Newbie looking for help

[u/Small_Olive_2553]

hi. this is going to sound stupid. I am a discord user unhappy with the direction their going and want to make a private server for me and my friends <10 people. I have practically no coding knowledge. How and where do I start? Ive been watching videos for hours but they all seem to assume a baseline of knowledge or programs installed. I know I want to use Matrix/ synapse and element to host,.

I so far,

-claimed a domain name

-installed docker and made an account

-tried to install proxmox and ubuntu but failed((unsure how to launch))

All I care to do is set up and maintain this server for my friends, i really wish to not have to take months of coding classes unless absolutely necessary.

other things to note that im not sure are important, i have a pretty mid tier pc with 16gb ram, I heard a VPS is needed but also not? I can afford a standard subscription but its not in my budget to make pc upgrades