"Random techie stuff I've been doing during the lockdown" thread
May 24, 2020, 2:56 am
#1
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,604
"Random techie stuff I've been doing during the lockdown" thread
Having been made redundant and currently serving notice, I've been doing a few techie things to ensure I don't get bored... anybody else doing the same?
1. Deployed a Linux server - I had a Raspberry Pi 3 that was acting as a bit of a network server. This worked well, but I was always a bit suspicious that something so cheap my be liable to break. I was about to throw out an old mini-PC (Acer Revo RL50), when I realised that it would probably make a good replacement for the Pi, and I could just keep the Pi as a backup. So, I installed a new 250GB SSD into the Revo (that was a bit of a challenge!), and installed the latest Ubuntu 20.04 Server LTS. The only issue I had was trying to find a wired keyboard - as the wireless keyboard I use wasn't picked up during the installation routine - so I couldn't select anything
The wireless keyboard worked fine after the install.
2. Installed Pi-Hole - This is an advert blocking system that was originally designed for the Pi. Once installed, you set your router DNS to point at the IP address where Pi-Hole is installed, and all adverts are then blocked before they actually get to your PC. So, no need for ad-blockers. Having checked, it seemed that Pi-Hole works just fine on Ubuntu (at least the 18.04 version). I downloaded the software and installed on my new Linux server, and 5 minutes later it was all up and running. Perfect.
3. Installed PiVPN - This is a VPN server solution for, you guessed it, the Raspberry Pi. Originally it was an implementation of OpenVPN. However, it now also supports WireGuard - which is a more "modern" VPN (so I'm told). I went for the OpenVPN install as it's what I'm used to, and I have OpenVPN clients on my Macs & Android devices that I know work fine.
One recent enhancement to the PiVPN installer is that it detects if you have Pi-Hole installed. If so, it sets the VPN up so that any requests go via Pi-Hole. This means that you get the added advantage of ad-blocking when you're at a remote location connected to the VPN. You used to be able to set this up manually, but it could be a bit tricky.
4. Installed Caddy 2 Webserver / Proxy - I currently have a NzbGet / Sonarr / Radarr setup on a Windows server. I've also got Jenkins / Nexus, and a personal website. All of these can be set up to use SSL - but it's a bit of a nightmare, and you have to sort out your own certificates etc. Rather than do this, I've deployed Caddy 2 to act as a reverse proxy. I point ports 80/443 on my router to the Caddy, and it then routes to the appropriate server port based on the HTTP domain (sonarr.mydomain.com, radarr.mydomain.com etc.). The beauty of it is that Caddy automatically downloads SSL certificates from LetsEncrypt for each domain, so everything is secure. When the certificates are due to expire, Caddy will automatically request replacements.
Now, if I try and hit http://radarr.mydomain.com it automatically redirects to the secured https://radarr.mydomain.com. It's an amazing piece of software, simple to setup and configure and it's free for personal use!
Any other recommendations?
1. Deployed a Linux server - I had a Raspberry Pi 3 that was acting as a bit of a network server. This worked well, but I was always a bit suspicious that something so cheap my be liable to break. I was about to throw out an old mini-PC (Acer Revo RL50), when I realised that it would probably make a good replacement for the Pi, and I could just keep the Pi as a backup. So, I installed a new 250GB SSD into the Revo (that was a bit of a challenge!), and installed the latest Ubuntu 20.04 Server LTS. The only issue I had was trying to find a wired keyboard - as the wireless keyboard I use wasn't picked up during the installation routine - so I couldn't select anything
The wireless keyboard worked fine after the install.2. Installed Pi-Hole - This is an advert blocking system that was originally designed for the Pi. Once installed, you set your router DNS to point at the IP address where Pi-Hole is installed, and all adverts are then blocked before they actually get to your PC. So, no need for ad-blockers. Having checked, it seemed that Pi-Hole works just fine on Ubuntu (at least the 18.04 version). I downloaded the software and installed on my new Linux server, and 5 minutes later it was all up and running. Perfect.
3. Installed PiVPN - This is a VPN server solution for, you guessed it, the Raspberry Pi. Originally it was an implementation of OpenVPN. However, it now also supports WireGuard - which is a more "modern" VPN (so I'm told). I went for the OpenVPN install as it's what I'm used to, and I have OpenVPN clients on my Macs & Android devices that I know work fine.
One recent enhancement to the PiVPN installer is that it detects if you have Pi-Hole installed. If so, it sets the VPN up so that any requests go via Pi-Hole. This means that you get the added advantage of ad-blocking when you're at a remote location connected to the VPN. You used to be able to set this up manually, but it could be a bit tricky.
4. Installed Caddy 2 Webserver / Proxy - I currently have a NzbGet / Sonarr / Radarr setup on a Windows server. I've also got Jenkins / Nexus, and a personal website. All of these can be set up to use SSL - but it's a bit of a nightmare, and you have to sort out your own certificates etc. Rather than do this, I've deployed Caddy 2 to act as a reverse proxy. I point ports 80/443 on my router to the Caddy, and it then routes to the appropriate server port based on the HTTP domain (sonarr.mydomain.com, radarr.mydomain.com etc.). The beauty of it is that Caddy automatically downloads SSL certificates from LetsEncrypt for each domain, so everything is secure. When the certificates are due to expire, Caddy will automatically request replacements.
Now, if I try and hit http://radarr.mydomain.com it automatically redirects to the secured https://radarr.mydomain.com. It's an amazing piece of software, simple to setup and configure and it's free for personal use!
Any other recommendations?
May 24, 2020, 3:59 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Seniors Bus Pass
Posts: 5,529
Then realised that I also understood something about a Raspberry pie, but it is too early this far north for our raspberries. The rhubarb is excellent at the moment though
Sorry to hear about your redundancy though.
May 24, 2020, 11:36 am
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
1/ Installed a flavor of Debian Linux on an elderly, failing MacBook Pro (2010). Was fun and I was slightly surprised how fast a 2020 distribution runs on a 10 years' old hardware. Unfortunately it seems there's actually a hardware failure (I suspect the voltage on the power rail) so the next step is picking it apart, taking aside the SSD, RAM, HDD and the newish battery to transplant them into a slightly newer MacBookPro (2011) before final retirement.
2/ Had the mobo replaced on a 2017 Macbook Air - under warranty, so it's not very "techy"
3/ Had first contact with Android, in the form of our new TV set. Upgraded the OS and spent some time going through all menus to deny phone-home wherever possible.
2/ Had the mobo replaced on a 2017 Macbook Air - under warranty, so it's not very "techy"
3/ Had first contact with Android, in the form of our new TV set. Upgraded the OS and spent some time going through all menus to deny phone-home wherever possible.
May 24, 2020, 2:05 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Classé, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,732
I downloaded GTA V for free last week and have explored the world of external drives and second screens, the latter for WFH. A far cry from the OP’s level! 🙂
Sorry to hear about the redundancy, hopefully there are some silver linings.
Sorry to hear about the redundancy, hopefully there are some silver linings.
May 24, 2020, 3:35 pm
#10
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,604
Ha! That's the other thing I've been doing. Attempting to create a website app using Angular. I've not done much front end coding, so it's slow going... But it's getting there. Using the Material design plugin, so it actually looks quite good with very little code.
May 24, 2020, 6:30 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: No single airline or hotel chain is of much use to me anymore.
Posts: 3,279
I was quarantined twice so I got up to all sorts of stuff.
I replaced the ancient Mac mini I have used as a server for Apple stuff and the UniFi controller with a Raspberry Pi 4. I also moved Pi-Hole from a flaky Pi Zero to that Pi 4. Since I was doing Time Machine backups to a USB hard drive attached to that Mac mini I moved that 4TB drive into an old Apple Time Capsule. A device that was clearly never intended to be disassembled by anybody.
I moved my UniFi Video security setup from an old Dell I picked out of the garbage at work to a new 1U PC running Debian.
I bludgeoned macOS Catalina on to my ten year old Mac Pro tower which ran surprisingly well.
I replaced the logicboard in my pfSense system which had a proprietary fan that was just howling.
I replaced the ancient Mac mini I have used as a server for Apple stuff and the UniFi controller with a Raspberry Pi 4. I also moved Pi-Hole from a flaky Pi Zero to that Pi 4. Since I was doing Time Machine backups to a USB hard drive attached to that Mac mini I moved that 4TB drive into an old Apple Time Capsule. A device that was clearly never intended to be disassembled by anybody.
I moved my UniFi Video security setup from an old Dell I picked out of the garbage at work to a new 1U PC running Debian.
I bludgeoned macOS Catalina on to my ten year old Mac Pro tower which ran surprisingly well.
I replaced the logicboard in my pfSense system which had a proprietary fan that was just howling.
May 24, 2020, 6:52 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: ORD
Posts: 14,231
Nothing big for me. I have been using Pi-Hole for a while now and have had a Linux server in the basement for maybe 12 years. The Linux server is also the Unifi controller, file server, Torrent server, etc.
NOt sure what else there is to do!
NOt sure what else there is to do!