Linux ⁽¹³⁾

Here is a simple snippet for timing file system performance. I wrote this as part of a script to detect an infrequent but recurrent error mode on a NAS that causes performance degradation. I run the script hourly from a Linux host with a CIFS…

Although no official guidance or repositories are provided, it is easy to install PowerShell on ARM Mediatek and Snapdragon Chromebooks. Assuming you have the Linux container installed (via Developer Options in Settings) then the ARM build of PowerShell can be installed following a similar method…

I recently purchased an aging Toshiba Portege Z30-A-189 for a bargain price on an internet auction site. The Portege is a lightweight ultra-portable laptop with good battery life and delightful ergonomics; I was lucky enough to use one a daily driver in a previous life,…

I waste my money so you don't have to? In this article I explore potential uses for a Dell Wyse 3040 in my homelab, and I identify some roles to which it is definitely not well suited. I recently purchased a Dell Wye 3040 Thin…

An article called VMware Tools for Debian 10 arm64 on ESXi-Arm on Virten.net explains that a compiled version of Open VM Tools is not available in repositories for ARM builds of many common guest operating systems. Their workaround is to compile a version from the…

Connections to cloud-hosted servers are typically secured using an RSA Private Key rather than password. If you have the key saved to a file on a local machine, here is how to use it with SSH, Scp, Rsync and Ansible To use SSH to perform…

The free license option for VMWare ESXi lacks the backup APIs enabled by a vSphere license. Here is a simple script that I use instead to backup my guest VMs on my VMWare ESXi running on a Raspberry Pi 4. The script assumes: Use SSH,…

Oracle Could Infrastructure generously provide completely free compute instances to all users. However, Oracle reserve the right to reclaim idle instances. This article describes how to generate a load capable of satisfying Oracle's definition of activity to prevent reclamation. Oracle define idle compute instances as…

The low-power Raspberry Pi is an excellent platform for the modest compute requirements of an always-on Active Directory (AD) Domain Controller (DC). However, building a DC from scratch on a Raspberry Pi can be complex, and few options exist for running AD in a container…

It is easy to change the time zone of your Linux server from the command line interface (CLI). The following technique should work on all systemd-derived distros including Redhat, Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, etc. Check your current time zone with the timedatectl command: $ timedatectl Local…

Outbound firewalling is an important step towards improving the security of your network, data and users, but common consumer and SME router devices cannot block outbound traffic, leaving many at risk. If commercial solutions are not an option then free open-source firewall software can run…

A significant proportion of your Internet traffic is likely to be concerned with tracking you to serve you with ever more intrusive adverts. Use an Ad Blocker like PiHole to firstly block ads and tracking, and then to build a Protective DNS service to protect…

As part of the TIG Stack, Telegraf is a great way of monitoring infrastructure and applications. However, monitoring environments where Telegraf is not available can be a challenge. Here is an alternative approach to monitoring using CURL instead of Telegraf that is suitable for use…