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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Borgmatic: Borg Backup, Done Right
BorgBackup is great. Borgmatic makes you actually run it: config-driven schedules, hooks, healthchecks, and a backup system that pages you when it breaks.
11 min read -
Owncast vs PeerTube vs nginx-rtmp
Owncast is the Twitch-alike. PeerTube is federated VOD. nginx-rtmp is roll-your-own RTMP. Here's how to pick a self-hosted streaming platform.
10 min read -
PostgreSQL on ZFS: Tuning, Snapshots, Pitfalls
Run PostgreSQL 18 on ZFS for atomic snapshots, lz4 compression, and silent corruption detection. Tuning guide, backup automation scripts, and the real pitfalls.
11 min read -
Kasm Workspaces: Browser Desktops
Kasm Workspaces streams disposable Linux desktops and apps to your browser. Threat model, real homelab uses, and how it compares to Guacamole.
11 min read -
Navidrome vs Airsonic vs gonic
Three self-hosted music servers, all Subsonic-compatible. Navidrome is polished, Airsonic feature-heavy, gonic minimal. Here's how to pick yours.
12 min read -
TimescaleDB Continuous Aggregates Without Pain
Stop melting your DB with Grafana queries. TimescaleDB continuous aggregates pre-roll your metrics so dashboards stay fast even at 90-day ranges without pain.
12 min read -
Stop Feeding the AI Your Whole Repo
Comparing context-mode, code-review-graph, token-savior, and claude-context — MCP tools that stop AI coding agents from reading your whole codebase blind.
10 min read -
ClickHouse for Self-Hosted Logs
ClickHouse can store TB of logs on one node, query in seconds, and outscale Loki and Elasticsearch in raw cost. Here's how to wire it up with Vector and Grafana.
11 min read -
DuckDB for Local Analytics: Pandas on Steroids
DuckDB runs SQL directly on CSV, Parquet, and JSON files with no server and no import step required. Here is why it belongs in every home lab data toolkit.
10 min read -
Kodi vs Jellyfin Native for HTPC
Kodi is the classic media center. Jellyfin's native players ride on the Jellyfin server. Here's which client to run on your HTPC and why.
12 min read -
Homebridge vs Home Assistant Hub Showdown
Homebridge bridges devices into Apple Home. Home Assistant is the full local automation platform. Here's which one to pick — or why you'd run both.
9 min read -
PoE Injectors and Switches for the Home Lab
Cut rack cable clutter with Power over Ethernet. A no-nonsense guide to PoE standards, switch power budgets, and cleanly powering your home lab gear rack.
12 min read
