SumGuy's Ramblings
The art of wasting time.
Docker, self-hosting, AI/LLM, Linux, and DevOps — explained by someone who learned the hard way. No fluff, no enterprise jargon, just practical stuff that actually works on real hardware.
Recent Posts
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Self-Hosted Maps Stack Picker
You don't need every map tool. A decision tree for picking the right self-hosted maps stack, geocoding only, routing, tiles, or the whole works.
13 min read -
20 Unix Users, 20 Rootless Dockers
One host, 20 Unix users, 20 rootless Docker daemons. The isolation model that beats a single shared daemon, plus the trade-offs nobody tells you about.
15 min read -
OsmAnd + Self-Hosted Tiles, Offline
Stop letting Google Maps know where you've been. Pair OsmAnd on your phone with self-hosted tiles for offline-first maps that don't snitch on you.
11 min read -
OpenRouteService: One Stack, Many APIs
Tired of gluing OSRM + a tile server together? OpenRouteService bundles routing, isochrones, matrix, and elevation APIs behind one self-hosted stack.
11 min read -
I Stopped Paying Google Maps API
A real workload, a real bill, and a real migration. What Google Maps API actually costs, what self-hosting actually saves, and what the migration cost in time.
11 min read -
Overpass API: SQL for OpenStreetMap
SQL for OpenStreetMap. Overpass lets you ask 'every coffee shop in Brooklyn near a subway.' Self-host it and stop fighting public-instance rate limits.
12 min read -
Full Self-Hosted Maps Stack
Replace Google Maps with self-hosted Nominatim, PostGIS, and a Martin tile server. Geocoding, reverse geocoding, and vector tiles, all on one box.
12 min read -
Leaflet vs MapLibre vs OpenLayers
Three JS map libraries, three decades of philosophy. Leaflet's simple, MapLibre's modern, OpenLayers is the Swiss army knife. Here's how to pick on Christmas Day.
9 min read -
MapLibre GL: Mapbox Replacement
When Mapbox went proprietary in 2020, the community forked it. MapLibre GL is now what you reach for, fully open, fully compatible, fully alive.
10 min read -
Tileserver-GL vs OpenMapTiles vs renderd
Vector vs raster tiles. MBTiles vs PostGIS-on-the-fly. Here's the actual storage and CPU cost of running each tile stack at home, with no marketing fluff.
13 min read -
Nominatim Hardware Sizing
Real RAM, disk, and CPU numbers for self-hosted Nominatim. Planet vs region, mini PC vs server, what survives the import and what doesn't.
10 min read -
BRouter: Cycling Routes That Don't Suck
Strava and Google route cyclists onto highways. BRouter's elevation-aware profiles know what a bike actually wants. Here's the self-hosted setup.
11 min read
