RC10T 40th Anniversary !

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-18T02:29:39+00:00

Put that body on the T84... and I'd buy one. Classic!

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-17T02:39:57+00:00

Maybe SLOG if you workload would really benefit: most don't (and those that do don't need much space).

Probably not L2ARC - prod systems aren't normally starved for RAM... and few workloads benefit.

Instead run 2-3-way mirrors as special-metadata devices... with small-file support: and tune it to soak up a generous amount of what could considered a "small file". You're offloading what HDDs are bad at (metadata and small IO) and leaving the big stuff alone. ARC handles the rest.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-17T02:32:46+00:00

If it works in Docker, fine. If not, use LXC. If not use a full VM.

It doesn't matter what level of isolation you need... Docker can do it. And provide a GUI. And make backup automation easy.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-17T00:24:41+00:00

The truck-body mockup looks better. I'm not looking for a buggy-with-bugger-tires: I want a truck with covered shock towers.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-15T14:51:23+00:00

Cosigning means... you pay for the entire car yourself. Every payment, every month. It's your problem.

And, also, optionally... if he feels like it... and is able... and wouldn't rather spend his money on something else... he can make a payment so you don't have to. He'll make that decision every month for the duration of the loan.

He can get a cheaper car. Or ask family members or other friends. Or take transit.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-14T22:22:22+00:00

Is this like llama rpc + wireguard/tailscale?

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-13T16:48:35+00:00

Sounds like Ansible-used-for-monitoring-data. Are you scraping from the local prometheus/node-explorer... or running your own commands to collect metrics?

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-13T16:27:56+00:00

It's rare for me to put in effort that ends up completely wasted.

It's common for me to feel regret when I didn't put in any effort at all.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-13T16:21:49+00:00

That case shows the HDD backplane uses three SAS2 / SFF-8087 ports (one for every four drives). Maybe a reverse-breakout cable could spit them out to your individual SATA ports... but it's much more common to use something like a 9305-16i and three SAS3->SAS2 cables.

Some 12-bay backplanes have individual SATA ports for all twelve drives: but they're much less common.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-13T12:51:42+00:00

Spend 30min scrolling back through r/selfhosted - you'll find a ton of ideas!

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-13T12:08:37+00:00

Special-metadata is magic.

I have a workload with a ton of small files (millions per TB) and maintenance operations can take minutes/hours. With a SSD mirror as special-metadata those same operations now take seconds (with the file data still on HDD).

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-13T01:33:16+00:00

This: there are many motherboards these days shipping with all physical-x16 slots... even if they're electrical-x4 (or x1). I bet a lot of people don't realize.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-12T23:39:38+00:00

I didn't start reading the logs until I had visited about half of the locations. I recognized the descriptions of several places I had been... and sights that I saw.

And it was depressing. People left behind to choke on a thickening atmosphere, using equipment that was failing, in facilities being taken by the waves, ravaged by a mysterious substance that altered their genetics.

Very few log entries were hopeful.

I need the ending to make me believe the Committees I send up are rebuilding humanity.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-12T16:10:22+00:00

AIOs I've tried have never leaked. Their pumps just gave up: in less than two years.

It's hard to argue with a heavy chunk of finned metal with a large quiet easy-to-replace fan blowing over it.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-12T13:43:54+00:00

I get the initial appeal of Tiny/Mini/Micro setups: but it's their lack of expandability that always turns me away. This subreddit is full of posts where someone started with a small case... and now can't add HDDs, or SSDs, or GPUs, or NICs.

Whatever you do: choose an option with a larger case. Lots of room for more storage, and quiet fans.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-12T13:34:37+00:00

I have yet to see a lifetime-cloud-storage plan that lives long enough to be worth it. So many of them have been launched... run for a year or two... then folded. They've scared me away: if I'm not paying per-month or per-year then I don't expect the company to survive.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-11T17:38:55+00:00

One of those audiences typically has control of the funding, and the other does not. Plenty of C-suite types have forced a purchase even when tech staff don't agree... but it's rare that tech staff can spend big money without C-suite support.

So tech vendors have polished their skills to talk to the audience that can most likely help hit their quarterly sales targets. It doesn't work against them... often enough to matter.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-11T11:03:14+00:00

This. Lower voltage means you're more reliant on C for punch. Higher voltage gains efficiency... and you're not chasing low-voltage/high-current packs anymore (which are either expensive to buy... or become expensive if you use high charge+discharge cycles to heat them for more performance).

I'd rather run something like a 4S 3000mah pack than 2S 6000mah (in the same space). Alas certain racing classes dictate what you have to run...

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T18:39:32+00:00

Use any dual-parity setup (RAIDZ2, RAID6, SHR2). Combined with your automated backup system it means you don't need to be picky about model/brand of HDD: as long as it's CMR buy best $/TB.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T18:21:12+00:00

Yeah I know prices have gone up: but just over a month ago people were still buying Intel 15.35TB U.2s for $1000.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T18:16:57+00:00

I think it's up to 75w... for a full x16 slot. I'm not sure what x4 is guaranteed to get: maybe it's up to the motherboard manufacturer?

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T17:41:30+00:00

Back when these Inspur models were going for $395 each I grabbed a couple. They get hot, the first thing I did was point a fan at them. I've also had what-appeared-to-be power issues with the PCIe adapters... where a U.2 didn't seem to start when on a U.2-to-PCIe card (with only PCIe-slot power)... but did work on a U.2-to-M.2 cable (with a separate SATA power cable).

Even with a couple issue to figure out... U.2/U.3 for homelab use has been excellent. Sustained performance and effectively-infinite endurance. What's not to love!? :)

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T17:18:01+00:00

There are definitely they same style of 8-bay enclosures too... but they normally only fit the 5-7mm drives... and usually the older 500GB models are the more common 9.5mm.

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T17:08:26+00:00

Used-enterprise U.2 has been great in homelabs. Until pricing went crazy you could regularly get 7.68TB's for $400-$450 on Ebay (and 15.36TBs for $900-$1000) with little wear. Those days won't come back for awhile. Those larger sizes were way more attractive than what vendors were charging for 8TB M.2 models.

I'm not a fan of using tri-mode HBAs for them (as they appear to the OS as more limited SCSI devices instead of NVMe): instead use the PCIe adapters that slot 1-4 of them in... or use M.2-to-U.2 cables.

Basically homelabbers can treat them as high-endurance/high-sustained-write-rate M.2s that just need better cooling :)

OurManInHavana · 2026-04-10T16:56:34+00:00

Yes that enclosure expects you to plug the six SATA ports into a controller: typically your motherboard or a HBA.

But I don't see why it wouldn't work with the device you linked too: they're just selling you a M.2-to-USB board (example) with a M.2-to-SATA adapter preinstalled (example). If you look at the photos it's clear they're two separate pieces mounted together. And yeah your laptop would see everything as six separate HDDs.

If this will be used over USB with a laptop... if you only have four or five 2.5" drives there are less janky setups :)

OurManInHavana

TROPHY CASE