Summary
NetworkChuck walks through setting up Checkmk, a free open source monitoring platform, to watch everything in a homelab, from Linux servers and Docker containers to Proxmox, NAS storage and AI agent services such as a Hermes gateway. The video is sponsored by Checkmk.
The tutorial covers installing the Community Edition on an Ubuntu 24.04 virtual machine, creating a monitoring site with the omd tools, and adding a first host. It explains the different ways Checkmk can gather data, from simple ping checks to the Checkmk agent, and shows how to monitor Docker containers through CSV host import and Proxmox hosts, LXC containers and VMs through the special agent API. Along the way it notes which steps need manual work in the free edition and which are handled by the paid Pro, Ultimate and Cloud editions.
The second half moves into AI. Alerts are routed to an AI IT department that diagnoses and fixes problems, and agents are connected to the Checkmk API so they can configure and monitor hosts on demand. It is a practical look at how AI agents can take over routine infrastructure administration for home lab builders and self-hosters.
📺 Source: NetworkChuck · Published October 12, 2026
🏷️ Format: Tutorial Demo
