# Dashy: Free Open Source Dashboard to Organize All Your Services

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBA17vUsk9E
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/LBA17vUsk9E
Generated: 2025-11-10T19:37:37.733+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The video demonstrates how to deploy and customize Dashy, a free, open-source homepage dashboard for homelabs, using the Elestio platform for quick setup, configuration management via YAML files, theme customization, and adding widgets like a clock.

**Key Points:**
- Dashy, an open-source homepage dashboard for homelabs, is deployed using Elestio in under five minutes via a Docker command.
- The deployment process involves selecting Dashy from the Elestio catalog, choosing a cloud provider (Netcup was used), region, and service plan (Medium-2C-4G selected).
- Configuration is managed via a YAML file accessible through the Elestio dashboard's 'Edit Config' section, allowing customization of links, theme ('Nord-Frost' was shown), users, and sections.
- The dashboard supports extensive theme customization through the 'Config' menu, offering various styles like 'Colorful', 'Material Dark', and 'Nord-Frost'.
- Users can add dynamic content via widgets, demonstrated by adding a 'Clock' widget to the configuration file, which automatically updates on the dashboard after saving changes.
- The configuration editor allows for direct editing of `my-config.yml` and features like sorting, extracting, inserting, duplicating, and removing configuration elements.
- The video highlights Dashy's features, including status indicators, icons support, and alternative views like a minimal browser startpage.

![Screenshot at 00:04: Dashy's landing page on Elestio highlights its function as 'The Ultimate Homepage for your Homelab' with links to get started, view demos, and access source code.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-00-04.png)

**Context:** This video serves as a tutorial demonstrating the deployment and initial configuration of Dashy, an open-source, highly customizable homepage dashboard designed for organizing services within a homelab environment. The deployment is facilitated through the Elestio managed service platform, which streamlines the process of setting up self-hosted applications using Docker or other methods. The presenter navigates the Elestio interface to deploy Dashy and subsequently explores the configuration options available within the application's settings, particularly focusing on YAML file editing for personalization.

## Detailed Analysis

The video begins by showing the Elestio platform interface, where the presenter searches for and selects Dashy, describing it as the ultimate homepage for a homelab. The deployment is initiated by selecting a provider (Netcup), region (Nuremberg, Germany), and service plan (Medium-2C-4G), which costs $0.0192/hour initially. After deployment, the user receives an email with access details. The presenter then logs into the deployed Dashy instance, which defaults to the 'Colorful' theme. Key features are demonstrated, including the ability to change themes via the top configuration bar. The presenter switches to the 'Edit Config' section within the Elestio dashboard to modify the underlying configuration YAML file. Specific edits are shown, such as changing the dashboard title from 'Elestio' to 'Dashy' in `pageInfo` and updating the links within `navLinks`. The video emphasizes that configuration is handled via YAML, showing how to add a new user by generating a SHA-256 hash for the password. Finally, the presenter demonstrates adding a custom widget—a 'Clock'—by pasting the required YAML structure into the `sections` array of the configuration file and saving the changes, which immediately reflects on the dashboard, showing the new clock widget. The documentation section is briefly reviewed, showing extensive features like IP Blacklist checking, weather widgets, and theme customization options.

### Deployment via Elestio

- Searching for and deploying Dashy
- Selecting Netcup provider, Medium-2C-4G plan
- Deployment confirmation and receiving access email

### Initial Dashboard View & Theming

- Logging in with default credentials
- Initial 'Colorful' theme display
- Accessing theme configuration to switch between styles like 'Nord-Frost' and 'Material'

### Configuration Management

- Accessing 'Edit Config' menu to modify `my-config.yml`
- Demonstrating YAML file structure for `pageInfo`, `appConfig`, and `sections`
- Using context menu options (Sort, Extract, Insert, Remove) within the editor

### User and Link Customization

- Modifying dashboard title and navigation links (GitHub, Documentation, Repository) in `pageInfo`
- Explaining how to add new users via the `users` array under `auth` using a SHA-256 hashed password

### Widget Implementation

- Navigating to the documentation for 'Widgets'
- Copying the YAML example for a 'Clock' widget
- Pasting the widget configuration into the `sections` array of `my-config.yml`
- Saving changes and observing the live appearance of the clock widget on the dashboard

![Screenshot at 00:04: Dashy's landing page on Elestio highlights its function as 'The Ultimate Homepage for your Homelab' with links to get started, view demos, and access source code.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-00-04.png)
![Screenshot at 00:08: The Elestio service plan selection screen showing the Medium-2C-4G configuration for Dashy, estimating a monthly price.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-00-08.png)
![Screenshot at 00:23: The live demo showcasing Dashy's organized layout with various service links categorized into colored sections like 'Media & Entertainment' and 'Networking'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-00-23.png)
![Screenshot at 00:56: The Elestio interface for creating a service, currently on Step 3: Select Service Support, detailing Level 1, 2, and 3 support tiers.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-00-56.png)
![Screenshot at 01:08: The service deployment completion email in Gmail, providing the Web UI URL, username, and instructions for accessing the configuration file.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-01-08.png)
![Screenshot at 01:17: The Elestio service overview page for the deployed Dashy instance, showing admin credentials and service details.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-01-17.png)
![Screenshot at 02:31: The Dashy dashboard after login, displaying the default 'Colorful' theme and the 'Getting Started' widget block.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-02-31.png)
![Screenshot at 03:56: The configuration options menu opened via the 'Config' icon, showing options like 'Edit Config' and 'Edit Custom CSS'.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-03-56.png)
![Screenshot at 05:54: The Dashy documentation page detailing the 'Widgets' section, showing a table of contents on the right sidebar.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-05-54.png)
![Screenshot at 07:11: The Elestio 'Tools' tab showing options to access VS Code, File Explorer, and Terminal for the running service.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/LBA17vUsk9E/00-07-11.png)