Gameserver
Enshrouded Dedicated Server on Linux — SteamCMD, Wine, and the RAM Reality
Run an Enshrouded dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD + Wine. Systemd unit, ports, the real RAM requirement, save backups, and the gotchas the wiki skips.
Latest
Windows Server
DHCP on Windows Server — Scopes, Reservations, and the Gotchas
Set up the Windows Server DHCP role end to end in PowerShell — install, authorise in AD, scope, options, reservations, failover. The gotchas that cost real time.
Windows Server
Reset a Windows Password with the Sticky Keys Trick (sethc.exe)
Alternative to the Utilman trick — replace sethc.exe to get SYSTEM-level cmd at the Windows lockscreen. When to use it, how to harden against it.
Linux
bpftrace One-Liners I Actually Use on Production Linux
Eight bpftrace one-liners that replace half of strace, iotop, and tcpdump without the perf hit. Real tracing for sysadmins on modern kernels.
Linux
Proxmox Backup Server — Why Snapshots Alone Aren't Enough
PBS gives you dedup + incremental + verify on top of Proxmox VE. Install, wire it as storage, first backup + restore, prune policy. The why and the how.
Security
Headscale — Self-Hosted Tailscale Control Plane on Ubuntu
Run your own Tailscale control plane with Headscale. Docker compose setup, preauth keys, MagicDNS, point clients with --login-server. No vendor lock-in.
Linux
Caddy vs Nginx — When 5 Lines Beats certbot + Cron
Honest take on Caddy vs Nginx for small servers. Auto-HTTPS Caddyfile in 5 lines vs nginx + certbot. Where each one actually wins.
Gameserver
Pelican Panel — the Pterodactyl Successor I Switched To
Pterodactyl is in maintenance mode. Pelican Panel is the fork that's actually moving. Install on Ubuntu 24.04 + first gameserver in 20 min.
Security
Tailscale for Gameservers — Friends-Only Without Port Forwards
Run a Minecraft, Valheim or Palworld server only your friends can reach. Tailscale mesh, MagicDNS, no DDoS surface, no router config.
Windows Server
RDP Hardening on Windows Server — NLA, IP Allowlist, and Audit
Lock down RDP on Windows Server — enforce NLA, restrict the firewall to specific IPs, audit failed logons, kill the bot brute-force traffic. The settings I run on every internet-exposed server.
Windows Server
Windows Server Hardening — Kill SMBv1, LLMNR, and NTLMv1
Three legacy protocols still enabled by default on Windows Server that no modern network needs. PowerShell one-liners to disable each, the rare exceptions, and how to verify.
Windows Server
BitLocker on Windows Server — Encrypting the OS Volume Without Locking Yourself Out
Enable BitLocker on a Windows Server OS volume via PowerShell — TPM unlock, recovery key handling, the boot quirks specific to Server, and how to unlock from WinPE.
Gameserver
Satisfactory Dedicated Server on Linux — Native, Lightweight, and Boring (in the Best Way)
Set up a Satisfactory dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD. Native Linux build (no Wine), small RAM footprint, ports, claim flow, save backups.
Gameserver
ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server on Linux — Wine, 16 GB RAM, and Patience
How to run an ARK Survival Ascended dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD and Wine. Real RAM requirements, ports, mods via CurseForge, weekly restart strategy.
Minecraft
Migrating from BungeeCord/Waterfall to Velocity — A Practical Walkthrough
How to migrate a Minecraft proxy network from BungeeCord or Waterfall to Velocity — config translation, plugin replacements, modern IP forwarding, and the gotchas.
Minecraft
Hosting a Forge / NeoForge Modpack Server on Linux — The Pragmatic Guide
Run a CurseForge or Modrinth modpack server (Forge / NeoForge) on Ubuntu. Server-pack download, JVM tuning for modded RAM appetite, systemd unit, update workflow.
Minecraft
LuckPerms on BungeeCord and Velocity — Permissions That Actually Scale
Install LuckPerms on a Minecraft proxy network, sync permissions across backends, define groups and inheritance, avoid the per-server-permission trap.
Minecraft
Waterfall vs BungeeCord — Which Minecraft Proxy Should You Run?
BungeeCord vs Waterfall in 2026: Waterfall is end-of-life, so what to run instead, what still works, and when Velocity is the real answer.
Minecraft
BungeeCord config.yml — Every Option Explained
Full breakdown of BungeeCord's config.yml — listeners, servers, IP forwarding, priorities, the options nobody documents and the ones that bite you.
Minecraft
Velocity Minecraft Proxy — Setup From Scratch in 10 Minutes
Stand up a Velocity proxy on Linux from zero — install, velocity.toml, modern IP forwarding to Paper backends, systemd unit, firewall. The clean install, no BungeeCord baggage.
Linux
Restic Backups to S3 / MinIO — Encrypted, Deduplicated, Restore-Tested
Real backup setup with Restic — encrypted offsite to S3 or self-hosted MinIO, dedup, retention, and the restore-drill that proves your backups actually work.