Docker containers share host os kernel - can’t be used to run a different os.

Your options:

• Run windows in a VM. You assign some of your PC resources (ram, CPU cores, storage) to vm. That windows VM is going to be within 1-2% of a PC with the specs matching resources assigned to VM. You won’t get GPU acceleration unless you pass the entire GPU to VM, but it doesn’t matter for Lightroom. Will run perfectly.
• Run Lightroom with Wine. It runs as just another Linux program via a translation layer. It will get access to all resources your PC has and it won’t waste resources running entire 2nd os in a VM, but there is a performance impact of the translation layer. Performance impact varies depending on specific piece of software and sometimes it even runs faster.

Edit: it turns out it does like GPU acceleration, so performance impact without GPU passthrough will be noticeable at least when opening images. Running it on wine is possible, but a pain - it requires manual workarounds and it doesn’t run perfectly even with them.

To be fair it doesn’t run that great on Windows either.

Most slicers work natively on Linux. I’ve used orca slicer and lychee in just past 24h.

As for modeling software freecad, blender obviously; onshape is browser based, so it should work; fusion360 is hard to get running, but from what I’ve heard it’s doable;

SOLIDWORKS can run in wine, but just barely - I’ve found it easier and more pleasant to run it in a windows vm

Given the quality of the simulation I think it’s a vibe-coded prototype

It’s always effort vs risk.

Since it’s a do once and forget kind of thing I’d rate effort rather low.

As for risk in the worst case scenario a single service being compromised means all of them are with the attacker getting access to everything those services can access, including all the credentials. Will you make an effort to be on top of all the updates for all services?

As far as I’m concerned: At home all containers for each service get a separate user. At work every container does.

Something more like this https://a.co/d/0bgPCSvQ - it should use half the power, it’s way smaller, 2x SATA if you want 2 drives. I haven’t checked if this specific one is 12V, but there are dozens in the same form factor and with similar specs.

There are a lot of atom or mobile i3/i5 powered mini PCs that actually are powered with a 12v brick, in fact most of the industrial ones are. Small form factor, passive cooling, can play media for you and usually comes with 4x 1/2.5gbit Ethernet, so it can double as a router/switch. Usually 10-15w power draw.

Go to AliExpress and simply search for minipc and make sure it has a SATA connector for your hard drive.

Same. I’ve switched to Arch from Ubuntu as my main os almost 10 years ago and in all that time I’ve had a problem that goes beyond inconvenience level maybe twice. In fact Ubuntu broke more often.

Workstations/laptops at my current job in order of popularity: nixos, arch, macos. Windows is around 2%.

Netflix limits you to 720p even on windows, unless you are using Edge: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/23742 (expand HTML5 browsers and scroll down).

This limitation doesn’t apply to all content - it’s the worst case scenario if copyright holder really put their foot down.

Budget (about 200 euro):

• Mikrotik hex s router
• TP-Link eap610 access point
• Unmanaged trendnet switch

Better(400-500 euro):

• Fanless minipc running pfsense - like this https://aliexpress.com/item/1005005515731536.html
• TP-Link eap653 access point
• mikrotik CRS310-8G+2S+IN switch

TP-Link omada line is basically a bunch of ubiquity clones at much lower price