Network Rack for Small Office (Build Guide)
Last week I walked into an empty 5 × 4 ft storage room. By the end of the week, that blank space held a fully functional network core designed to keep a small…
What is PostgreSQL? Key features, use cases, and benefits explained
Jul 04, 2025 Every modern app deals with data – this could be in the form of user account info and tracked order details, or it could be powering product searches or visitor…
Over 80% of all Smartphones are powered by Linux
Linux-powered smartphones are still the dominant force in the global smartphone market in 2025. While some may be surprised by this fact, Linux enthusiasts have every reason to be happy about the continued…
Kali Linux non-root and no pen-test tools install w/ screenshots
Update: Thankfully, as of release 2020.1, Kali Linux has swapped to a privileged non-root user by default. You will now log in with the user you create during the install process and no…
pfSense Firewall Config: My Settings with Screenshots – Part 2
Let’s pick up right where Part 1 left off: pfSense Firewall Appliance Unboxing. This isn’t a quick-start guide. It’s my logbook from weeks of fine-tuning pfSense. Weeks, not years, so follow along and…
My $300 pfSense Firewall Appliance – Part 1: Unboxing
For the past three years, I’ve been putting off an upgrade to my network’s firewall. During that time, I was balancing multiple priorities: maintaining uptime with multiple ISPs, managing VPN performance limitations, and…
How to set up the LGTM stack for end-to-end observability
May 30, 2025 Ariffud M. 11min Read The LGTM stack – consisting of Loki for logs, Grafana for visualization, Tempo for tracing, and Mimir for metrics – is an open-source observability suite developed…
sudo command in Linux with examples
The sudo command in Linux is one of the most important and widely used commands for managing system permissions. It allows you to run a command as the superuser, giving you elevated privileges…
iotop command in Linux w/ examples.
This iotop command guide follows my previous 90 Linux Commands frequently used by Linux Sysadmins article. As time allows, I will continue to publish articles on the 90+ commands geared toward Linux sysadmins…
The best Firebase alternatives in 2025
May 22, 2025 10min Read Firebase provides comprehensive tools that help you develop and deploy applications more easily. It mainly streamlines the backend setup process by providing pre-configured services like databases and authentication…
Diagnosing Swap Usage with smem on Linux
If you’ve ever looked at your server and wondered why it’s using swap even though plenty of RAM is available, you’re not alone. This is a common scenario on Linux systems, and it…
MySQL Performance: Stop hoarding. Drop unused MySQL databases
Recently, I supported a client with solving MySQL performance issues. There were several areas where MySQL performance issues were addressed. One issue, however, that was overlooked before our communications was that of keeping…
MySQL Performance Schema
When it comes to database performance monitoring and optimization, MySQL offers a powerful tool called Performance Schema. This versatile instrument provides invaluable insights into the inner workings of your MySQL database, enabling you…
Top 20 automation trends for 2025
May 06, 2025 Once a niche effort, automation has now become a business priority. Not only does it streamline operations – it has also proven effective in improving product quality and even customer…
How to Choose Web Hosting Plan? Factors to Consider When Choosing a Web Host Plan
Apr 29, 2025 Matleena S. With so many different web hosting services to choose from, how do you decide which one is the best for your project? It all comes down to understanding…
Building an LLM-Optimized Linux Server on a Budget
As advancements in machine learning continue to accelerate and evolve, more individuals and small organizations are exploring how to run language models (LLMs) like DeepSeek, LLaMA, Qwen and others on their home servers. This…
DeepSeek Local: How to Self-Host DeepSeek (Privacy and Control)
By following this guide, you will be able to successfully self-host your preferred DeepSeek model on a home lab or home office server, harnessing the potential of these AI models in a private and…
Install DeepSeek on Linux in 3 Minutes
DeepSeek, founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, is a Chinese artificial intelligence company that develops open-source large language models (LLMs). Their flagship model, DeepSeek-R1, is gaining popularity for its advanced reasoning capabilities, with…