Things I Refuse to Automate
📆 2026-09-19 12:02
I like automation. I really do. I just don't think everything needs to be automated. Some things I prefer to do myself, like:
Docker image updates
I use specific image versions:
Not latest, and definitely not an automated updater like watchtower that decides my containers need a surprise reboot at 3 AM.
If I want to update an image, I change the version, pull it and watch the logs myself. I want to know what changed.
OS Updates
I use Ubuntu server so it was really easy disabling automatic updates:
and change /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades to:
Deployments
No automatic deployments from Git.
The extra step is intentional even if I'm the only one using that git repository.
Container restarts
Restart policies are useful, but I don't want a broken service endlessly resurrecting itself. A container restarting 500 times isn't "high availability". It's a cry for help.
My containers run until I tell them to stop.
My general rule is simple:
Automate repetitive tasks. Don't automate surprises.
I run a homelab because I enjoy knowing what's happening inside it. I automate repetitive tasks where I want to see the output with aliases:
Using aliases for complex and daily terminal commands
If something else starts making infrastructure decisions without asking me, I'm taking its keyboard and permissions away.