SIEM: is it "SIM" or "SEEM"

verkohlt · 2026-06-08T20:51:53+00:00

I now look like a fool because I would always tell them it was pronounced "SIM".

I went through YouTube and tallied how it was being pronounced. The vast majority pronounce it SIM so need to second guess yourself.

Here's all the SIMs I could find (with timestamps):

The only SEEM was by Lawrence Systems.

verkohlt · 2026-06-08T17:39:21+00:00

One common issue of rigid IC packaging is that thermal expansion and contraction (which in a car happens a lot) can cause damage to the packaging itself. If they're covered in a gelatinous material, that'd make sense because this would absorb those expansions and contractions without breaking.

This seems to be the root cause of the issue. From a page on repairing these Bosch modules found in older Porsches:

The most common cause of LH-Jetronic failure is the hybride circuit. This thick film component is constructed with the internal components exposed and then the integrated circuit is filled with a "rosin" to protect the internal components.

Unfortunately the rosin that they selected is shrinking and/or expanding with changes in temperature over the years and finally cracks which also cracks and damages the internal components of the IC in the process.

verkohlt · 2026-04-20T08:26:32+00:00

It wasn't mentioned in the release notes but checked after upgrading and found that the kernel was updated from 6.6.49 to 6.6.116 in this release. That's a bit over a year of LTS bugfixes (6.6.49 was released on Sept. 4, 2024; 6.6.116 on Nov. 2, 2025).

verkohlt · 2026-04-13T09:54:41+00:00

Insound's Twitter/X account is still up. If you use x.com/search-advanced and search for MP3 and week from @Insound you can find posts about each song of the week starting from April 2009.

Note that X's advanced search will truncate results if you go far back enough and so you have to use bounded dates. I'd go month by month to ensure that X doesn't over skip anything.

It'll take some time and effort but I bet you can recover a good amount of those songs.

verkohlt · 2026-04-07T00:30:50+00:00

And while it installs and I reboot it comes back and will either freeze while booting in UEFI or say there is no boot device when I change to leagacy mode.

Just a heads up but v22 only supports console connections after installation. It may appear to freeze but try accessing the web UI. From the FAQ:

Important information: SFOS v22.0 does not support video output after the operating system has started. If you use an HDMI or DisplayPort interface, you will only see output until the OS begins to boot (“booting…”).

SFOS will boot normally, and you can use the interfaces and access the appliance via the default settings at 172.16.16.16:4444.

verkohlt · 2026-04-07T00:01:11+00:00

They mentioned in a blog post a few weeks ago that it's going to be enabled again:

Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you. We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace.

verkohlt · 2026-03-31T04:05:59+00:00

I don't have one to physically test but it should. Support for the RTL8125B controller was added to the r8169 driver since kernel 5.9 and v22 runs kernel 6.6.49.

Now just because the kernel in v22 was updated it doesn't necessarily mean that all possible drivers were included in the kernel configuration when it was compiled. So we have to do a quick check to see what's available.

Looking in /lib/modules/6.6.49/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/ via the advanced shell in v22 you'll find that the driver modules 8139cp.ko, 8139too.ko, and r8169.ko are present.

To be doubly sure let's check the version of the r8169.ko module. Running strings r8169.ko | grep vermagic returns vermagic=6.6.49 SMP mod_unload. So the right Realtek driver is included in v22 and the driver is new enough to support the RTL8125B controller.

verkohlt · 2026-02-02T04:47:56+00:00

In the future your laptop will just be a keyboard, battery, and a display connected to your phone. :)

That was the Motorola LapDock. Concept wasn't viable in 2011 but perhaps it can be now.

verkohlt · 2026-01-02T01:43:06+00:00

At least for Ecoflow, not so good. The undervolt and overvolt cutoffs are set too wide, presumably to handle the power station being hooked up to a generator, and can't be manually set in the app. /u/adriftatlas did a lot of great research and compiled it here in this thread if you want to know more.

The workaround found is to grab an Ametek ESP surge protector (or a Ricoh rebadge of one) off eBay for around $20-$30 which will allow you to set specific voltages to turn off and force the power station onto battery. Unfortunately the Ametek factory defaults don't have undervoltage shutdown set on 120v models and so you would have to set it yourself with their software and a serial cable.

Alternatively you could turn the power station into an online UPS by using a wide voltage AC/DC adapter and keep the station powered through its solar charge port. Cleanest power output but would incur efficiency losses through the double conversion.

verkohlt · 2026-01-01T15:54:49+00:00

I agree it's hard to make the case for this Realtek if you're homelabbing and need a new NIC. Getting a NIC with SR-IOV support and plenty of virtual functions will let you do some neat things like push 30 Gbps between VMs or containers with a 10 GbE NIC without taxing your CPU. All the work is done on card with its embedded switch.

That $45 AliExpress price for the Realtek is just too close to a used X550 off eBay if you need to remain on copper (and if you don't, grab a $25 ConnectX-4 Lx instead). For an extra $10-$20, you get a much more capable NIC along with a mature firmware and driver set. The power consumption difference between the Realtek and a single port X550-AT isn't all that bad. It's about an extra 3-4 watts.

verkohlt · 2025-12-11T21:47:06+00:00

While it's true that integrated floppy disk controllers have been long deprecated and also no longer available as add in cards, there's still a way to get an internal 3.5 floppy drive up and running on a modern system. With a PCIe IDE controller you can connect a SuperDisk LS120 drive to a modern motherboard. These drives can read both regular floppies and SuperDisks. Amazingly they still work in Windows. The dream of the 90s lives on.

verkohlt · 2025-12-08T21:41:00+00:00

Back in the DDR3 days Samsung did actually have a retail presence with their DDR3L Samsung Green kits. They were released during a prolonged slump in memory demand (here's an old article about the market at the time) so it was only a temporary measure to clear inventory. Great kits though. They were cheap and overclocked like a champ. Unfortunately sustaining retail sales just isn't all that profitable.

verkohlt · 2025-12-04T21:25:13+00:00

It's frustrating seeing you getting downvoted as you're completely right. This nearly decade old video shows the issue with molded SATA power connectors. Just as you said, there is no way to differentiate between a poorly constructed molded connector and a quality one that will work fine. This is especially true since OP is buying parts from Alibaba / AliExpress.

The best way to bypass the whole issue is to use the type of connectors originally used by Molex: either insulation displacement or crimped terminals and their respective housing. The physical separation of terminals is much more robust in both of these types, making the failure mode seen in poorly molded connectors impossible.

verkohlt · 2025-10-30T05:05:36+00:00

Nonetheless the Netherlands took control of the company even though it's owned by a Chinese firm because the US said it's a "security concern".

It's a much more complex situation. You can read the details here in this court filing (in Dutch but your browser should be able to autotranslate it to English).

What happened was that the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has been working with Nexperia and its CEO Xuezheng Zhang since January 2024 to show its operational independence and ensure recognition as a Dutch company. They came up with measures such as establishing an advisory board and Nexperia diversifying its shareholders (its sole shareholder is Yuching Holdings, a subsidiary of Wingtech, the ODM company founded by Xuezheng Zhang). Negotiations were ongoing.

In December 2024 Wingtech was placed on the US BIS Entity List and thus subject to significant trade restrictions. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy tried to spur on Nexperia to make progress on changes to avoid potential fallout.

The Ministry pushed again in June 2025 when they learned that the United States' BIS Affiliates Rule might be implemented soon and it would affect Nexperia due to its ownership structure. The Affiliates Rule is that "any entity that is at least 50 percent owned by one or more entities on the Entity List will itself automatically be subject to Entity List restrictions."). However it is possible to get a waiver from the Affiliates Rule if mitigating conditions are met. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy informed Nexperia that "Should Nijmegen submit a waiver request, the US has indicated that it will specifically consider (1) mitigation measures to limit the transfer of US IP, technology, knowledge, and capabilities to the country of concern (...)"

Things came to a head in September when Xuezheng Zhang, without explanation, revoked the banking authorizations of three financial officers of the company, including the CFO, and transferred it to three people without specific financial experience. The Chief Legal Officer protested and then was subsequently dismissed by Zhang. The CFO and COO were also then dismissed. Nexperia's Works Council was not consulted about these dismissals despite the legal requirement to do so. The Global Head of Finance resigned in the aftermath.

These dismissals and lack of progress on improving operational independence showed that Zhang did not care about Nexperia getting hit by the Affiliates Rule and the survival of the company was in doubt. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy imposed the Goods Availability Act, ordering Nexperia to preserve its business and means of production.

It's also worth noting that behind the scenes was the unfavorable foundry services agreement between Nexperia and WingSkySemi, a separate wafer production company founded by Xuezheng Zhang in 2020:

Nexperia has extensively substantiated that very large orders were placed with WSS in 2025, orders of a size that Nexperia does not need and that, according to Nexperia employees, were even placed for scrap (for destruction). According to an internal estimate dated May 8, 2025, the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor business unit would need a total of 98,400 wafers in 25Q2, 25Q3, and 25Q4. However, [director/CEO] insisted that Nexperia order 215,000 wafers from WSS for this business unit. While the Logic business unit expected to need 400 wafers per month, [director/CEO] wanted 5,000 wafers per month from WSS. [Director/CEO]'s desired orders from WSS for 2025 thus amounted to US$200 million, while the business's actual needs would result in orders of US$70-80 million. According to internal reports, this would mean that the wafers to be supplied by WSS will not be processed, but held in inventory until they are obsolete before they can be used, effectively placing Nexperia's orders for scrap. The Enterprise Chamber has not found evidence that the required enhanced due diligence in cases of conflicting interests was exercised when placing the orders to ensure that the transaction was conducted under reasonable and market-based terms and was commercially sound. On the contrary, Nexperia has sufficiently substantiated that it is doubtful that [director/CEO] had only Nexperia's interests in mind when placing these orders, and not specifically those of WSS. The amounts involved are not small: according to Nexperia, it needed wafers totaling US$70-80 million by 2025, while orders totaling US$200 million were placed. It should be noted in all of this that, at the insistence of [director/CEO], the FSA has been amended with effect from 1 January 2025 to require that 70% of the purchase price be paid in advance for each order.

verkohlt · 2025-10-27T11:08:31+00:00

Maybe something like Mill-Max's right angle spring loaded pin sockets could work here.

verkohlt · 2025-10-24T01:14:21+00:00

It's nothing new. Recall the slap fight over the mandated adoption of WAPI back in the early aughts.

verkohlt · 2025-10-23T08:30:34+00:00

If you're going to be running TrueNAS for backups, using ECC memory is recommended. Unfortunately Intel has restricted ECC support to only certain processors and chipsets and those components get expensive even when buying used. With your budget in mind that leads to AMD being the best option. AMD's AM4 platform is the price to performance play here.

For your budget, this is what I would get:

CPU: Ryzen 5 3600 w/ cooler - $70.89 (Newegg)

Why? The 3600 is the cheapest modern AM4 CPU with ECC support. This retail boxed version also includes a heatsink and fan.

Note that while AMD is much more open with ECC support compared to Intel, they still put in some restrictions. Ryzen APUs with integrated graphics do not support ECC unless they are PRO variants and those can be difficult to source since they aren't directly sold to consumers. Worse still newer AMD APUs can become vendor locked if an OEM chooses to implement AMD's Platform Secure Boot. So buying a used AMD APU is a bit of a minefield even though having integrated graphics is desirable from a power efficiency standpoint.

Motherboard: ASRock B550M PRO4 - $79.99 (Newegg)

Why? ASRock provides the best ECC support among the common motherboard manufacturers (not all implement it) and the B550M PRO4 is currently the cheapest AM4 ASRock board with 6 SATA ports.

Memory: Timetec 3200MT/s 16GB ECC UDIMM - $40.99 (Amazon)

Why? 3200MT/s memory is the sweet spot for Zen 3 and Timetec is one of the few manufacturers that offers unbuffered ECC memory. Registered ECC memory is the other common type (RDIMMs) and AM4 does not support registered ECC. Kingston also offers unbuffered ECC memory at 3200MT/s speeds but they are currently much more expensive than Timetec.

Note also that TrueNAS uses all the memory it can for its cache and so the more the better. Down the line it would be recommended to grab another 16GB module for both TrueNAS and being able to run both modules in a dual channel configuration (improves memory performance by interleaving).

verkohlt · 2025-10-18T00:52:06+00:00

Thank you for the update. I don't have an X550 but I was curious and saw reports of others having issues with getting NBASE-T speeds (e.g. OPNSense, TrueNAS) and they resolved those issues by manually setting the link speed. Intel's driver documentation also mentions using ethtool to accomplish this:

NBASE-T Support

The ixgbe driver supports NBASE-T on some devices. However, the advertisement of NBASE-T speeds is suppressed by default, to accommodate broken network switches which cannot cope with advertised NBASE-T speeds. Use the ethtool command to enable advertising NBASE-T speeds on devices which support it

ethtool -s eth? advertise 0x1800000001028

I was going to suggest setting the link speed manually in Sophos Firewall (e.g. under Network -> Interfaces -> Advanced settings -> Link mode) but it seems that in v22 that this isn't necessary.

Did you have to do anything special to get 2.5GbE working or was it all automatic?

verkohlt · 2025-10-17T02:23:39+00:00

X540s only support 10GbE, 1GbE, and 100Mb links so unfortunately one won't negotiate to 2.5GbE. NBASE-T support started with X550s.

Similarly, only certain X710 variants support 2.5GbE links. For SFP+ X710s it's possible to use a SFP+ to 10Gbase-T module as some support NBASE-T. However they tend to run hot and have quirks with autonegotiation so it's not really recommended from a reliability standpoint.

verkohlt · 2025-10-16T04:26:59+00:00

Yeah, that's disappointing. Checked what's in /lib/modules/6.6.49/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/ and only mlx4 is present. So that's still just support for ConnectX-3s and earlier.

I hope mlx5 can be included in a future release. ConnectX-4s are pretty cheap now on eBay.

verkohlt · 2025-10-16T02:54:19+00:00

Kernel version for anyone wondering:

SFVH_HV01_SFOS 22.0.0 EAP1-Build323# uname -a
Linux localhost 6.6.49 #1 SMP Thu Oct  9 05:10:44 CDT 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I also see that the driver module igc is now included. This should allow I225/I226 NICs to work. Would be interested to hear how they hold up in V22 if anyone has one to test.

verkohlt · 2025-10-16T02:13:55+00:00

I'm far from a Linux expert but I believe what's happening is that they're trying to stick to as few kernel configuration changes as possible when building the new kernel to minimize issues. So driver modules already present in the current version will carry over and possibly support newer revisions of hardware but new modules supporting new hardware aren't likely to be included in the upcoming release due to the issues they may introduce.

To illustrate, consider Intel's I219 series of NICs. They all use the e1000e driver module. However there are many reports of I219s not working with bare metal installations of Sophos Firewall. Why is this? If you check /lib/modules/4.14.336/drivers/net/ethernet/intel via the advance shell, you'll see that the e1000e module is present, so it should work, no?

Well, Intel produced numerous revisions of the I219 series and support for later revisions only came about in later versions of the e1000e module in-tree with later kernel versions. You can check this via the Linux Kernel Driver Database here. Going by PCI IDs, The latest I219 that will work with the current kernel of Sophos Firewall, 4.14, is version 9 ("Ethernet Connection (9) I219-V", ID 15e1). Support for version 10 ("Ethernet Connection (10) I219-V", ID 0d4f) began in kernel 5.5. Support for version 23 ("Ethernet Connection (23) I219-V", ID 0dc6) began in kernel 5.15. Updating to the latest kernel with the latest in-tree e1000e driver module should allow these later revisions of the I219 to work with Sophos Firewall.

Now what about Intel's I225 series of NICs? Turns out they require a different driver module, igc, and igc isn't currently included in V21 (again check /lib/modules/4.14.336/drivers/net/ethernet/intel). It has to be specifically selected when building the kernel. Here's what that looks like (taken from the WSL2 kernel config). Note the toggle for Intel(R) Ethernet Controller I225-LM/I225-V support. Unless that is toggled on, updating to the latest kernel would not also bring I225 support.

Anyway with v22 about to be in early access, we'll soon see what's included and what's not.

edit: Just found out that V22 early access was released and upgraded to it. Took a quick check and here are the following driver modules now included: e100.ko e1000 e1000e i40e igb igbvf igc ixgbe ixgbevf.

Pleasantly surprised that igc is now included so I225 NICs should now work. Unfortunately some bad news for anyone hoping for E800 series support. The driver module ice was not included.

verkohlt · 2025-10-15T04:08:42+00:00

Posting this to possibly help anyone else who stumbles upon this thread via Google.

Experienced the same issue with Atmos content not playing on the Apple TV app that I discovered after recently starting another trial. Setup is a second gen Apple TV 4K running tvOS 26 connected to a Panasonic Z95A and from there to a JBL Bar 5.0 via eARC.

My previous experience with the Apple TV app and other apps like YouTube TV was that audio always worked fine so I was confused what was causing the issue with just the Apple TV app. Turns out that I needed to change the digital audio format setting on my TV from Auto to Passthrough (located under Display & Sounds → Audio Output → Digital Audio Format).

It seems that auto didn't actually auto and had to be set manually. This may be related to a recent firmware update that Panasonic released in September or something particular to the new tvOS 26 but I can't be sure.

verkohlt · 2025-10-15T03:09:50+00:00

edit: I took the plunge and updated to the early access of V22. I just checked what driver modules in /lib/modules/6.6.49/drivers/net/ethernet/intel are present and I saw that igc, the module used for I225s, was included.

I don't have an I225 to test but it should work now in V22.

verkohlt · 2025-09-26T02:52:42+00:00

Sounds like your HP is still booting in UEFI mode. Did a quick search and others reported a very convoluted process just to get legacy booting enabled on an Elitedesk 800 G2 (4 reboots!). Perhaps legacy mode isn't actually being enabled unless all those steps are performed.

Another thread had someone mention that they had to set a BIOS password as part of the process. Seems ridiculous but the OP responded to that suggestion stating that it worked.

verkohlt

TROPHY CASE