this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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Self-Hosted Alternatives to Popular Services

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The original was posted on /r/selfhosted by /u/PutridLikeness on 2025-02-02 19:04:03+00:00.


I've been diving into the world of self-hosted identity providers, specifically authentik, aiming to streamline authentication across my various services using OpenID Connect (OIDC). While the promise of a unified SSO experience is enticing, the journey has been anything but smooth.

Challenges I've Encountered:

  1. Complex Configuration: Setting up authentik with OIDC involves navigating a labyrinth of settings. Defining providers, configuring applications, and setting up flows and stages can be overwhelming. Despite following the official documentation, I often find myself second-guessing if I've missed a crucial step.
  2. Sparse Documentation: The lack of clear, comprehensive documentation has been a huge pain point. I often feel like I’m piecing things together from incomplete sources, which leads to more confusion. Troubleshooting feels like a crapshoot, with a lot of reliance on Google and ChatGPT for any potential solutions.
  3. Debugging Difficulties: When things go wrong, pinpointing the exact issue is a nightmare. Is it a misconfiguration in authentik? An incompatibility with the service? Network issues? The lack of clear error messages doesn't help either.
  4. Maintenance Overhead: Managing and updating authentik alongside other services adds another layer of complexity. Ensuring that all components remain compatible after updates is a constant concern.

Seeking Advice:

  • Success Stories: Has anyone successfully integrated authentik with a suite of self-hosted services using OIDC? I'd love to hear about your setup and any pitfalls you avoided.
  • Alternative Solutions: Are there other self-hosted identity providers that might offer a more straightforward integration process? I've read about Keycloak and Authelia, but I'm unsure if they'd present the same challenges.
  • Best Practices: Any general advice on managing authentication across multiple self-hosted services? Tips on configuration, maintenance, or troubleshooting would be greatly appreciated.

At this point, I'm feeling a bit disheartened. The vision of a seamless SSO experience is what keeps me going, but the path to get there is fraught with obstacles. Any guidance or shared experiences would be invaluable.

Thanks in advance!

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