Owning my own data, part 1: Integrating a self-hosted calendar solution

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Landscape of self‑hosted calendar solutions

  • Multiple users report success with Baïkal, Radicale, and Nextcloud as CalDAV/CardDAV servers; DAViCal and SoGO/Mailcow also mentioned but with reliability/integration issues over time.
  • Nextcloud is seen as feature‑rich but “heavy” and often slow even on decent hardware; people use it mainly because it bundles web UI, files, and contacts.
  • Radicale gets praise for simplicity and plain‑file storage, with some users extending it via PAM auth, ACLs, public calendar hacks, and git‑based backup.
  • Several people note that client compatibility (Android DAVx5, iOS built‑ins, Thunderbird, Evolution, Etar, Fossify Calendar) is generally good but still fragile per provider (e.g., Zoho).

CalDAV/WebDAV protocols and complexity

  • Some argue CalDAV “sucks”: too complex, unintuitive, and over‑engineered, especially for single‑user setups; others counter that multi‑user calendaring is intrinsically complex and alternatives are worse.
  • Complaints center on partial spec compliance, divergent implementations (Google, Exchange), and varying support for iCalendar features.
  • There’s discussion of WebDAV’s history and design goals, and mention of newer standards like JMAP for Calendars and JSCalendar as possible improvements.

Invites, subscriptions, and interoperability

  • A recurring pain point: reliably sending/receiving event invites from self‑hosted setups, especially from mobile clients.
  • Baïkal’s built‑in handling of .ics invites and responses is seen as a strength.
  • Some bypass CalDAV entirely by publishing .ics feeds (e.g., via S3) and consuming them with apps like ICSx5 or Proton Calendar, or by using ics subscription features from custom web apps.
  • Outlook/Google syncing via HTTP is described as flaky, especially around time zones.

Hosting choices: VPS vs home NAS vs “the cloud”

  • Debate over the article’s paid Swiss hosting: some see $100/month as overkill versus cheap VPS or a small home box; others cite uptime, accessibility, ISP limits, and possible physical‑safety considerations.
  • Broader argument: cloud storage is far more resilient but raises privacy/control concerns; suggested mitigations include client‑side encryption (e.g., Cryptomator) and strong backup strategies.
  • Counter‑argument: home servers exposed to the internet are high‑risk due to patching and constant scanning; many underestimate operational burden.

Paper vs digital calendars

  • Several commenters happily use paper diaries, wall calendars, or notebooks as the “ultimate self‑hosted” solution: cheap, private, no outages.
  • Others point out missing benefits: notifications, remote access, easy sharing, and real‑time coordination with partners/family; paper becomes painful when scheduling away from home.

Beyond calendars: broader self‑hosting and tooling

  • Photos are a common next target: recommendations include Immich (popular), PhotoPrism, Synology Photos/Moments, and Nextcloud Memories; Cloudflare Tunnels and Pangolin used for remote access.
  • Example stacks: Nextcloud + DAVx5 + Thunderbird/Evolution; Baïkal + DAVx5 + Fossify Calendar; serverless sync via DecSync (though its maintenance status and iOS support are concerns).
  • Some see deep calendar hacking as productive self‑sovereignty; others see it as classic “procrastination project” territory (like writing your own todo app or web framework).