Tech Progress Report 2025H2

For the second half of 2025, I continue to eliminate a backlog of technical debt and necessary infrastructure upgrades that I kicked off in the first half of the year, along with other tech adventures and side quests.

June

• Upgraded all 13 servers and virtual machines to FreeBSD 14.3
• Disassemble Quest 2 VR headset to replace internal battery (see https://youtu.be/Cgejky8ZeoM)

July

• Begin mapping all IoT devices (MAC addresses)
• Replace Google Nest thermostat with ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced
• Replace Google Nest cams with TP-Link Tapo C120 cams
• Write Stirring the Cryo Tanks with Home Assistant
• Install ecobee SmartSensors
• Begin moving IoT devices off Eero Pro guest network
• Buy Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 9 32GB from ebay ($380)
• Install FreeBSD 15-CURRENT on X1 (GUI desktops not ready for prime time)
• Install Linux Mint on X1 and set up for real work
• Replace 3 Eufy Robovacs with new Roborock Q5 Pro
• Install Flume2 Water Sensor
• Write a Flume device status checker for my monitoring system
• Write Flume2 Water Sensor Install
• Replace Wyze Cams with TP-Link Tapo C120 cams
• Begin moving cloud devices into IoT subnet via static DNS and DHCP reservations

August

• Write Changing A Curtain Switch WiFi Network
• Flash custom Tasmota firmware on several Sonoff smart plugs
• Write How To Install Cloud-Free Smart Plugs
• Create weather-aware automation for motorized awnings in Home Assistant
• Create be-clean.sh script and write Clean Up FreeBSD Boot Environments
• Write A Noisy WiFi Device Can Ruin Your Day
• I “fix” my wine cellar in A Wine Cellar Repair with a Tech Twist

September

• Write Install Visual Studio Code on Linux
• Write Weather Smart Awnings in Home Assistant

October

• Jailbreak Kindle and create custom M.C. Escher wallpapers
• Write Clean Up Old Linux Kernels
• Complete IoT isolation firewall rules in an ipfw-based shell script for my FreeBSD-powered router

November

December

• Write Home Hacks article
• Built an Optimized Battery Charging station
• Complete the 2025 Advent of Code (placing 3rd in private leaderboard)
• Clear and widen 1.25 miles of hiking trails behind the house (a good break from tech!)
• Install new backyard weather station
• Install Jellyfin on FreeBSD server and reorganize hundreds of movies and shows

Summary

In 2025, I wrote and published 38 new blog articles, and updated and improved dozens of older ones.