Hands-on tutorials, gear guides, and walkthroughs to build your own lab at home — from Raspberry Pi to full server racks
Linux Package Management Guide for Beginners The Gateway to Linux Administration Every piece of software on your Linux server got there somehow. In the Debian/Ubuntu world—which dominates enterprise Linux deployments—that somehow is apt. Installing packages seems simple until you’re maintaining a production server at 3 AM and an update just broke everything. Understanding apt properly […]
apt Commands Ubuntu Read More »
Service Management for Junior Sysadmins The Command You’ll Use More Than Any Other In my first week as a junior sysadmin, I probably ran systemctl status about fifty times a day. Application not responding? Check the service. Website down? Check the service. Database timing out? You guessed it—check the service. systemctl is the interface between
Mastering systemctl Read More »
Why This Matters for Your Career I’ve sat on both sides of the technical interview table. As a candidate, I’ve fumbled through command-line questions that should have been easy. As a hiring manager, I’ve watched promising candidates crash and burn because they couldn’t navigate a filesystem under pressure. Here’s what nobody tells you: interviewers aren’t
Linux Commands That Get You Hired Read More »
And Why You Should Try It in Your Homelab with Twingate 👋 The Old Way: VPNs and Big Doors For years, remote access meant one thing: a VPN. You logged in once, and suddenly your laptop could see everything on the network. That worked fine when: • Everyone sat in the same office. • The
🔐 What Is Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)? Read More »
We all know that one corner in the house where cables run wild, blinking lights dazzle in the dark, and airflow is barely a thought. For me, that corner was the hallway: where the internet connection enters, access points are fed, Smart Home hubs live, and the rack got dirtier by the week. This week
DIY Lab Rax 10″ 5U: How I Cleaned Up My Homelab & Network Rack Using 3D Printing Read More »
Upgrade Proxmox VE 8 to 9 without rebuilding your lab. This in-place upgrade guide covers backups, repo changes to Debian Trixie, no-subscription setup, and post-upgrade checks.
Upgrading Your Homelab to Proxmox VE 9: In-Place Upgrade Guide & New Features Read More »
If your homelab matters, your backups matter more. Proxmox Backup Server (PBS) 4.0 is out now on Debian 13 “Trixie”, with a Linux 6.14 kernel and ZFS 2.3.3. Headline upgrades include native S3-compatible object storage, live RAIDZ expansion, and automatic sync on mount for removable datastores. Below is a straightforward, no-subscription in-place upgrade from PBS
In-Place Upgrade to Proxmox Backup Server 4.0 (Homelab Edition) Read More »
Still port forwarding in 2025? Stop. This guide walks you through real-world security for your Raspberry Pi or homelab — Zero Trust, backups, and monitoring included.
How to Secure Your Homelab in 2025 (Start Here) Read More »
This isn’t just a hobby. This is how you build the skills to run production-grade infrastructure — from your garage, spare room, or Raspberry Pi. Overview Whether you’re running Docker on a Raspberry Pi or building out a full Proxmox cluster, your homelab should be more than just a collection of apps. It should be
Homelab Essential Services (2025): Build Your Full Stack Read More »
When advancing your tech skills and career, demonstrating initiative through practical projects can make a significant difference. Building and managing a homelab is an excellent way to showcase your creativity, problem-solving skills, and ability to learn independently. But a common decision arises when starting your homelab journey: Should you use a Raspberry Pi or a
Raspberry Pi vs Mini PC: Which Is Better for Learning and Career Growth? Read More »
