Install the proxmox iso directly on the hardware. Then setup a Debian without DE in a vm to run docker. Use Portainer to manage Docker containers.

Storage can then be assigned via Proxmox to the vm’s that need it.

LVM is just a way more flexible partition table. It gives you the possibility to grow partitions at a later date. You probably not think you can do that with MBR or GPT too. Well yes, but only when the spare room is adjacent to the partition you want to grow. With LVM you can grow partitions even if the free space is somewhere else on the disk.

So you can grow any disk ‘partition’ at any time as long as you have some free space in the group.

Another advantage is that you can encrypt logical volumes easily. Usually that’s supported when you install the OS.

You can also stack LVM on top of a software RAID, so you can create a mdadm from a disk partition of several disks and create a VG on that with LVs to spilt it into pieces.

I usually use LVM on every server. There is no need not to and gives you options for the future.

Ok, so it is not that hard then I guess. Install proxmox on the appliance, then install two vm’s, HA and pfsense. Deal with further segmentation of your lan and the bridge to the router in pfsense.

But if you ask me, drop the idea of vlans for appliances and keep it simple. Only make a guest network on WiFi, but using vlans is a pita, people want to stream to tv’s, use the app to control heating, etc. If you are concerned about appliances connecting to internet, just block internet access in OpenWRT or pfsense.

I’ve no idea what you are talking about

Didn’t you work at NASA ?

Yeah, and one day the Tesla owners wake up and will be faced with $1 per trip in their car too. Reminder me in 2 years please.

There is NextCloud. It has the possibility to create an upload link where people can upload stuff. We use it daily to receive stuff from our customers.

If you need the resuming part, you would be better off giving them a NextCloud account and share a folder. Their NextCloud app will sync it in the background and resume automatically.

I settled on https://www.audiobookshelf.org Might be a bit confusing at first, but after setting it up, it does exactly what I want. Easy to listen to podcast on my iPhone, including setting speed & sleep timer and the server fetches the new episodes every day.