The PiKVM is really a great project. I started thinking about getting one during a period when one of my rackmount servers decided to start misbehaving, and was frequently requiring the connection of a console. And, to give some context for what this meant — my rack is under the stairs, and connecting to it…
Ultimate APC UPS Monitoring with apcupsd-admin-plus and Docker!
Yes, APC includes some software with their UPS units. However, if you have more than one UPS, or just want better network-based monitoring, apcupsd-admin-plus is the answer. All of the components use Docker containers for ease of deployment and updates. I’d also recommend, and this guide will use, the excellent WebUI for Docker — Portainer….
OpenVPN Admin Plus: An Admin Web User Interface for OpenVPN Servers!
If you’re running an OpenVPN Server, here’s an excellent tool for keeping track of who’s connected, for how long, and how much data they’re using. In addition, it’ll show you what client keys/certificates have been created, and will allow you to download .zip or .ovpn files for those clients. Revoking and removing of client credentials…
Fixing Incorrect “Recently Added” Items in Plex Media Server for Windows
If you have items that seem to have been stuck forever in Plex’s “Recently Added” lists, editing the Plex database directly is the surest way to correct the problems. We’re going to use a combination of tools to determine what the problem is, and to correct it: A MySQLite database editor: https://sqlitebrowser.org/dl/ An Epoch Unix…
Enable systemd in WSL2 Debian 11
This guide will help you install systemd to run as normal under WSL2 Debian. This will allow services like microk8s, docker, cockpit and many more to just work during a WSL session. Note: this was tested on Windows 10 Build 21H2, running Debian 11 in WSL2. To enable systemd under WSL we require a tool called systemd-genie Download install-sg.sh to a temporary location /tmp: Make it executable: Run the…
Upgrading WSL2 Debian 10 to 11
This a relatively easy upgrade, so it’s worth doing in situ if you’ve customized your distro. If you haven’t done anything you’d like to keep from your current installation, you can always download a fresh copy from the Microsoft Store. First order of business is to open PowerShell and backup your current installation. Switch to…
Enabling RDP on Linux Mint 20 with Elevated Privileges
If you’re a regular user of RDP to administer Windows based systems, you’re probably wondering how to enable it on your Linux Mint system so you can use the same set of tools for both Operating Systems. Getting RDP going is relatively easy, but I’m also going to cover the trickier part of dealing with…
Enabling SSH Root Login on Linux Mint 20
OK — we get it, desktop versions of Linux need to be more secure out of the box. But some of us want to imbue these GUI-based products with server-style functionality for home network use. So, if you understand the risks, and want to enable SSH access for the root user anyway — read on!…
Removing Local DNS Entries Created by DHCP on the UniFi Security Gateway (USG)
If you’re using a UniFi Security Gateway sooner or later you’re going to run into an issue with DNS entries registered during the DHCP process. If you have a busy household, with lots of visitors, or are an inveterate technology tinkerer, you’ll be amazed at how many stale entries can build up. Occasionally, you may…
Installing an OpenVPN TAP Server on a Raspberry Pi using PiVPN
OpenVPN is still a great way to go in setting up a VPN to access a home network. In addition, if you want that VPN experience to be as close to actually being at home as possible, you may want to use a TAP-style connection. A TAP connection allows you to use resources as though…