I remember first hearing about IPv6 back in the early 2000 s. The argument was: the world is running out of IP addresses (ie, IPv4)! We can only have 4 billion IP addresses at once, which decades ago seemed fine, but now we can easily envision running out. So, the powers that be created IPv6. Instead of IPv4 addresses which look like this: 201.153.26.8 We get addresses like this:…
For anyone who s ever maintained a linux server, you know that updates are easy, but after almost every one, it says: *** System restart required *** I started wondering if rebooting was really required, since sometimes you have mission-critical or otherwise busy servers, and rebooting is going to cause a problem for your users. But-- what if you need to reboot due to a security update or…
I often need to run routines (that might take a long time) from the command line. For example, a nightly import of thousands of records. I did this all the time in Drupal 7, but initially couldn t figure out how I should set it up in Backdrop CMS. (For those that don t know, Backdrop is a fork of Drupal 7, but currently being maintained and with new features added on.) Here s how you need to set…
Okay, so I know this isn t remotely related to software or technology. But I wanted to write this quick post in an effort to spread some awareness. I ve had more or less constant dizziness for over a decade now. Seen every type of doctor you can think of, had every type of medical test done (VNG, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound of heart, arteries, etc etc). Every test kept coming back saying I was…
Zoom s "blur my background" setting is way over the top, and looks like hot garbage . There, I said it. If you are looking for a soft or lightly blurred background, there is actually a setting for that, but it s tucked away in a different area and called something entirely different. The trick is to first make sure you have decent light. You don t need anything expensive or fancy-- a basic…
Sometimes you find yourself with a CSV string (not a file on the filesystem), and you d like to use str_getcsv to get an array, but the results are sloppy and not at all friendly to work with. Reading from a file on the filesystem is more memory-friendly, but sometimes that just isn t the situation you have. If you think this applies to you, check out the following function. It creates an assoc…
Howdy folks. I know this is probably a niche blog post, but if you happen be using a Synology NAS (DSM 7+) for web development, and you are trying to work with Backdrop CMS, and are running into file permission issues, this post is for you. I m writing it primarily because it took me forever to finally get the installer module to work. That module allows you to easily download and install modules…
Dear reader, I d like to take you on a journey-- the same one I have just been on-- that started with trying to figure out why my electric riding lawnmower (the RYOBI RY48111, confusingly also named the 480ex, suddenly stopped working. Let me start by saying that I love that mower. Yes, it s more expensive than a gas-powered one, but I never have to run out and buy ethanol-free dinosaur juice that…
Don t you just hate those tiny little dongles for Bluetooth or proprietary wireless mice or keyboards, headphones, etc? There s so tiny, they usually aren t labeled with what they are , and it s so easy to forget what they even go to, if you re lucky enough to not just straight up lose them. Well friends, I have good news: I found a simple produce that basically makes it much harder to lose those…
Fellow website owners: I want to share my experience with a service that I found some years ago and now can t live without: CleanTalk . I run multiple websites, and for years, spam was a constant headache, usually submitted through my sites Contact forms (including the one on this site). I was spending more time deleting unwanted messages than actually engaging with genuine visitors and leads.…