How about not hard code this in the first place. If they are hell bent on this logic then let each instance admin list the instances they want to use?

Kubernetes is probably overkill, docker compose will work fine for most home labs. But I agree with your point, declarative infrastructure makes life so much easier, even for home labs.

I think it’s valid to boycott Russian companies, or any companies that supports them. Justifying it to be the best search engine doesn’t necessarily make it right. And yet I still have a paid Kagi subscription, but I don’t blame people who don’t, and think their use of Yandex should be more obvious.

Agreed. I pay for Kagi, and find their search better than any other, and struggle when I’m forced to use another search engine temporarily.