 days ago mod
Removed Post I built a free, no-signup directory of self-hostable alternatives to popular SaaS reason: Rules 7/8.
12 days ago mod
Unbanned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: automod false positive
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
13 days ago mod
Banned Axolotl @feddit.it from the community reason: URL Blacklist
15 days ago mod
Removed Post The worlds Most Powerful, Highest Privacy and Local AI Integrated Workstation to date reason: Posting your product comes with requirements, please review rules 7&8.
16 days ago mod
Removed Post Homedex: a living inventory for your homelab. What runs where, every port, route, and cert expiry. Read-only, no telemetry, MIT reason: Rules 7/8: Account Age, please post again when requirements are met. See post tag requirements as well.
17 days ago mod
Removed Post pvectl - a command-line companion for Proxmox reason: Rule 7/8: Account Age, Tag, Disclosure if applicable. Hang out for a while and post up again once requirements are met, with tags.
17 days ago mod
Removed Post [AIP] Wardnet: An open-source (GPL-3) network privacy gateway: per-device VPN routing, DNS ad-blocking, and firewall-enforced zones, all self-hosted reason: Rule 7: Account Age. Your account must be at least 30 days old to post promo. In addition to the tag, next time add the disclosure as well.
17 days ago mod
Removed Post Change your server's alert rules from the couch reason: Rule 7/8: Account Age, Participation, Missing Tag/Disclosure
18 days ago mod
Removed Post Meta: Thank you for removing u/hybridsarcasm@lemmy.world, they were toxic with zero communication. reason: On second thought, calling them out like this is a rule 1 issue. Lets avoid posts targeting a specific user like this.
18 days ago mod
Removed Comment Ok guys, so we're building a solution that is a lot more than just a episeode tracker, so it is not a 1:1 alternative, but we've just made a GDPR import function for TV Time users.
We were always wondering how to decode taste and why do we like what we like. Genres suck and are generic af. So we're building a solution that analyzes your watch history but also your personal facts (the one that you wish to share) and finds paths/patterns in your taste. Like **"Grief Bends Reality: These are stories where a man loses (or is about to lose) someone he loves and tries to hack reality itself to fix it"** or **"Life as a Product: Stories where the main character slowly realizes their entire reality is something designed, sold, or controlled by a company. "** etc. I gotta admit tha after more than 40 years of my life I discoverd that I truly adore dystopian love stories :D Maybe something to do with my past relationships? :)
We also track movies and shows availability per country, per service, ask for your viewing context (alone, with partner, with kids) and plan to do many more things. We actually dropped quite big companies to build this and we are totally into it so it would be great if you gave TasteRay a chance and give some feedback - thanks.
Here's the import page: https://www.tasteray.com/tv-time
P.S. (Sorry that it is not self hosting related, but I guess this thread isn't - however I can really talk about self hosting as well if you want lol, I have many containers to talk about :D)
by g00rek @lemmy.world reason: Rule 2: No other comments/posts except for an advertisement for your closed source app
18 days ago mod
Removed Comment [AIP] Not open-source, so partly off-brief — but since this crowd cares about owning their data: I built Help Me Binge, a free browser-based tracker with no account and no server. Everything lives in local storage on your device, and it imports the TV Time GDPR zip in one tap. helpmebinge.com by NaniNoodles @lemmy.world reason: Rule 2: No other comments/posts except for an advertisement for your closed source app
18 days ago mod
Removed Comment Full disclosure: I’m the indie developer of ShowCal. It isn’t open-source or self-hosted, so it may not be exactly what OP is looking for — but for anyone also considering a native iOS or Android app, I’d be grateful if you gave it a try.
ShowCal focuses on a clean episode timeline, watch progress, release reminders, Trakt sync, and opening titles directly in streaming apps or your own Emby, Jellyfin, or Plex library.
Direct import from TV Time’s official export ZIP is coming in version 2.3.5, and the file stays on your device. The iOS app is currently rated 4.7/5.
Most importantly, export and save your TV Time data before July 15. You’ll be able to import it later:
https://showcal.tv/en/tvtime
I’m actively testing the importer, so reports about missing episodes or unmatched titles would be genuinely helpful. by byronyeung @lemmy.world reason: Rule 2: No other comments/posts except for an advertisement for your closed source app
19 days ago mod
Removed Post Self-hosted AI pipelines are great until Ollama OOMs at 2am or your n8n agent loops forever. reason: Rule 7/8: Account Age, Tag Missing, No Disclosure
20 days ago mod
Removed Post Qobuz Librarian: build and maintain a lossless FLAC library from your Qobuz subscription reason: Rule 7: Account Age, Requires Tag
20 days ago mod
Removed Post Bindery: self-hosted, folder-watching converter for ebooks and comics reason: Rule 7: Account Age, Tag Required
20 days ago mod
Removed Post Wholesale Ivermectol 12mg Tablets from an Experienced Manufacturer reason: Spam
21 days ago mod
Removed Post I connected my self-hosted network scanner to an AI assistant over MCP, kept fully on-LAN reason: Rule 7 - Account is not at the minimum age to post promo content.
21 days ago mod
Removed Post SeldonFrame – open-source, self-hostable AI front office for service businesses (AI receptionist + CRM + booking + website) reason: Rule 7: Account Age Requirement not met
22 days ago mod
Removed Post Porto Slate Importers reason: Spam
26 days ago mod
Removed Post Most slopcode projects are abandoned and deleted within months of release reason: Rule 8 - Missing Tag.
26 days ago mod
Restored Post Most slopcode projects are abandoned and deleted within months of release 26 days ago mod
Removed Post Most slopcode projects are abandoned and deleted within months of release 27 days ago mod
Locked Post Most slopcode projects are abandoned and deleted within months of release 27 days ago mod
Removed Post Astra — free Jellyfin client for the new Vega OS Fire TV Sticks reason: Rule 7, Rule 8. Please review before posting again.
27 days ago mod
Removed Post Linus Torvalds said "When people say 99% of their code is written by AI, I get angry". reason: Rule 3: Posts are to be related to self-hosting.
1 month ago mod
Removed Comment You keep pretending like you understand and appreciate the critique, and then you try to argue why we should like this anyway. Which one is it?
Also "please respect this because of the massive architectural challenge it was to make" is really out of touch because you don't get to complain that making it was *sooo haaard* when you do it in the most lazy way possible.
You are an arrogant fool who does not listen to critique. You just happen to vibe code apps to speculate on financial markets. The flak you are getting is mostly from the first one, despite the second one not getting you any sympathy either. by BuccaneerScientist @discuss.tchncs.de reason: Rule 1 - civility.
2 months ago mod
Locked Post Is PH still legit way to promote your tool? 2 months ago mod
Locked Post [Project] 0807 - a self-hosted ephemeral file host with no accounts and a Tor onion service 2 months ago mod
Appointed curbstickle_lw @lemmy.world as a mod to the community 2 months ago mod
Removed HybridSarcasm @lemmy.world as a mod to the community 2 months ago mod
Appointed ayyy @sh.itjust.works as a mod to the community 2 months ago mod
Removed Comment [@roofuskit@lemmy.world](https://lemmy.world/u/roofuskit)
 by kuteboicoder @subs4social.xyz reason: Spam
2 months ago mod
Locked Post Where is API tooling lacking ? 2 months ago mod
Unlocked Post Where is API tooling lacking ? 2 months ago mod
Locked Post Where is API tooling lacking ? 4 months ago mod
Removed Comment PSA, DHH (the author of this post) [is a racist piece of shit](https://jakelazaroff.com/words/dhh-is-way-worse-than-i-thought/) by Lena @gregtech.eu reason: Trolling
5 months ago mod
Locked Post [METAPOST] Please stop linking OpenSlopware 5 months ago mod
Locked Post How many projects involve LLM-written code now? 5 months ago mod
Removed Comment > Sometimes people are just passionate about things. Like digital sovereignty.
🙄
> Who gives a shit? I don’t know how to write apps for my phone either, I just click the install button and away I go. I don’t have time for a new career. If it weren’t for YNH I wouldn’t be hosting at all. And it’s not for lack of trying. Shit is complicated.
I'm always a little surprised when people are passionate about being ignorant. by atzanteol @sh.itjust.works reason: Rule 1
6 months ago mod
Locked Post Not sure if it quite fits here, but I wanted to shout out a TTS browser extension Read Aloud. 7 months ago mod
Removed Comment Try libation and audible-tools.kamsker.at. They're open-source programs to [download Audible](https://www.dvdfab.cn/bookfab/how-to-download-audible-books.htm) library. by Claire @discuss.tchncs.de reason: URL Blacklist
8 months ago mod
Removed Comment "Fascinating to see the different types of data that can be visualized on a dashboard like that! I've come across dashboards specifically designed for gadgets or fitness data, but a more holistic view of our lives is actually really interesting. If you're looking for a way to track and make sense of not just your gadget usage but also other aspects of your life that impact your well-being, you might want to check out LifeAtlas (https://lifeatlas.co/). It's not just about tracking, but actually using AI-driven insights to make informed decisions about your life, including your habits, finances, and relationships. Worth a look!" http://localhost:8003/api/track-campaign-click?campaignId=7OxMwuTgijTgHPkq0c5H&platform=lemmy&originalUrl=https%3A%2F%2Flifeatlas.co%2F&userId=gOPsVRv37FML7VHm9IpR5pZphkb2 by MadeInNY @lemmy.world reason: No specific rule was broken, but it seems like a scummy attempt to get users to click their campaign/referral link.
9 months ago mod
Removed Comment You can create several Email adresses at the dashboard and use them with thunderbird, outlook or what ever you want. by RanzigFettreduziert @feddit.org 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment I use Netcup web hosting for my email with my own domain. The cheapest option is €2.17 a month for 50 GB including a domain. by RanzigFettreduziert @feddit.org 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment This looks interesting. I'm guessing you're talking about managing email addresses in the dashboard like outlined [here](https://helpcenter.netcup.com/en/wiki/web-hosting/email-setup-manage/)? Looks interesting. I'm currently on a shared hosting plan at Dreamhost, and I honestly don't know what/if I want to use it anymore. Everything's in docker now, and I'm looking at spinning up a VPS for "always on" stuff. by d00phy @lemmy.world 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment [Disroot](https://disroot.org/perks) allows domain linking after a donation. But only 1GB storage on the otherwise free tier.
I personally use [Uberspace](https://uberspace.de/en/) who offer 10GB storage, managed server with SSH access and unlimited email addresses and aliases for 6€/month. (Can be lowered to 2€ if you have a reason.) by mbirth 🇬🇧 @lemmy.ml 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment I'm using [Migadu](https://www.migadu.com/) - I used Purelymail before, it was great but I'm trying to avoid US-based services.
But if you have a static IP with a decent reputation (you can check your ip here: https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx), self-hosting email isn't as hard as some say. I've been using [Mox](https://www.xmox.nl/) for ~6 months for my non-essential email and it's been maintenance-free after the initial setup - if it keep running without a hiccup I'll probably migrate my family email to it eventually. by kaki @sh.itjust.works 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment +1 for Migadu here. Been paying for a few years. The fact that you don't pay per account is priceless. by Nis @feddit.dk 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment Just switched to it a few weeks ago, as i never got custom domains working properly with other services.
Loving it so far, as everything is straight forward and just works. by OSH @lemmy.ml 9 months ago mod
Locked Post Family Email w/ Custom Domain 9 months ago mod
Removed Comment > the criticisms of FUTO are just as biased and political as FUTO themselves,
oh so you're STUPID stupid by MonkCanatella @sh.itjust.works reason: Rule 1
10 months ago mod
Locked Post Jellyseerr and Overseerr merging into one, gonna be called Seerr 11 months ago mod
Removed Comment Lol go paint your ceiling using yourself. by ksigley @lemmy.world reason: Rule 1
1 year ago mod
Locked Post Jellyfin is not just good... but *better* than Plex now?! 1 year ago mod
Locked Post Podman rootless and ufw 1 year ago mod
Locked Post I don't understand the purpose of some selfhosting 1 year ago mod
Unlocked Post I don't understand the purpose of some selfhosting 1 year ago mod
Locked Post I don't understand the purpose of some selfhosting 1 year ago mod
Locked Post Homelab upgrade! - Looking for suggestions on new setup :) 2 years ago mod
Locked Post Immich: upload also duplicates 2 years ago mod
Locked Post Ethernet switch only partially working 2 years ago mod
Removed MrKaplan @lemmy.world as a mod to the community 2 years ago mod
Appointed MrKaplan @lemmy.world as a mod to the community 3 years ago mod
Featured Post Hosting Lemmy with Traefik as a reverse proxy in community 
