itnotes

Make Your Own CDN With OpenBSD Base and Just 2 Packages

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/08/29/make-your-own-cdn-openbsd/

#OpenBSD #CDN #Varnish #VarnishCache #ITNotes #NoteHub

Make Your Own CDN With NetBSD

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/09/03/make-your-own-cdn-netbsd/

#NetBSD #RunBSD #OwnYourData #CDN #Varnish #VarnishCache #IT #SysAdmin #ITNotes #MyNotes

Migrating Windows VMs From Proxmox BIOS/KVM to FreeBSD UEFI/Bhyve

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/11/15/migrating-windows-vms-from-bios-kvm-to-uefi-bhyve/

#FreeBSD #Proxmox #Bhyve #RunBSD #Virtualization #KVM #ZFS #Hypervisor #OwnYourData #NoteHUB #ITNotes #Server

Installing Uptime-Kuma in a FreeBSD Jail

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/07/22/install-uptime-kuma-freebsd-jail/

#FreeBSD #Server #Networking #ITNotes #Hosting #Tutorial #Jail #Container #Monitoring #UptimeKuma

Welcome to the official snac instance of the IT Notes blog by Stefano Marinelli (@stefano)!

This instance and account are dedicated to the automatic publication of new blog articles, similar to an RSS feed but on the #Fediverse.

I decided to create a dedicated instance because #snac is small and efficient, and it supports pledge and unveil on #OpenBSD, exponentially increasing security - a perfect setup for my @OpenBSDAms VM.

In the coming days, I will publish an article on how I manage everything, including the small program created specifically for this purpose, which can also be used for other solutions/purposes.

Follow this account if you want to stay updated on the blog's news.

#ITNotes #RunBSD #FreeBSD #OpenBSD #NetBSD #Linux #SysAdmin #IT

Increasing or Modifying Character Limits and Poll Options in Mastodon 4.3

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/10/09/2024-modifying-limits-in-mastodon-4-3/

#Fediverse #Hosting #ITNotes #Mastodon #NoteHUB #Ownyourdata #Social #Web

I Almost Died for a Full Sentry Database

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/12/28/i-almost-died-for-a-full-sentry-database/

#Data #Horrorstories #ITNotes #NoteHUB #Recovery #Sentry #Stories

In recent days, I've received a few messages and noticed some posts regarding my articles on the blog. The criticism is mainly about the fact that, in some cases, I don't document "every" step but assume a basic understanding of the topics discussed. For example, if the article is about "how to install Y within a FreeBSD jail," I don't document how to install FreeBSD, what jails are, or how they should be managed, etc. In some cases, I refer to previous articles, but my aim is never to create "for dummies" tutorials. I believe that self-hosting, if done without awareness, creates more problems than it solves.

I’ll probably need to publish an article specifically about this—and maybe link it to a menu at the top of the page to explain it. My approach has usually been to provide tools to understand how I solved a problem, not to hand out "ready-made solutions"—the goal is to help people understand, not to mindlessly copy without comprehension.

After all, the blog is called "IT Notes," and they are my notes, turned into articles, mostly related to direct experiences I’ve just had. It’s not called "IT Course"—those, when necessary, I create in other ways.

#ITNotes #BlogPosts #Blog

The slides, the video, and the text behind my presentation at EuroBSDCon 2024 - 'Why and how we're migrating many of our servers from Linux to the BSDs.'

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/10/03/i-solve-problems-eurobsdcon/

#ITNotes #FreeBSD #OpenBSD #NetBSD #RunBSD #IT #SysAdmin #EuroBSDCon #EBC24 #EuroBSDCon24 #EuroBSDCon2024 #NoteHUB

Outdated Infrastructure and the Cloud Illusion

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/10/19/outdated-infrastructure-and-the-cloud-illusion/

#ITNotes #Cloud #IT #SysAdmin #CloudComputing #Virtualization #NoteHUB #OwnYourData

From Proxmox to FreeBSD - Story of a Migration

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/10/21/from-proxmox-to-freebsd-story-of-a-migration/

#FreeBSD #Proxmox #bhyve #Linux #Migration #IT #SysAdmin #ITNotes #Virtualization #NoteHUB

Improving snac Performance with Nginx Proxy Cache

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/01/29/improving-snac-performance-with-nginx-proxy-cache/

#Data #Fediverse #Freebsd #Hosting #ITNotes #Networking #Nginx #NoteHUB #Ownyourdata #Server #Snac #Snac2 #Social #Tipsandtricks #Tutorial #Web

FediMeteo: How a Tiny €4 FreeBSD VPS Became a Global Weather Service for Thousands

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/02/26/fedimeteo-how-a-tiny-freebsd-vps-became-a-global-weather-service-for-thousands/

#FediMeteo #Fediverse #FreeBSD #RunBSD #Hosting #ITNotes #Networking #NoteHUB #Server #Snac #Snac2 #Social #Web

FediMeteo: How a Tiny €4 FreeBSD VPS Became a Global Weather Service for Thousands

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/02/26/fedimeteo-how-a-tiny-freebsd-vps-became-a-global-weather-service-for-thousands/

#Fediverse #FreeBSD #RunBSD #Hosting #ITNotes #Networking #NoteHUB #Server #Snac #Snac2 #Social #Web

Launching BSSG - My Journey from Dynamic CMS to Bash Static Site Generator

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/04/07/launching-bssg-my-journey-from-dynamic-cms-to-bash-static-site-generator/

#ITNotes #NoteHUB #blogging #bssg #freebsd #linux #netbsd #openbsd #ownyourdata #server #ssg #web

I just finished the blog post on FediMeteo, how it was created and what it's made of. In the end, it turned out less technical than expected, but that's fine. I’ll be publishing it tomorrow morning.

#Blog #BlogPost #ITNotes #StayTuned #FediMeteo

The Day GlusterFS Tried to Kill My Career

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/05/21/the_day_glusterfs_tried_to_kill_my_career/

#ITNotes #data #horrorstories #ownyourdata #server

The Server That Wasn't Meant to Exist

A story from 16 years ago - trust, tech, and a server that had to disappear. They offered me a blank check. I said no.

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/05/13/the_server_that_wasnt_meant_to_exist/

#ITNotes #IT #SysAdmin #OwnYourData

Make Your Own Backup System – Part 2: Forging the FreeBSD Backup Stronghold

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/07/29/make-your-own-backup-system-part-2-forging-the-freebsd-backup-stronghold/

#Backup #FreeBSD #ZFS #IT #SysAdmin #OwnYourData #ITNotes

Make Your Own Backup System – Part 1: Strategy Before Scripts

https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/07/18/make-your-own-backup-system-part-1-strategy-before-scripts/

#Backup #OwnYourData #SysAdmin #IT #DataRecovery #ITNotes

Ever heard of vibe coding?
It’s when the code looks fine, tests pass, vibes are good - so it goes to production. Even if it’s wide open to SQL injection.

I’ve seen it happen.
AI wrote it. Devs trusted it. Management loved it.
Nobody understood it.

We’re trading skill for speed.
And that’s how we lose our freedom.

Vibe Coding Will Rob Us of Our Freedom: https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/05/vibe-coding-will-rob-us-of-our-freedom/

EDIT: Given the trends and the comments, I wrote something off the cuff about it: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/05/when-we-become-cheerleaders-for-our-own-demise/

#ITNotes #ai #coding #data #ownyourdata #programming #IT #SysAdmin

EDIT: I've posted this - that will clarify even more things: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/10/10/when-bigger-stops-being-better/

I’ve received many reactions to my latest blog post. Some constructive, others critical, but all useful to better understand different perspectives.
However, two recurring dynamics emerged in the comments (mostly outside the Fediverse).

First: I didn’t mention any names. I understand the disappointment, but naming them wouldn’t have helped anyone. Before publishing, I did my homework - that draft had been ready for over a year - and I even asked some of the people involved.
They took action privately to warn friends and colleagues, with good results, but they didn’t want public exposure. Many years have passed, and that company no longer has the same relevance anyway.
Some understood my choice (naming them could have meant serious legal trouble for me), but others started quoting US laws and amendments to "prove" that I could have safely done it. What many don’t realize is that the world isn’t the United States - not everyone plays by the same legal rules. And even if I won such a case, it would still mean wasted time, energy, and peace of mind. Cui prodest?

Second: "Stories like that can only happen in Italy because there are so many small, family-run businesses".
That one annoyed me more - especially because it often came from Italians themselves.
First of all, I’ve worked in several countries, and I never said the story was about an Italian company.
Second, small businesses are not a problem - they’re a strength. My experience taught me that large corporations tend to turn employees into replaceable parts of a giant machine. Customers become faceless numbers, almost subjects rather than clients. At some point, a company’s need for endless growth becomes a trap - not a service that enriches people’s lives, but a "necessary evil".
And that, to me, is the real danger: believing that bigger automatically means better - in tech, and in life.
I wrote about this a few months ago, and I still believe it even more strongly today: https://my-notes.dragas.net/2025/06/09/macbook-pro-vs-car-why-small-businesses-still-win/

#ITNotes #BlogPost #TechCulture #SmallBusiness #Writing #Reflections #PersonalThoughts

My friends, I'm so excited and happy to introduce a new project: the illumos Cafe!

The positive and constructive spirit of the BSD Cafe, created and maintained by all the friends who participated from day one in building a strong and friendly community, deserves to spread to other operating systems. Because there are other OSes that deserve attention, certainly more than they're getting right now.

Operating systems based on illumos (like SmartOS, OmniOS, Tribblix, OpenIndiana, etc.) are mature, stable, secure, and perfectly usable for a wide range of tasks. ZFS is native, zones are an excellent method for containerization, and bhyve and kvm coexist beautifully - and so much more, too much to list in a single post.

So from today, the illumos Cafe will stand alongside the BSD Cafe in creating a positive, respectful, and growth-oriented (but also relaxing!) environment, starting right here in the Fediverse with a Mastodon instance and a snac one.

I've written an introductory article about the project, including some technical details. I invite everyone interested to read it: https://it-notes.dragas.net/2025/08/18/introducing-the-illumos-cafe/

Choose your table, take a seat and enjoy your time at the illumos Cafe!

#SysAdmin #IT #BSDCafe #illumosCafe #Community #OpenSource #OSS #illumos #SmartOS #OpenIndiana #ZFS #bhyve #kvm #Fediverse #Mastodon #snac #ITNotes