control-panel is a lightweight server management system designed specifically for home server enthusiasts. It provides a simple CLI interface to manage two of the most common tasks any self-hoster deals with daily: controlling external hard drives and managing Docker containers.

What makes this project interesting is its focused practicality. Rather than trying to be a full-blown infrastructure platform like Portainer or Cockpit, it zeroes in on the exact pain points that home server operators encounter:

• External HD management — mounting, unmounting, and monitoring external drives is a surprisingly tedious task when done repeatedly over SSH. Having a dedicated tool for this removes friction from backup workflows and media server setups.
• Docker container control — starting, stopping, and inspecting containers through a streamlined CLI means you don't need to remember long docker compose commands or install a heavy web UI just to restart your Plex or Nextcloud instance.

The choice of Python is smart for this use case. It keeps the project accessible to the typical home server tinkerer who might want to extend it with their own commands — say, managing network shares, triggering backups, or checking system temperatures. Python's ecosystem also makes it straightforward to add features like notifications or scheduling down the road.

This repo speaks to a growing community of self-hosters and home lab enthusiasts who run modest setups — a Raspberry Pi, an old laptop, or a small NAS — and want just enough tooling to keep things manageable without the overhead of enterprise solutions. If you've ever SSH'd into your home server for the tenth time in a day just to remount a drive or restart a container, you understand the appeal immediately.

It's the kind of project that starts as a personal itch-scratcher and has real potential to grow into something the r/homelab and r/selfhosted communities would appreciate.