Linux
KeyHelp: The Free Plesk Alternative I Moved To (and Its API Traps)
Plesk license expired, panel dead. I moved to KeyHelp: non-interactive install, one client per company, and the API gotchas that cost me hours.
Ubuntu
Ubuntu Server notes: initial setup, updates, hardening, networking and services, tested on current LTS releases.
Linux
Running PHP 7.4, 8.3 and 8.4 Side by Side on One Server
One server, three apps, three PHP versions: PHP-FPM per version, one pool per site, a handler per vhost and the right CLI binary for every cron job.
Linux
systemd Timers Instead of cron
Replace cron jobs with systemd timers — .timer + .service pairs, OnCalendar syntax, Persistent catch-up, journald logging, and when cron is still fine.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Linux
Proxmox + Cloud-Init — Spinning Up an Ubuntu VM in 30 Seconds
Build a reusable Ubuntu cloud-image template on Proxmox with cloud-init. Clone, set hostname, IP, SSH key, boot — full VM in under a minute. The setup I run on node1.
Linux
Netdata on Ubuntu — Live Server Metrics in 5 Minutes
Install Netdata on Ubuntu for per-second server metrics. Install, bind to localhost, SSH-tunnel the dashboard, ship alerts to Discord.
Security
WireGuard VPN on Ubuntu — the Setup I Actually Use
Minimal WireGuard setup on Ubuntu. Server config, one client, UFW rule, QR code for the phone. The version I run on my home-lab jumpbox.