MySQL vs MariaDB Deadlocks: Which One Is Easier to Debug When the Site Is Burning
A production-first guide to deadlocks in MySQL and MariaDB: what logs to read, which commands to run, and how to decide fast under pressure.
ZFS Hybrid Blueprint: HDD Data + SSD Metadata + NVMe Cache, Done Right
A production-grade ZFS hybrid design: HDD bulk data, SSD special vdev for metadata, NVMe SLOG/L2ARC. Commands, pitfalls, and diagnosis.
MySQL vs Redis: Redis is not your DBβyet it can cut MySQL load by 80%
Redis wonβt replace MySQL, but used as a cache, queue, or rate limiter it can slash MySQL load by 80% without corrupting your data model.
Windows ME: how to ship an operating system people remember as punishment
A practical SRE-style autopsy of Windows ME: why it failed, how to diagnose the pain fast, and what its mistakes still teach ops teams today.
Docker Registry Login Fails: Credential Store and Auth Fixes That Actually Work
Fix Docker registry login failures fast: credential helpers, auth headers, CA certs, proxies, and edge cases on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Laptop CPU TDP Numbers Are Often Fairy Tales
Laptop CPU TDP is not real power. Learn why it lies, what PL1/PL2 mean, how OEM limits change performance, and how to diagnose throttling fast.
FireWire vs USB: how βbetter techβ lost to cheaper tech
FireWire was fast and elegant; USB was cheap and everywhere. Learn why USB won, what broke in real fleets, and how to diagnose storage buses fast.
Proxmox RBD βerror openingβ: auth/keyring mistakes and fixes
Diagnose and fix Proxmox Ceph RBD βerror openingβ fast: keyring, cephx caps, monitors, pool perms, and Proxmox storage config checks.
MariaDB vs PostgreSQL: βToo many open filesββwhy it happens and the real fix
A production-grade guide to diagnosing and fixing βToo many open filesβ in MariaDB and PostgreSQL: OS limits, configs, symptoms, and real runbooks.
WordPress Login Loop: Keeps Sending You Back to Login β How to Fix
Stop the WordPress login loop that keeps redirecting to wp-login.php. Diagnose cookies, HTTPS, cache, plugins, and DB settings with commands and fixes.
ZFS ZED: Alerts That Tell You About Failure Before Users Do
Learn to wire ZFS ZED alerts that surface disk, pool, and scrub failures early, with practical commands, playbooks, and real ops stories.
Thermal Paste Everywhere: When Enthusiasm Beats Physics
Too much thermal paste can raise temps, throttle CPUs, and kill uptime. Learn correct application, fast diagnosis commands, and failure patterns from ops.
ZFS Resilver: Why Rebuild Takes Days (and How to Speed It Up Safely)
ZFS resilver can take days due to I/O limits, fragmentation, recordsize, and vdev geometry. Learn safe speedups, commands, and traps to avoid.
Ubuntu 24.04: rsyslog vs journald β choose logging without losing important events
A production-minded guide to Ubuntu 24.04 logging: journald vs rsyslog, how to keep critical events, avoid loss, and diagnose issues fast.
Overclocking in 2026: hobby, lottery, or both?
A production-minded guide to overclocking in 2026: where it still helps, where it silently corrupts, and how to test, monitor, and back out safely.
WordPress editor crashes: plugin conflicts and how to identify the offender
Track down WordPress editor crashes fast: isolate plugin conflicts, read logs, reproduce safely, and fix memory, JS, REST, and autosave failures.
ZFS 10GbE Performance: Proving Whether Network Is the Bottleneck
A field-tested playbook to prove whether 10GbE is your ZFS bottleneck using measurable tests, commands, and failure-mode checklists.
ZeroTier: Build a Private Network and Fix the βCanβt Pingβ Problem
Build a reliable ZeroTier private network and troubleshoot βcanβt pingβ fast: routes, authorization, firewalls, MTU, bridging, and real-world fixes.
Choosing a CPU for 5 Years: Buy by Workload, Not by Logo
A practical, ops-first guide to picking a CPU that will last five years by profiling workloads, not chasing brands, benchmarks, or core counts.
G-Sync vs FreeSync: the monitor war that affected everyone
A production-minded breakdown of G-Sync vs FreeSync: VRR behavior, failure modes, diagnostics, and what to buy or avoid on Windows and Linux.
DNS βTemporary failure in name resolutionβ: the 5 root causes and the fix order
Track down βTemporary failure in name resolutionβ fast: five real root causes, the correct fix order, and commands that tell you what to do next.
“Everything broke after an update”: a 30-minute WordPress recovery playbook
A production-grade WordPress recovery playbook for update failures: fast triage, logs, DB and plugin rollback, PHP fixes, and safe restart steps.
Replace vCenter with Proxmox: what you gain, what you lose, and workarounds that actually work
A production-minded guide to replacing VMware vCenter with Proxmox VE: tradeoffs, feature gaps, real workarounds, and diagnostics that keep clusters stable.
Docker Compose Stack Migration: Move to a New Host Without Downtime Myths
Migrate a Docker Compose stack to a new host with real-world uptime expectations: storage, DNS, cutovers, and checks to avoid data loss and surprises.
Debian 13 SR-IOV basics: why it fails and how to debug the first time
Practical SR-IOV on Debian 13: why it fails, how to debug VFs, IOMMU, drivers, and switch quirks, with fast playbooks and commands.
Docker MySQL/MariaDB Gotchas: The Defaults That Ruin Performance
Run MySQL or MariaDB in Docker without slow surprises. Fix I/O, fsync, memory, and config defaults with fast diagnosis, commands, and checklists.
Kernel panic: when Linux says βnopeβ in public
A practical, production-minded guide to Linux kernel panics: fast triage, common failure modes, real commands, and decisions that prevent repeats.
Proxmox Swap Keeps Growing: Whatβs Wrong with Memory Pressure and How to Stabilize It
Stop Proxmox swap growth by diagnosing real memory pressure, tuning Linux VM reclaim, sizing swap, and fixing ZFS/ballooning pitfalls safely.
MySQL vs PostgreSQL Schema Changes: Who Makes ALTER TABLE a Nightmare
A production-minded guide to MySQL vs PostgreSQL schema changes: locks, online DDL, rewrites, replication, and how to ship ALTER TABLE safely.
Debian 13: nftables + Docker β stop auto-rules from surprising you (and fix it) (case #39)
Docker still injects firewall rules on Debian 13. Learn how nftables chains get hijacked, diagnose quickly, and lock down predictable traffic flow.
The birth of 3D accelerators: when the GPU became its own world
How 3D accelerators evolved into modern GPUs, with operational lessons, failure modes, and a practical diagnosis playbook for real production systems.
Used GPUs After Mining: How to Sanity-Check Before You Pay
A practical, command-driven guide to vet used ex-mining GPUs: verify identity, health, thermals, power, VRAM, stability, and make a safe buy decision.
PostgreSQL vs Elasticsearch: built-in full-text vs search clusterβwhatβs cheaper long-term
A practical cost-and-reliability comparison of PostgreSQL full-text search vs Elasticsearch, with ops playbooks, commands, and failure modes.
3D V-Cache / X3D: why cache became the ultimate gaming cheat code
3D V-Cache turns gaming performance into a memory-latency story: fewer stalls, steadier frames, and repeatable tuning with real diagnostics.
ZFS Write Errors: The Failure Pattern That Predicts a Dropout
Learn how ZFS write errors form a predictable dropout pattern. Diagnose disks, HBAs, cabling, and pools fast with commands and decisions.
WordPress 500 Internal Server Error: Most Common Causes and a Fast Fix Plan
A production-grade guide to fixing WordPress 500 errors fast: logs, PHP-FPM, Apache/Nginx, plugins, permissions, memory, timeouts, and recovery checklists.
Power Supplies for Modern GPUs: How to Avoid Pain
Modern GPUs punish sloppy power design. Learn sizing, connectors, transients, diagnostics, and operational practices to keep rigs stable and sane.
Will We See x86+ARM Hybrids in Mainstream PCs?
Hybrid x86+ARM PCs are plausible, but messy: firmware, scheduling, drivers, and security. Hereβs what must changeβand how to operate them safely.
Mega Menu with CSS Grid: Hover, Focus, Mobile, and Accessibility Basics
Build a CSS Grid mega menu that works with hover and keyboard focus, survives mobile, and meets accessibility basics without fragile JS hacks.
Cooling Designs: 2-Fan vs 3-FanβWhat Really Changes
A practical, ops-first guide to what 2-fan vs 3-fan cooling really changes: temperatures, noise, failures, airflow, and how to diagnose it fast.
ZFS recordsize: The One Setting That Decides 80% of File Performance
Recordsize quietly shapes ZFS latency, throughput, and write amplification. Learn how to pick it, measure it, and fix mistakes safely.
WordPress βError establishing a database connectionβ: quick recovery and prevention
Recover fast from WordPress database connection errors and prevent repeats with practical checks, commands, and hardening for MySQL/MariaDB and hosting.
Blender and GPU Rendering: How Creators Got a New Superpower
GPU rendering turned Blender from βhit render, go to sleepβ into near-real-time iteration. Learn what to check, tune, and avoid in production.
DKIM Selector Mismatch: The 2-Minute Fix
Fix DKIM selector mismatch fast: verify the selector, align DNS and MTA config, and confirm with dig and headers. A practical SRE checklist.
Fluid Spacing with CSS clamp(): Padding and Margins That Scale Naturally
Build a production-safe fluid spacing system using CSS clamp(): consistent padding/margins across breakpoints, fewer bugs, and faster layout debugging.
Ubuntu 24.04: System Updates Broke Modules β Rebuild initramfs Correctly (Case #88)
Fix Ubuntu 24.04 boot and driver failures after updates: diagnose missing kernel modules, rebuild initramfs properly, and verify secure boot and ZFS.
MySQL vs SQLite: the βfree speedβ caseβwhen a file DB beats a server
SQLite can beat MySQL when latency, contention, and ops overhead dominate. Learn when file DB wins, how to test, and how to avoid traps.
Sockets as Strategy: Why Platforms Matter More Than CPUs Now
CPU speed rarely wins alone. Modern performance comes from sockets, lanes, memory, NUMA, and I/O platformsβhow to diagnose and choose wisely.
Ubuntu 24.04: When GRO/LRO/TSO Offloads Break Things β How to Test and Disable Safely
Practical guide for Ubuntu 24.04: diagnose GRO/LRO/TSO offload issues, prove the bottleneck, disable safely, and verify performance and correctness.
βMy CPU canβt feed my GPUβ: truth vs meme
A production-minded guide to CPU-GPU bottlenecks: how to measure, diagnose, and fix βCPU canβt feed GPUβ without cargo-cult tweaks or myths.