Running a Raspberry Pi with a read-only root filesystem

While there are downsides, using a read-only root filesystem will dramatically increase your Pi SD card's lifetime.

Setting net.netfilter.nf_conntrack_max on Ubuntu 22.04

On one server I manage, the default net.netfilter.nf_conntrack_max value (65536, IIRC) was not sufficient and I wanted to increase it substantially. The first thing I did was add a new file in /etc/sysctl.d: # /etc/sysctl.d/91-cdz-nf_conntrack.conf net.netfilter.nf_conntrack_max= …

Pi Reliability over WiFi: 'Temporary failure in name resolution'

Part of the Raspberry Pi Reliability series. One Pi I run here at home sits in an outbuilding with less-than-ideal WiFi signal strength. It runs PiAware [1] and BirdNET-Pi, and I specifically haven't run Ethernet to it to partially mitigate lightning-strike risks, given that it has two exposed …

Keeping a SMB share mounted on macOS (and alerting when it does down)

Instructions on keeping an SMB share mounted persistently on macOS with launchd, featuring monitoring via Uptime Kuma and runner.

More Koyaanisqatsi desktop wallpaper (sunrise clouds this time)

The Yearlong Koyaanisqatsi Mastodon bot just shared another few frames I thought would make great desktop wallpaper. This time they're frames of clouds at (I think) sunrise. The same process and quality caveats apply as with the desert wallpaper from a few days ago. Enjoy. * Download Wallpapers * Download …

Socket organizers, end caps, and 3D-printed friction fits

Another recent 3D printing project was customizing these socket organizers for 4 socket sets that live in a tool bag with my 3/8" impact wrench: Since these live in a tool bag instead of in a drawer, I wanted to be sure the sockets would fit snugly in …

Making 3D-printed end caps for sharp aluminum extrusions

My table saw — a portable Hitachi C10RA2 I bought from a friend — features two aluminum extrusions along the table top. These extrusions stick out a bit on each side of the saw, and they have sharp corners, and they hurt when you bump into them: I chose to take a …

Blocking disposable email domains in Mastodon

Mastodon yesterday experienced a small wave of spam. One thing we're doing in response at a2mi.social, as recommended by this summary of the incident, is improving how we block disposable email providers. I wrote the following Bash script, inspired by this one. Run periodically via cron, it …

Reliable WiFi for the Bambu X1C 3D printer

How to set up a Raspberry Pi WiFi access point that the Bambu X1C can stay connected to.

Desert stills from Koyaanisqatsi as desktop wallpaper

The Yearlong Koyaanisqatsi Mastodon bot recently shared a series of frames that I felt could stand alone as still photos — something I find somewhat rare in a lot of movies, though Koyaanisqatsi and co. are a notable exception. I thought they'd work nicely as desktop wallpapers. Unfortunately, AFAICT …

Automated generator load-shedding for the house

Another recent house-related problem, and a solution. My house has an old 7 kW natural gas generator. During a power outage, it makes sure the house still has heat and running water, and it also powers some lights and outlets in the bedroom, office, and kitchen. The "office" …

Fixing bad design with a label maker

There are now two objects in my house that look odd but work 1000% better than when I bought them. I quite like my alarm clock overall, but the buttons you use to control the light, volume, snooze, and alarm are tiny and it's nearly impossible to tell …

OpenList is no longer available in the Chrome Web Store

I received a kind email this week from someone who used my Chrome extension, OpenList, asking if I was aware it had been de-listed from the Chrome Web Store. I am indeed aware; I de-listed it, and I'm happy to explain why: I have personally not used this …

Recycling a pallet into an Adirondack-ish-style footrest

A brief project log for today. I was taking in some sun last weekend when I decided the chair I was sitting in needed a matching footrest. I briefly looked at Amazon, but I wanted instant gratification, and everything that looked halfway decent and was made of actual wood seemed …

Setting up a secondary Pi-Hole on my home network

I run Pi-Hole as the DNS server for my home network. It provides ad and nuisance blocking for a subset of the systems in the house. Having a single DNS server for your network is very stressful; it’s a single point of failure, so even routine maintenance feels touch-and-go. …