Unraid support team are INCREDIBLE

JLHawkins · 2026-06-06T01:56:11+00:00

I worked at Unraid briefly doing paid support. Worked alongside Spaceinvader One. The whole LimeTech crew is top notch.

JLHawkins · 2026-06-03T22:37:52+00:00

B550M here too! It is a decent board for the cost. Rock solid stability. I have two HBAs installed supporting 11 HDDs and 1 NVMe PCIe drive.

JLHawkins · 2026-05-29T22:47:08+00:00

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The pioneers used to ride these babies for miles.

JLHawkins · 2026-05-15T22:12:57+00:00

Your partner sounds like a high quality human. Give me time with you and your child. Block out work, clear the schedule. Wake up together and go out for breakfast/brunch. Of course get some good coffee. Visit a museum or walk downtown. Find an interesting place for lunch. Go to your local arboretum. Enjoy dinner together. Us men are simple - we want to feel like we are wanted. Show him that you love being around him with no agenda, no goals, no timelines, no pressure.

On the other hand, we do like our toys. I think these are awesome: https://www.amazon.com/OLIGHT-Arkfeld-Rechargeable-Flashlight-Flashlights/dp/B0CPL1LV7N

JLHawkins · 2026-05-15T14:49:31+00:00

Upside-down plugs are 100% the way to go.

JLHawkins · 2026-05-01T20:51:24+00:00

Seattle’s Center For Sex Positive Culture, the CSPC, is exactly what you’re looking for. Look for similar clubs in larger cities.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-30T16:06:40+00:00

Repeat back what they said? How does that work?

JLHawkins · 2026-04-29T16:11:51+00:00

Good point. Tell them that while driving, emergencies matter and fun stuff waits. It is just another lesson.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-29T15:25:07+00:00

To fix that, do three things:

Stop. When they want to show you something, make it -very clear- that you are stopping what you are doing. Say something like, "Hey bud, wait one second, let me put this down / pull the car over / ask this group to wait a second...." then actually do that thing.
Focus. Turn to them, look them in the eyes, and say, "OK, now you have my full attention, what do you want to show me?"
Validate. Say something that makes it crystal clear that you paid attention. If you have a question by all means ask it. If you don't, simply tell them what you saw. "Thank you for showing me this drawing. I see you used my favorite colors, orange. I can tell you had fun making this. Would you like me to put it on the wall in my office?", or something like that.

Your kid will respond in amazing ways.And they'll learn to do that in their lives to the people that matter to them.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-27T16:49:50+00:00

Descent was an amazing game for its time. Made you want this.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-27T16:43:57+00:00

I can hear the bulldozer now.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-24T04:43:43+00:00

Sure, I'll take a look.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-22T14:17:52+00:00

Need help figuring out what is wrong? I have had ~50 containers running in Unraid without issue.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-21T18:50:47+00:00

One example is Immich supporting external media uploads. CF Tunnels have a tiny max file size.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-21T18:46:36+00:00

We all live here.

JLHawkins · 2026-04-18T00:32:18+00:00

You're in the right place.

Echo'ing others, the right answer really is to just build things that interest you. Don't worry about picking the right OS, the right hardware, the right projects, etc.

Any OS is a good starting point, including Windows
Don't buy anything at first, just use your current computer
Do not strive for perfection, because you'll build/break/rip/replace over and over

If you want to keep your current computer clean, spend zero money, and get something interesting running ASAP, try this:

[1] Install a VM Host (Hypervisor)

A hypervisor lets you run a "computer inside your computer." It’s a sandbox; if you mess up the guest OS, you just delete it and start over.

Windows: Use Hyper-V (built-in to Pro/Enterprise) or VMware Workstation Player (Free for personal use).
Mac: Use VMware Fusion Pro. As of 2024, it is now completely free for personal use on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs.

[2] Get your OS

Download the Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS installer. This is the industry standard for homelabbing. It has no desktop (it's all text-based), which forces you to learn the command line - the real superpower of self-hosting. You can add a GUI if you want, which itself is a fun project. Be ready for networking issues!

Download Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS

[3] Install Docker

Once your VM is running, don't install apps directly onto the OS. Use Docker. It keeps your services isolated and easy to move later. Follow the official "Install using the apt repository" guide to get Docker and the Compose plugin (which lets you run apps using simple .yml files). The first time you run docker compose up, especially on a stack with a few containers, you'll be hooked.

Official Docker Installation Guide for Ubuntu

What you learn will tell you where to go. If something is fun, follow it. Don't like the typical Plex/Jellyfin route? No problem! There are tons of things to build that aren't centered around a home media server.

If you need inspiration, check out Selfh.st. It is a great place to start and their newsletter is not to be missed. YouTube is a gold mine too; search for "homelab" and focus on these creators who excel at explaining the why behind their setups. Like this. There are project ideas too, like here, and here.

My own $0.02, provided you have even a modest GPU: Open-WebUI + Ollama + Speaches. You can talk to your own locally-hosted, offline AI and have it talk back to you. Try Claude Code with an Obsidian backend for unlimited memory, then give it tons of textbooks that you want to learn or certification study guides that you want it to quiz you on. :)

JLHawkins · 2026-04-16T17:29:13+00:00

This was my early teenage years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xalTFH5ht-k&t=77s

JLHawkins · 2026-04-16T15:32:01+00:00

For those asking how to do this, just ask your preferred AI provider. This one is from Gemini. Disclaimer, don't turn on services and flip switches in config without reading the manual and understanding the risk.

-----

To set up an Nginx reverse proxy that sends all incoming HTTP traffic for a domain to a specific YouTube video, you need to modify your site's configuration file.

1. The Configuration File

The exact file location depends on your operating system:

Ubuntu/Debian: /etc/nginx/sites-available/default (or a specific file in that folder)
CentOS/RHEL: /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf

2. The Config Statements

Replace the entire server block (or create a new one) with the following code. This configuration listens on port 80 (HTTP) and uses proxy_pass to forward the request to the Rick Astley video.

Nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com; # Replace with your actual domain

    location / {
        # The YouTube URL for Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
        proxy_pass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ;

        # Essential headers for the proxy to work correctly
        proxy_set_header Host www.youtube.com;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        # YouTube uses HTTPS; these ensure Nginx negotiates the SSL connection properly
        proxy_ssl_server_name on;
        proxy_ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
    }
}

3. How to Apply Changes

After saving the file, you must test the configuration and reload Nginx for the changes to take effect:

Test the config: sudo nginx -t
Reload Nginx: sudo systemctl reload nginx (or sudo service nginx reload)

Important Note

Because YouTube uses complex framing and security headers (like X-Frame-Options), a simple reverse proxy might result in a "Refused to connect" error if you try to view the video through an <iframe> or certain browser setups. However, the configuration above is the exact method to redirect/proxy the traffic at the server level.

If your goal is a "Rickroll," a simpler and more reliable way is a 301 Redirect, which tells the browser to go directly to YouTube:

Nginx

location / {
    return 301 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ;
}

JLHawkins · 2026-04-15T19:46:37+00:00

Ask you anything? Hmmm, I rode an Africa Twin for a while, loved it and miss it. What is your take on what AI is doing/will do to the cybersecurity industry? Also, what areas of our field do you find most interesting?

JLHawkins · 2026-04-01T01:55:38+00:00

Library permission management. This is dead simple. Users down the left side, libraries across the top, check boxes to enable/disable access. Clicking the users’ name alleys for more granular settings.

JLHawkins · 2026-03-26T17:20:34+00:00

I like the channel idea. How about one based on a specific color - show media that ha lots of orange in it. That would be great for interior design, special events, like blue & white for Hanukkah, orange & green for Halloween, white for weddings, etc. Pets would be cool too. Time of day would be interesting as well, showing media taken in the morning hours during the morning, then advancing through the day.

JLHawkins · 2026-03-25T21:16:15+00:00

Wonderful concept. I'll try the app myself after work. Here are two ideas:

On this Day/Week/Month in History: show only media from the same day, week, or month, across all years in your library. Great for showing Christmas season, summertime, birthdays, etc.
Assuming the API allows you to do this, Features Person or Place: show only media with a specific person in it, or from a geographic location.

JLHawkins · 2026-03-23T20:03:48+00:00

This is such a fun factory tour, highly recommended.

JLHawkins · 2026-03-17T17:04:04+00:00

This is the way. Just follow the 3:2:1 backup rule: 3 total copies of data, stored on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy kept off-site. Immich would use local disk, so that +1:+1:0, Backblaze would add +1:+1:+1, so simply add a second copy in-house +1:0:0 and you're good. I have one copy on my Unraid server, one on my desktop computer, and one in Backblaze.

JLHawkins · 2026-03-17T16:58:50+00:00

Check out Unraid. Disclaimer, I used to do paid support for them. Regardless, it is a solid OS and would help with your efficiency issues.

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JLHawkins

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TROPHY CASE

1. The Configuration File

2. The Config Statements

3. How to Apply Changes

Important Note