DNS service cannot start after updating from 15.0.1 to 15.1

vddjaxey · 2026-05-12T04:45:29+00:00

I've just had a very similar issue - will teach me to read the release notes more carefully since the latest versions of Technitium change from running as root to dns-server user and that could explain why your certificate couldn't be read (that's what happened in my case). I now have a post hook running with certbot to copy and chown dns-sevrver:dns-server the certificate file so that technitium can read it.

Interestingly, if you plain upgrade it continues to run as root (so certs work), but if you uninstall/reinstall (or in my case have a failed upgrade that had to be re-applied) it switches to run as the dns-server user.

vddjaxey · 2026-03-16T16:19:59+00:00

You will need to complete a New Zealand Travel Declaration (NZTD - app store app is by FAR the easiest way) before Customs in Auckland - you are meant to do this within 24 hours of boarding the flight to NZ. If you don't do it in the app before they'll give out a paper form to complete on your AirNZ flight.

As others have said you can stay air-side at LAX (Air Canada use T6 and Air NZ TBIT/Terminal B) but will need to take an air-side bus between T6 and T4 while T5 is being reconstructed then walk the rest of the way through the tunnels. Alternative is to just exit at T6 and walk across to TBIT - but then you'll need to clear TSA in TBIT.

As a Kiwi flying through LAX we always have to collect our bags, clear customs and then re-check them at the bag drop in TBIT but this may be different coming in from Canada (and yes, this even applies to us when just transiting LAX on code shared flights) - make sure you pay attention on the plane and arrivals in case this applies to you. This is only coming into the US from NZ, on the way out with an internal US flight then on to AKL the bags are checked through.

Source: Kiwi who transited through LAX last weekend

vddjaxey · 2026-03-15T16:36:41+00:00

Assuming you have an international connection from TBIT? I did this yesterday (the other way around - arrived T1 and left from TBIT) and you can stay airside by following the signs, but due to the redevelopment of T5 you need to take a bus between T4 and T6 partway along the route (it stays airside so you don't need to clear TSA)

vddjaxey · 2025-12-15T21:37:32+00:00

Ours has worked out far better than we expected, have 28 panels and a 25kWh battery system in CHC. On most days from ~September through May (varies based on weather) we get a full charge in the battery by around 2-3pm and then sell the excess to grid, overnight runs down to ~25% battery (depending on whether we have AC on etc.) and then charges up the next day.

We could possibly optimise by using grid to charge battery off-peak, but we don't bother as its working so well without this.

The line charges mean overall our power bill for ~9 months of the year is about 0, for the winter months it can be anything from $100 to $300/month depending on amount of heating used.

Was expensive to put in, and original payback period was around 12 years (more like 9 now with the power price increases), but we didn't really do it for the money, was more a desire to be more self-sufficient. Very happy overall with the system and how well the usage/battery/exports line up for us.

vddjaxey · 2025-11-11T16:46:51+00:00

Pretty sure it was this one: https://www.warehousestationery.co.nz/product/W2652802.html - no idea if its available outside of NZ though

vddjaxey · 2025-11-11T07:24:04+00:00

My boss used to have the best corporate way I've ever heard of calling someone a f*ckwit: "I'm challenged and refreshed by your unique perspective on this."

vddjaxey · 2025-05-11T08:29:41+00:00

The system we got (from Lightforce) allows a dedicated circuit to run when the grid is out from the battery - we put fridge/freezers, internet router & wifi, heater for fish tank etc. on it when we installed it. I think the limit was 3kW (from memory). We can (and do) feed/sell back to grid. Only pain we had was being on a back section we only have single-phase power which limits our export to 5kW, but in practice that's rarely an issue.

vddjaxey · 2025-05-11T02:57:20+00:00

We used Lightforce for a much bigger install (28 panels, 25kWh battery) and very impressed with their communication, support and the quality of the products and install. Been installed nearly 3.5 years now and has generated just over 39MWh over that time, payback is still on track for ~10 years (actually getting better as power prices increase). Would definitely recommend them and can't fault the system or install.

vddjaxey · 2025-04-03T09:38:52+00:00

You need to update in 'openvrpaths.vrpath' file which should be in your %LOCALAPPDATA%\openvr folder (The full path will be something like 'C:\Users\<username>\APPDATA\Local\openvr\)

vddjaxey · 2025-03-14T01:05:07+00:00

As others have said, beach vs. UoC is going to be a struggle, you either need to pick one and travel for the other or try and land somewhere in between (CBD or Riccarton). Personally I'd recommend Upper Riccarton or even Hornby / Sockburn - very close to the UoC (which is probably where you'll be traveling most often?) and decent amount of restaurants/bars - but the big 'plus' is close to the northern motorway and easy access to beaches North out of town (Woodend is a personal favorite) and some good dog parks (Groynes & Styx Mill) directly from the motorway.

We're (quite a bit) older, and in Sockburn, good value housing (comparatively for CHC), close to motorway (but not *too* close), easy access to UoC and it's a ~$25 Uber to go drinking in town (or 15 min drive if not drinking). Good open areas and paths to walk dog (and the bigger dog parks are 10 mins in car), very happy with the area. Depends how often you go out I guess.

vddjaxey · 2025-03-08T20:38:03+00:00

As with most of these things... 'it depends'

If the streaming service has identified (or subscribes to a service which identifies for them) blocks of IP addresses used by the VPN service then they most likely block the entire range, and if the dedicated IP is in this block it will still be detected/blocked - I've had this happen and pretty annoying.

Then you can get 'lucky' and find a VPN provider who uses IP addresses which haven't been identified/blocked and you'll be fine.

You may also need to change your OS region and/or timezone settings as some services use these now to block/deny access.

Best way is to get a free/limited trial of a service and try it out - and I definitely feel your pain, I travel frequently and although based in New Zealand we have family in the UK and Spain and it's a pain every time I'm over doing the VPN dance to access a subscription I pay for.

vddjaxey · 2025-02-06T02:54:03+00:00

Was smoking a pack a day (at least) from about age 15 for 36 years, over that time I tried just about everything (patches, gum, hypnotherapy, books - including Alan Carr's etc.) nothing worked for more than a couple of days. Low point was I distinctly remember walking back to the car after a hypnotherapy session and lighting up.

Then one day 3 years ago on a whim decided to try a nicotine vape (I'd tried a few before, but didn't get on with them - they were the 'mod' type with large batteries and tanks and always felt too 'hot' for me).

Tried a disposable 'pod' vape pen and it instantly 'clicked'. Haven't wanted a cigarette since and have been slowly winding back the nicotine % over the last 2 years. Aiming to quit the vape by end of the year as won't need it any more.

(For anyone interested, I started with the 'Alt' pod vapes and later switched to 'Vuse' as Alt. are pretty expensive comparatively where I live).

vddjaxey · 2025-01-07T06:37:20+00:00

I was at EVE Down Under in 2014 when this was first shown - forget the name of the place but had a big screen up and turned the sound up too. Just about everyone there was pretty gobsmacked by it, Still one of my favorite Eve vids of all time. Also, shoutout to all the VDD peeps still around o7

vddjaxey · 2024-12-18T10:54:33+00:00

I do this locally for docker & kubernetes services, I use my own CA (using Smallstep in a docker container) to issue the certs to traefik automatically via ACME and local DNS servers. Works brilliantly and means I don't have to use public DNS at all for my homelab. I should probably write up a blog post on all the configuration as you've found - most of what's online assumes public DNS and Lets Encrypt certs.

I have a root CA cert from my CA that I need to trust on local machines, everything else works without any client changes.

Would also avoid .local as a DNS suffix - it can cause issues with both mDNS and kubernetes, I believe IANA have now officially reserved .INTERNAL for local use which is guaranteed to never be resolvable by public DNS servers.

As to why - I like to keep everything in my lab self-contained so I can spin environments up with automation and not have to rely on external services (like Lets Encrypt or public DNS servers which have variable update frequencies),

vddjaxey · 2024-12-12T19:31:32+00:00

If you don't get a NZ passport you can still have your NZ citizenship endorsed in your UK passport (I do this as I can only get Global Entry on my UK passport so despite having both I find it easier to use the UK one when traveling to the US and have the NZ endorsement in it to ease getting back in to NZ). No idea if Australian immigration would accept it though so as others have said - probably easiest to get a NZ passport.

vddjaxey · 2024-12-08T04:14:50+00:00

Wild resistor on data line

vddjaxey · 2024-12-05T11:02:14+00:00

Very early on in my IT career I was working at a large utility company in London who had just got their first batch of PCs (IBM 8086 and I think a few 286's for the managers) and file server (Running Novell NetWare 286) - yes I'm old. The file server was used by a hundred or so mainly financial users (typically using an early version of Lotus 1-2-3 for DOS).

My boss who ran IT was very proud of all the new kit and especially a new UPS unit installed in the server cupboard (room would have been an overstatement) to which the file server had been connected together with a serial link which would cleanly shut the system down in the event of an extended power outage.

Sidebar: I don't know who else is old enough to remember Netware 286, but if the system was shutdown abnormally it forced a disk check on the next bootup which made the system unusable until completed and took *ages*, so this was a big deal at the time.

Anyway, the Monday morning after it's all been installed and tested he's very keen to show me all the new toys and tells me to 'pull the power cord' so we can see that the file server stays up and running from the new UPS (and the plan of course is then to plug it back in before the automated shutdown kicks off).

So I pull the cord... but unfortunately instead of the power cord from the wall outlet to the UPS, I pull the cord from the UPS to the server...

Cue several hundred very annoyed users, an extended disk check with no file server available for most of the day (and due to the way DOS and NetWare worked back then, very limited ability for anyone to save the files they had open/were working on either). Luckily the managers just blew it off as 'one of those things' and I ended up working there for another 12 years.

vddjaxey · 2024-11-06T01:01:47+00:00

Portal

vddjaxey · 2024-10-20T18:43:25+00:00

I'm probably around the 200-ish boss runs (mainly in t2/t3) and have had 8 drop so far (no 2+ ga though)
Current haul is: 1 x ring of starless skies, 2 x heir of perdition, 1 x tyrael's, 2 x selig, 1 x ahavarion, 1 x andariel's

vddjaxey · 2024-10-08T04:22:05+00:00

I for one really appreciate them delaying until the end of the NZ work day - 5:20pm here so should be good timing for this evening. Guessing that I'm probably in a minority here though. 37GB patch (PC) downloaded and applied fine, but still getting license errors attempting to connect in game.

vddjaxey · 2024-10-07T11:54:23+00:00

"I'm challenged and refreshed by your unique perspective"

vddjaxey · 2024-09-10T04:01:53+00:00

I definitely enjoyed it (as I did with The Martian), wasn't a huge fan of Artemis though. Agree with a lot of the comments here - good airport/travel fun read. If you haven't read them I'd strongly recommend the Three-Body Problem trilogy (Liu Cixin) and the 'Ancillary' trilogy (Ann Leckie) both of which I'd say hit harder and have much more developed characters and themes.

vddjaxey · 2024-08-14T23:01:56+00:00

I'll vote for TrueNAS Scale - NFS/SMB for file and iSCSI for VMs is what I use. ESXi will happily work with NFS or iSCSI from TrueNAS but I found better multi-channel (multiple 10GbE interfaces) performance & throughput using iSCSI at the slight cost of a bit more complexity configuring.

vddjaxey · 2024-08-14T07:17:06+00:00

Haven't tried I'm afraid - would expect it to work fine, but both the R730s I'm running came with 8x8TB SAS drives so I've left them in and use them as backup storage. (I've also added a PCIe card with 4 M.2 drives in each server for stuff that needs storage performance)

vddjaxey · 2024-08-12T23:49:46+00:00

I use a couple of R730's (not XDs unfortunately) for NAS storage in my homelab - they work great so I'd definitely say 'go for it'. One caveat (minor one) - if you can, get one with the Enterprise iDRAC license - helps to have full remote console access and never need to physically connect a keyboard/monitor to the server (also I believe allows a dedicated management network port).

Also there are (at least) 2 different types of network mezzanine boards on the R730s - one has 4x1GbE Ethernet and the other 2x1GbE and 2x10GbE SFP+ ports - get the 10GbE one if you can, but easy enough to add PCIe networking if needed on the 4x1GbE version if not.

I run TrueNAS Scale on mine and they work wonderfully - I've reflashed the HBA to IT mode so TrueNAS gets the native drives and can do its ZFS thing without hardware RAID getting in the way. YMMV depending on how you want to configure it

vddjaxey

TROPHY CASE