Every search you type goes somewhere. Google gets it. Bing gets it. Even DuckDuckGo forwards a chunk of requests to Microsoft. I got tired of it — so I set up my own private search engine on my TrueNAS home server. Here's exactly how to do it.

Whoogle was one of the go-to self-hosted options for years, but the project went end-of-life in April 2026. I tested every serious replacement — LibreY, WebSurfX, degoog — and only one is worth considering right now: SearXNG. This video covers the full install, how to make it yours, and how to add a VPN layer for even more privacy.

CONTENTS

0:00 Intro

1:12 Metasearch Engines

2:06 Why Not DuckDuckGo?

2:43 Alternatives

3:21 Installing on TrueNAS

4:47 Customizing & Using SearXNG

6:54 Adding a VPN

8:21 Final Thoughts

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OTHER VIDEOS in my Homelab Server Series:

Part 1: Building My Homelab Server https://youtu.be/7hNU5VurfCY

Part 2: Adding a DNS Ad-Blocker (AdGuard Home) https://youtu.be/yzImvhohDws

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LINKS

SearXNG Docs: https://docs.searxng.org

SearXNG Github repo: https://github.com/searxng/searxng

Gluetun (VPN container): https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun

Minisforum N5 NAS (my Home Server): https://amzn.to/49K23Sp (affiliate link)

Proton VPN: https://pr.tn/ref/AWZJZE4C (referral link)

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#homelab #selfhosted #privacy #searxng #truenas #whoogle#duckduckgo #homeserver