ZFS Dataset Naming: The Boring Habit That Saves Admin Time
A practical, opinionated guide to ZFS dataset naming that prevents outages, speeds troubleshooting, and keeps snapshots, quotas, and replication sane.
Proxmox βcluster filesystem not readyβ: why it happens and how to fix it
Fix Proxmox βcluster filesystem not readyβ fast: diagnose pmxcfs, corosync quorum, time drift, disk pressure, and recover safely without nuking config.
ZFS Boot Environments: The Upgrade Safety Net Linux Users Ignore
ZFS boot environments let Linux upgrades roll forward safely and roll back instantly. Learn workflows, diagnostics, and failure fixes from real ops.
Docs Layout Without Frameworks: Sticky Sidebar, Content, Right TOC with CSS Grid
Build a three-column docs layout with CSS Grid: sticky left nav, readable content, right-side TOC. Debug scroll, height, and perf issues.
Proxmox βUnable to activate storageβ: Diagnose LVM, NFS, and CIFS the right way
A production-grade playbook to fix Proxmox βunable to activate storageβ across LVM, NFS, and CIFS, with commands, decisions, and failure patterns.
AV1: the codec that matters even if you never stream
AV1 cuts bandwidth, storage, and CPU surprises across your stack. Learn where it wins, where it hurts, and how to diagnose AV1 issues fast.
Proxmox Failed After Update: Roll Back Kernel, Fix Boot, and Recover a Broken Node Safely
Recover a Proxmox node after a bad update: diagnose boot failures, roll back kernels, repair ZFS/LVM, and bring services back safely.
Office VPN for CCTV: Access Cameras and NVRs Without Public IPs
Build a safe office VPN to reach CCTV cameras and NVRs without public IPs: WireGuard, routing, DNS, MFA, troubleshooting, and failure-proof ops.
Vaporware in Production: How Press-Release Products Break Real Systems
A field guide to vaporware: spotting press-release products, verifying claims with tests, and preventing outages from roadmap-driven architecture.
Docker Compose + systemd: Run stacks reliably after reboot (without hacks)
Run Docker Compose stacks reliably after reboot with systemd units, clean dependencies, correct shutdown, and fast diagnosis playbooks for real ops.
Image Handling for Fast Sites: Aspect Ratio, Lazy Loading Styles, Blur-Up Placeholders
Build fast, stable pages with correct aspect-ratio, sane lazy loading, and blur-up placeholders. Diagnose bottlenecks, avoid CLS, and ship safely.
Mini-ITX + Flagship GPU: How to Fit Hell in a Tiny Box
A production-minded guide to building Mini-ITX with a flagship GPU: thermals, power, airflow, noise, and diagnostics with real commands and fixes.
Email message size limits: raise them safely without getting abused
How to raise email message size limits safely: find real bottlenecks, tune MTA and storage, prevent abuse, and validate end-to-end delivery.
ZFS secondarycache: When L2ARC Should Cache Nothing
Learn when ZFS L2ARC (secondarycache) should be set to none, how to prove it with metrics, and how to avoid costly caching mistakes.
Mars Climate Orbiter: The Unit Mismatch That Lost a Spacecraft
How a pound-force vs newton mismatch doomed Mars Climate Orbiterβand what SREs can do to prevent unit bugs, bad handoffs, and silent drift.
Ubuntu 24.04 βFailed to start β¦β: the fastest systemd triage workflow (case #2)
A production-grade workflow to debug βFailed to start β¦β on Ubuntu 24.04: systemd, journald, dependencies, timeouts, and fast fixes.
Ubuntu 24.04 Bridge/VLAN for Virtualization: Fix βVM Has No Internetβ the Right Way
Fix Ubuntu 24.04 VM no-internet issues with correct bridge and VLAN design. Diagnose fast, avoid common traps, and verify each layer.
ZFS zpool checkpoint: The Emergency Undo Button (With Sharp Edges)
How ZFS zpool checkpoints really work, when to use them, how to verify and roll back safely, and the traps that strand pools in low space.
x86 after 2026: five future scenarios (and the most likely one)
Five credible futures for x86 after 2026, from ARM pressure to chiplets and sovereignty. Includes incident stories, commands, and a fast ops playbook.
Docker Build Is Slow: BuildKit Caching That Actually Speeds It Up
Make Docker builds fast with BuildKit cache: diagnose bottlenecks, use cache mounts and inline cache, and avoid common traps that kill reuse.
WireGuard VPN: Set Up Your Own Server Without Opening Unnecessary Holes
Build a WireGuard VPN server thatβs reachable without exposing your network. Use least-privilege firewalling, careful routing, and fast diagnosis.
ZFS SLOG: When a Log Device Helps, When Itβs Useless, When Itβs Dangerous
A production-minded guide to ZFS SLOG: what it accelerates (and what it canβt), how to size and test it, and how to avoid data-loss traps.
Debian 13: SSH keys rotated β revoke access cleanly and avoid key sprawl (case #73)
A production-grade playbook for SSH key rotation on Debian 13: revoke old keys cleanly, kill key sprawl, and prove access is actually gone.
Proxmox Ceph HEALTH_WARN: Where to Start Troubleshooting Safely
A safe, production-first playbook to troubleshoot Proxmox Ceph HEALTH_WARN: fast triage, commands, meanings, decisions, and common fixes.
Excel-driven disasters: when spreadsheets break real businesses
How Excel becomes production infrastructure, how it fails, and how SRE-grade controls prevent outages, bad payouts, and compliance surprises.
Patches Stole My FPS: Myth, Reality, and the Boring Truth
Do patches really kill FPS? Learn what updates change, how to prove the bottleneck, and which checks and commands isolate the real performance thief.
Polylang/WPML translation issues: why languages mix and how to fix
Stop mixed-language WordPress pages with Polylang or WPML. Diagnose taxonomy, caches, DB, and rewrite rules fast, and apply durable fixes.
MySQL vs MariaDB Backup Wars on a VPS: mysqldump vs Physical Backups
Choose between mysqldump and physical backups for MySQL or MariaDB on a VPS, with failure modes, commands, fast diagnosis, and restore drills.
WordPress PHP Version Incompatibility: Check and Upgrade Without Downtime
Detect WordPress PHP incompatibilities, stage safe upgrades, and switch PHP versions with near-zero downtime using repeatable checks and rollback.
Big systems, small mistakes: why βone lineβ can cost a fortune
In production, a single config line can stall storage, melt caches, or delete data. Learn fast diagnosis, real commands, and practices that prevent costly outages.
Debian 13: NTP Works but Drift Persists β Hardware Clock and Chrony Tweaks (Case #19)
Chrony says synced but Debian 13 still drifts? Diagnose RTC vs system clock issues, fix hwclock behavior, and tune chrony to stop time creep.
Intel XeSS: how Intel joined the fight through software
A production-minded look at Intel XeSS: how AI upscaling works, where it fails, and a practical playbook to diagnose GPU bottlenecks fast.
ZFS Power Loss Testing: How to Validate Safety Without Losing Data
A production-grade guide to testing ZFS under power loss safely: staging, failure injection, write barriers, SLOG, scrub, and post-crash validation.
Liquid metal mishaps: the upgrade that turns into a repair bill
Liquid metal can cut temps, but one stray droplet can kill hardware. Learn failure modes, fast diagnosis, safe practices, and repair-saving tactics.
Ubuntu 24.04 OOM killer: prove it, fix it, prevent repeats
Learn how to confirm Ubuntu 24.04 OOM kills via logs and cgroups, then prevent repeats with memory limits, tuning, and safer runtime practices.
ZFS Read Errors: When Itβs the Disk, the Cable, or the Controller
A field guide to diagnosing ZFS read errorsβdisk, cable, HBA, or backplaneβusing scrubs, SMART, logs, and quick decision rules.
How 3dfx lost: the saddest fall of a king
3dfx didnβt lose on tech alone. It lost to supply chains, APIs, OEM deals, and bad betsβclassic ops failures in corporate clothing.
Docker βCannot connect to the Docker daemonβ: fixes that actually work
A production-grade guide to fixing Dockerβs βCannot connect to the Docker daemonβ error on Linux, macOS, and Windows with fast diagnosis and real commands.
Docker: Keep Containers from Booting on Updates β Pin Images Responsibly
Stop surprise container restarts after updates. Learn responsible Docker image pinning, digests, tags, CI promotion, and safe rollback with commands.
Email β550 rejectedβ: what it actually means and how to get unblocked
A practical guide to SMTP 550 rejected errors: decode bounce text, run targeted checks, fix SPF/DKIM/DMARC, and get delisted fast.
ZFS Master Roadmap: From First Pool to Production Without Regret
A practical ZFS roadmap from first pool to production: pool design, datasets, performance tuning, scrubs, snapshots, replication, and fast failure diagnosis.
Docker logs are exploding: fix log rotation before your host dies
Stop Docker container logs from eating your disk: diagnose fast, rotate correctly, pick the right driver, and prevent noisy outages in production.
ZFS Replacing Multiple Disks: The Safe Order That Prevents Failure
A production-grade guide to replacing multiple ZFS disks safely: correct order, commands, output interpretation, failure modes, and fast diagnosis steps.
Tailscale: VPN Without Pain, and the Access Mistakes That Still Hurt
A practical Tailscale guide for ops: setup, ACLs, subnet routes, exit nodes, debugging commands, and the common access mistakes that cause outages.
ZFS zfs send: The Fastest Way to Move Terabytes (If You Do It Right)
A production-grade guide to zfs send/receive: fast replication, incremental streams, encryption, resume tokens, tuning, and failure-proof checklists.
OpenVPN on Windows: TAP Driver Problems and How to Repair Them
Diagnose and fix Windows OpenVPN TAP driver failures: broken adapters, signature blocks, routing leaks, DHCP issues, and safe repair steps.
WordPress βMemory exhaustedβ: raise memory limits the right way (where it matters)
Fix WordPress βMemory exhaustedβ by raising limits in the right layer: PHP-FPM, wp-config, plugins, and host capsβwithout masking leaks.
HDMI Cable Roulette: Identical Outside, Different Inside
Why two identical HDMI cables behave differently: bandwidth, shielding, length, EDID, HDCP, and field-tested diagnosis steps with commands and fixes.
Debian 13: SSH is slow to log in β DNS and GSSAPI fixes that speed it up instantly (case #65)
Fix slow SSH logins on Debian 13 by pinpointing DNS reverse lookups and GSSAPI stalls, then applying safe sshd_config changes and tests.
Two offices on 192.168.0.0/24: connect them without renumbering
Practical ways to link two sites using the same 192.168.0.0/24 without renumbering: NAT, routing tricks, overlays, and clean diagnostics.