Posts

There are many ways to host web applications. You can run them it in the cluod or on-premises, using everything from “copy some PHP files into a folder” to full container orchestration on Kubernetes — and everything in between. My Requirements I optimize for deployments with: Zero downtime — users shouldn’t get kicked out during updates. This means the application must be stateless, with all state stored externally. (Also useful when I inevitably get millions of users 😊) Proper HTTPS Low operating cost Fast and easy to updates Your requirements may be different, but mine are tuned for a homelab software developer who deploys often to a professional‑looking “test environment.” Updates should be simple, quick, and not disrupt anyone using the app. ...

After more than a decade of running Synology NAS devices in my home, I’m making a significant change to my setup. This post explores why and what I am will be doing. Why Have a NAS? I’ve had multiple Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices in my home over the last 15 years - Synology boxes for more than 10 years. A NAS can serve many needs like: It can replace OneDrive, DropBox, iCloud, Google Drive. It can host your media Automatic backups of computers Depending on the NAS, the more capable Synology supports lots of applications for domain management, office work, and run Docker containers. It can provide disks to other machines using iSCSI and more that I have not explored. ...

It started when I bought a new IKEA smart device that supports Matter over Threads. Getting this up and running with my Home Assistant running on a Proxmox server should be easy, right? That was the original idea. I ended up doing the following. Buy new anteanna for Threads and try to access it from a VM on Proxmox. I should probably upgrade Proxmox 8 to 9 before adding the anthenna? I should do a backup of all VMs on Proxmox (I am very glad I did this) Start upgrade - it fails. It does not boot - probably caused by a combination of secure boot and unsigned drivers that the proxmox installer warned me about. I don’t try to troubleshoot - I reinstall Proxmox 9 from scratch. This is actually a good thing, I got a few more settings proxmox settings right this time (better disk/filesystem) Move the Proxtmox server - if I clean up the server, why not improve its location as well. Restore VMs - this works very well. Add antenna, try to pair the IKEA device - It fails Current status Does the IKEA device work - Not yet ...

Smart Home stuff is complex. This is a few things I learned the hard way. Grouping devices and group names There are two types of smart devices. There are things like Alexa, Siri or Google Home that talk to humans. And there are things/apps/services that controls devices, like Hue, Netatmo and Roborock. Almost all of them can manage groups of devices. You want to the human facing devices to own groups with simple easy names. ...

No,it is not to isolate malicious devices! It is because you have lots of “old” device that does not handle and will not connect to your main combined WiFi 5/6 network. You need a 2.4 Ghz network. I have only managed to get a stable connection to Raspbery Pi Zero on the 2.4 Ghz only network.

Exploring deployment options for a web app with a focus on cost, speed, and learning.

I use GitHub Copilot (Pro) and Google Gemini CLI1. Do coding assistants help me develop faster, improve code, or cause other effects? Disclaimer: The way we use AI assisted development will continue to evolve and these are my thoughts and experiences with coding assistants as of November 2025. I expect to look back on this post and feel embarrassed - but that’s part of the journey. I use AI coding assistants in different ways, each with its own impact. ...

This is how I manage my SSH private keys. I think this is a good balance between security and usability, but this setup is for me. Your situation may be different so read this as potential inspiration, not as a blueprint. I have a “master” key that gives access to all the clouds, linux machines and Git/GitHub. This gives lots of access so it must be protected. But I also use it often, so it must be easy to use. The way I solve this is using 1Password. It allows the keys to be used on multiple devices while keeping them secure through biometric authentication. ...

A long time ago my employer needed to sign a shrink-wrapped software package using Authenticode. This was my first experience with code signing. Below I summarize what code signing is, why it matters, the 2023 HSM requirements, and practical options for signing in local and CI environments. I have used Azure Key Vault for HSM-backed signing. What is code signing and why use it? A digital signature is an encrypted checksum of a file. It can be verified with the public key to ensure the file was not modified after signing and that the signer controls the corresponding private key. ...