It’s your home lab, you can do anything you want. Figuring shit out and making it work is half the fun. That said, just install Linux on it and save your future self a shitload of time.

• Installing Server 2016 and learning to provision machines and set group policies in active directory.
• Running Wazuh and lerning how to remediate issues and errors across Windows, Mac, and my Linux machines…or at least learning what they are.
• Using Windows, Mac, and Linux.

I remember one interview where the subject of Home Assistant came up and one of the interviewers was having an issue with his set up and I told him how to fix it. I got an offer from that company.

So, in my experience, a general interest in technology and continuos learning…just because you genuinely like it, helps.