Ask HN: How can we make self-hosting cloud apps easy for non-technical users?
It's no wonder that SaaS continues to dominate the software market when the self-host alternative is so time-consuming and unfriendly to set-up.
Non-technical users know how to install desktop apps. Imagine if app installs on the server were as simple and easy as installing a desktop app? It would unlock countless opportunities for developers to reach more users.
There appears to be no appetite or interest in the industry to tackle this problem. Or is there?
I don't consider Docker, Cloudtron, Sandstorm, command-line scripts as possible options. Developers may find them 'easy', but none of these options are easy or simple for non-technical users. Even one-click app marketplaces (Linode, Digital Ocean etc) have their complications.
Is the following a possibility? A common or standardised 'installation' API for web apps adopted by web servers like Apache, NGINX, Caddy etc. The API covers security, permissions, installation location and even uninstallation. (I'm far too thick to figure out how it could be implemented, but one can dream.)
Without easy deployment for non-technical users, self-hosting will never be a viable option for most people, only for a tiny minority of technical users. If you disagree, take a look at the unstoppable juggernaut that is SaaS.
Relying on SaaS also brings with it the possibility of file and data lock-in (as well as privacy issues). Many developers warn of the dangers of this situation, and yet the industry has done nothing to tackle the issue. (Unfair?)
Would it be too cyncial to suggest that it's in the best interest of SaaS providers that self-hosting remain complicated because it makes SaaS a more atttractive, less complicated alternative?
So, how can we make self-hosting cloud apps easy for non-technical users?