Docker Redis persistence without turning it into a slow disk app
Keep Redis data safe in Docker without killing latency. Choose AOF/RDB wisely, tune fsync, and validate storage behavior with fast, practical checks.
Proxmox LXC Bind-Mount Permission Denied: UID/GID, Unprivileged Containers, and the Fix That Actually Works
Fix Proxmox LXC bind-mount permission denied in unprivileged containers by mapping UID/GID correctly, auditing ACLs, and choosing safe mount options.
Athlon: the year Intel actually got scared
How AMDβs Athlon forced Intel to rethink performance, pricing, and roadmapβand what modern SREs can learn about bottlenecks, truth, and risk.
Intel Quick Sync: the hidden video weapon
A production-grade guide to Intel Quick Sync: how to verify it, tune FFmpeg/Plex/Jellyfin, avoid traps, and diagnose bottlenecks fast.
MTA-STS: Should You Enable It, and How to Avoid Breaking Inbound Mail
A practical SRE guide to enabling MTA-STS safely: policies, DNS and HTTPS setup, monitoring, fast diagnosis, and fixes for common inbound mail failures.
Debian 13: DNS over TLS/HTTPS β enable it without breaking enterprise networks (case #51)
Enable DNS over TLS/HTTPS on Debian 13 with systemd-resolved without breaking corporate DNS, split-horizon, proxies, or compliance logging.
ZFS RAIDZ3: When Triple Parity Is Worth the Disks
A practical guide to ZFS RAIDZ3: when triple parity pays off, how it affects performance, rebuild risk, and the exact commands to operate it safely.
Docker on cgroups v2: pain, errors, and the fix path
Recognize Docker cgroups v2 failure modes fast: common errors, what they mean, and a practical fix path across systemd, containerd, and kernels.
ZFS Queue Depth: Why Some SSDs Fly on ext4 and Choke on ZFS
Understand ZFS queue depth, I/O scheduling, and why some SSDs underperform on ZFS vs ext4. Diagnose bottlenecks and tune safely in production.
Debian 13: Journald ate your disk β cap logs without losing what matters
Stop Debian 13 disk blowups from systemd-journald. Diagnose fast, cap storage safely, keep critical logs, and avoid silent log loss.
Proxmox USB Passthrough Disconnects: Power, Autosuspend, and Stability Fixes
Stop Proxmox USB passthrough disconnects by fixing power, autosuspend, and resets. Diagnose logs, tune kernel settings, and harden VMs for stability.
MariaDB vs SQLite for Tiny VPS Projects: When MariaDB Is Overkill
Learn when SQLite beats MariaDB on tiny VPSes, how to diagnose bottlenecks fast, and which operational tasks prevent data loss and midnight pages.
MariaDB vs PostgreSQL Container Storage: Bind Mount vs Volume Performance Truth
Practical truth about container DB storage: bind mounts vs volumes, MariaDB vs PostgreSQL, benchmarking, pitfalls, and fast diagnosis for real ops.
Docker Service Discovery Fails: DNS and Network Aliases Done Right
Fix flaky Docker service discovery by understanding embedded DNS, network aliases, resolv.conf, and compose networksβwith fast, repeatable diagnostics.
Pagination vs Infinite Scroll: UI Patterns That Donβt Annoy Users
Choose pagination or infinite scroll without wrecking UX or ops: performance, accessibility, analytics, caching, and failure modes with practical diagnostics.
Docker Compose Project Name Collisions: Stop Stacks Overwriting Each Other
Learn how Docker Compose project names collide, how stacks overwrite each other, and how to diagnose, prevent, and recover safely in production.
Responsive Embeds That Donβt Break Layout: YouTube, Iframes, and Maps in Production
Stop embeds from wrecking your layout. Practical CSS, security headers, and diagnostics for responsive YouTube, iframes, and maps at scale.
Proxmox βpve-cluster.service failedβ: How to Bring the Cluster Stack Back Up
A production-grade playbook to recover Proxmox when pve-cluster.service fails: diagnose Corosync and pmxcfs, fix quorum, and restore UI safely.
WireGuard AllowedIPs Confusion: Why Traffic Doesnβt Go Where You Expect (and How to Fix It)
Learn why WireGuard AllowedIPs behaves like routing policy, how it interacts with kernel routes, and practical fixes to stop traffic going the wrong way.
Debian 13: 100% iowait host freezes β find the noisy process/VM in 10 minutes
A 10-minute Debian 13 playbook to pinpoint the process or VM causing 100% iowait freezes using iostat, pidstat, blktrace, and cgroup tools.
VPN Slower Than Expected: Diagnose Router CPU, Crypto, and MSS Clamping Like You Mean It
A rigorous, practical guide to diagnosing slow VPNs: router CPU and crypto limits, MTU/MSS clamping, path issues, and real commands that decide fixes.
Ubuntu 24.04: Swap on SSD β do it safely (and when you shouldnβt) (case #50)
Practical, production-focused guide to swap on SSD in Ubuntu 24.04: when it helps, when it hurts, and how to diagnose, tune, and recover safely.
Docker socket security: the one mount that equals root (and safer alternatives)
Mounting /var/run/docker.sock is effectively root on the host. Learn fast diagnosis, real commands, failure modes, and safer patterns to replace it.
Docker: Traefik route rules that silently fail β fix labels the right way
Traefik routes can fail quietly due to Docker label mistakes. Learn reliable label patterns, fast diagnosis steps, and fixes that survive real ops.
Docker Volume Backups That Actually Restore
Stop hoping your Docker volume backups work. Learn repeatable backup and restore methods, verification drills, and fast diagnosis for real incidents.
Fail2ban for Mail: Rules That Actually Catch Attacks
Build fail2ban mail jails that catch real attacks without blocking users. Includes tested regexes, diagnostics, log tips, and safe rollout steps.
Ubuntu 24.04 βConnection reset by peerβ: prove whether itβs client, proxy, or server (case #74)
A production-grade playbook for Ubuntu 24.04 βconnection reset by peerβ: isolate client vs proxy vs server with tcpdump, ss, logs, and proofs.
Proxmox local-lvm at 100%: find what ate your thin pool and fix it
When Proxmox local-lvm hits 100%, VMs freeze and backups fail. Learn to pinpoint thin pool bloat, reclaim space safely, and prevent repeats.
WannaCry: the ransomware that reminded everyone patching exists
A practical ops-grade postmortem of WannaCry: how it spread, why patching failed, what to check first, and how to harden Windows fleets today.
ZFS rollback: The Safe Way to Undo Mistakes Without Collateral Damage
A practical SRE guide to ZFS rollback: snapshots, clones, holds, and safe recovery steps to undo mistakes without breaking datasets or replication.
Debian 13: New interface name broke networking β stable naming fixes that survive reboots (case #7)
Debian 13 can rename NICs after updates or hardware changes. Diagnose fast, restore connectivity, and pin stable interface names that survive reboots.
‘Non-original cartridge’ wars: decades of ink drama
A hard-nosed, ops-minded history of printer cartridge lockouts: how chips, firmware, and supply chains create outagesβand how to diagnose fast.
ZFS copies=2/3: Extra Redundancy Without a New VDEVβSmart or Waste?
A practical deep dive into ZFS copies=2/3: what it really protects, how it behaves on mirrors/RAIDZ, perf costs, and when itβs a lifesaver.
CSS-Only Modals That Donβt Betray You: :target, Backdrops, and Close Patterns
Build CSS-only modals with :target and :checked patterns, reliable backdrops, and close affordances. Includes diagnostics, failure modes, and checklists.
Debian 13: SSH port changed β fix firewall + sshd order without locking yourself out (case #27)
Change SSH port safely on Debian 13: verify sshd, add parallel firewall rules, stage reloads, test new port, then retire 22 without losing access.
x86-64: why AMD got 64-bit right first
Why AMDβs x86-64 beat Intel to mainstream 64-bit: compatibility, sane paging, real workloads, and what to check on Linux when it hurts.
ATI vs NVIDIA: why this rivalry never ends
A production-minded, no-hype look at ATI/AMD vs NVIDIA: history, drivers, compute stacks, real diagnostics, and how to choose for reliability.
Dark mode that doesnβt suck: prefers-color-scheme + manual toggle pattern
Build dark mode that respects system settings, offers a reliable toggle, avoids flash, and stays testable across browsers, SSR, and apps.
Liquid cooling GPUs: smart move or expensive cosplay?
A pragmatic SRE guide to GPU liquid cooling: when it pays off, failure modes, fast diagnosis, and real commands to keep clusters stable.
PostgreSQL vs ClickHouse: where to store the firehose logs without pain
A practical, ops-first guide to choosing PostgreSQL or ClickHouse for high-volume logs, with failure modes, commands, playbooks, and migration steps.
Sonyβs Rootkit: When a Music CD Behaved Like Malware
How Sonyβs DRM rootkit hid on Windows, broke trust, and taught ops teams to detect stealthy installs, unsafe drivers, and brittle assumptions.
Debian/Ubuntu Web Root Permissions: Stop 403s Without Making Everything 777 (Case #9)
Fix 403 Forbidden on Debian/Ubuntu by setting correct web root ownership, mode bits, and ACLsβwithout chmod 777 or breaking deployments.
A modern CSS reset for 2026: minimal, safe for forms and media
A 2026 CSS reset that stays minimal while protecting forms and media: predictable defaults, safe typography, and practical debugging tasks for teams.
MySQL vs MongoDB for Reporting and Analytics: Why Teams Crawl Back to SQL
Reporting loves SQL: predictable schemas, joins, and stable plans. Learn why MongoDB often struggles at scale, and how to migrate safely.
Email SPF fails: the 5 record mistakes that break delivery (and fixes)
SPF failures tank email delivery quietly. Learn the five DNS record mistakes that break SPF, how to diagnose fast, and exactly how to fix them safely.
Ubuntu 24.04: Web server suddenly shows 502/504 β the real reason (and how to fix it fast)
Stop chasing ghosts: diagnose 502/504 on Ubuntu 24.04 fast by pinpointing the real bottleneckβupstream, sockets, DNS, CPU, or storageβand fix it safely.
DNS Monitoring: Alert Before Users Notice (Simple, Effective Checks)
Practical DNS monitoring that catches failures before users do: simple checks, fast triage, common mistakes, and commands you can run today.
ZFS Snapshots: The Retention Policy That Prevents βSnapshot Hellβ Forever
Stop ZFS snapshot sprawl with a sane retention policy. Learn rules, commands, and diagnostics to control space, performance, and restores reliably.
ZFS zpool clear: When Clearing Errors Is Correct (and When Itβs Stupid)
Learn when zpool clear is a safe reset of stale error counters, and when it masks real corruption, failing disks, or bad cabling in production.
Debian 13: Network doesnβt come up after reboot β a no-fluff systemd-networkd checklist
A production-grade checklist to fix Debian 13 boots where networking stays down. Diagnose systemd-networkd fast: links, DHCP, routes, DNS, races.