Richard Applegate

🐛 Release + Recipe

If you've ever tried to start VMware on a Linux machine and hit an error about vmmon or vmnet modules failing to load, there's a good chance Secure Boot is the culprit. This guide walks you through exactly what's happening and gives you two ways to fix it — the quick-and-easy way and the cleaner lon

If you've ever relied on Watchtower to automatically update your Docker containers, you may have noticed something alarming: the project was officially abandoned in late 2024. The maintainers posted a deprecation notice and walked away, leaving thousands of homelab enthusiasts and self-hosters witho

Platform: Ubuntu Server 24.04.4 LTS — Intel / AMD (x86_64)

If you are running a powerful Linux setup with an Intel Core Ultra 9 (Evo Edition) paired with an NVIDIA RTX 5050, you expect your apps to open instantly. Yet AppImages often feel surprisingly sluggish — even on high-end hardware. The reason is straightforward: by default, AppImages are compressed S

Document Owner: IT / Network

Every Linux server failure I’ve witnessed from disk issues starts the same way: the root filesystem slowly fills up. No alarms. No drama. Just creeping usage until something breaks.

Uptime Kuma → n8n → Slack Alert Workflow

Goal

If you are running ERPNext v15 and want real-time Slack notifications whenever stock movements occur, this step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to set up webhook-based alerts for Material Issues, Material Transfers, and Purchase Receipts. You will also learn how to avoid the common Jinja templat

🐛 Release + Recipe

If you've ever tried to start VMware on a Linux machine and hit an error about vmmon or vmnet modules failing to load, there's a good chance Secure Boot is the culprit. This guide walks you through exactly what's happening and gives you two ways to fix it — the quick-and-easy way and the cleaner lon

Every Linux server failure I’ve witnessed from disk issues starts the same way: the root filesystem slowly fills up. No alarms. No drama. Just creeping usage until something breaks.

Uptime Kuma → n8n → Slack Alert Workflow

Goal

If you are running ERPNext v15 and want real-time Slack notifications whenever stock movements occur, this step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to set up webhook-based alerts for Material Issues, Material Transfers, and Purchase Receipts. You will also learn how to avoid the common Jinja templat

Disable IPv6 on Linux

Firewalls are a foundational component of any secure Linux server environment. On Ubuntu and other Debian-based distributions, UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) provides a straightforward yet powerful interface for managing iptables rules without requiring deep knowledge of low-level networking syntax. I

This page documents the complete, final configuration of a secure homelab environment built around WireGuard, Raspberry Pis, UFW, AdGuard Home, Fail2Ban, n8n workflow automation, and Uptime Kuma. It is structured as a top-to-bottom technical reference, covering design intent, implementation details,

This document is the final, stable Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for a small production homelab built on WireGuard, AdGuard Home, Docker monitoring, and UFW. It reflects all configuration decisions, corrections, and lessons learned through implementation and testing. It is intended to serve as

1. Update the System

Can you believe it? It’s been almost a year and a half since my cats moved in with Mom, and they’ve made themselves completely at home in the garage — complete with cozy napping spots, plenty of toys, and fresh food and water always within reach. They’ve truly settled in like

When I look back on my career, I am amazed at how each role — even the ones that seemed completely unrelated to where I am now — helped shape who I am today. My path started far from servers and networks, in the fast-paced world of hospitality.

Starting this new chapter left me speechless and genuinely excited — it truly was a dream come true. I can provision 100 tablets in just four hours, and I love every minute of it. I enjoy preparing tablets for new launches and supporting Joe Coffee partners through system upgrades and improvements.

After months of worry, heartbreak, and uncertainty, I am overjoyed to announce that Jasper is finally home where he belongs. This reunion would not have been possible without some incredibly kind and generous people. Max and Summerlove went out of their way to help bring Jasper home safely — traveli

Milo passed away peacefully this morning at 3:30 a.m. He was an absolute joy to be around — the kind of companion who made every ordinary moment feel a little brighter. Losing him is deeply painful, but I find comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering and that he is now free, running through

Twenty-six years old — I'll take it! My birthday didn't go exactly as planned, but it turned out to be a memorable one nonetheless. On July 30th, the day before my birthday, I started coming down with what felt like a cold or flu. I took a COVID-19 test at home and thankfully it came back negative,

I decided to treat Jasmine with a nice dinner, and it was really good once we had time.

In 2017, I did this on my desk to help my anxiety when I have too much wire in one area. This helps me feel smoother in the room.

<!-- wp:paragraph --><p>Discover the iconic 1996 Honda Civic's engine options, reliability, and features. Learn why this mid-90s generation remains a favorite among enthusiasts, including interior upgrades and performance specs that made it a sought-after model.</p><!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Purpose

A massive thank you to EarthOnion for developing and sharing Vue-after-Free for the PS4. Thanks to this ingenious tool, I was able to restore a system backup, launch PS Vue, and successfully run the jailbreak exploit on my console. Everything worked flawlessly — I genuinely appreciate the time, skil

If you've ever relied on Watchtower to automatically update your Docker containers, you may have noticed something alarming: the project was officially abandoned in late 2024. The maintainers posted a deprecation notice and walked away, leaving thousands of homelab enthusiasts and self-hosters witho

Platform: Ubuntu Server 24.04.4 LTS — Intel / AMD (x86_64)

If you are running a powerful Linux setup with an Intel Core Ultra 9 (Evo Edition) paired with an NVIDIA RTX 5050, you expect your apps to open instantly. Yet AppImages often feel surprisingly sluggish — even on high-end hardware. The reason is straightforward: by default, AppImages are compressed S

Every Linux server failure I&#8217;ve witnessed from disk issues starts the same way: the root filesystem slowly fills up. No alarms. No drama. Just creeping usage until something breaks.

Uptime Kuma → n8n → Slack Alert Workflow

Goal

If you are running ERPNext v15 and want real-time Slack notifications whenever stock movements occur, this step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to set up webhook-based alerts for Material Issues, Material Transfers, and Purchase Receipts. You will also learn how to avoid the common Jinja templat

Disable IPv6 on Linux

Firewalls are a foundational component of any secure Linux server environment. On Ubuntu and other Debian-based distributions, UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) provides a straightforward yet powerful interface for managing iptables rules without requiring deep knowledge of low-level networking syntax. I

This page documents the complete, final configuration of a secure homelab environment built around WireGuard, Raspberry Pis, UFW, AdGuard Home, Fail2Ban, n8n workflow automation, and Uptime Kuma. It is structured as a top-to-bottom technical reference, covering design intent, implementation details,

If you've ever tried to start VMware on a Linux machine and hit an error about vmmon or vmnet modules failing to load, there's a good chance Secure Boot is the culprit. This guide walks you through exactly what's happening and gives you two ways to fix it — the quick-and-easy way and the cleaner lon

Every Linux server failure I&#8217;ve witnessed from disk issues starts the same way: the root filesystem slowly fills up. No alarms. No drama. Just creeping usage until something breaks.

Goals Achieved

Production Monitoring &amp; Security Automation Runbook

Deploying 50 brand-new D3 Pro Point of Sale (POS) terminals in a single day is one of those projects that blends physical hustle with methodical technical execution. From hauling hardware out of storage to provisioning each device with Esper MDM and Joe Coffee OS, every step matters when you want a

Seven years ago, I walked into Anthem Coffee and Tea for the first time as an employee — and my life hasn&#8217;t been the same since. The aroma of freshly ground beans, the steady hum of espresso machines, the electric buzz of a room full of regulars and newcomers alike: it became my world. In some

When I look back on my career, I am amazed at how each role — even the ones that seemed completely unrelated to where I am now — helped shape who I am today. My path started far from servers and networks, in the fast-paced world of hospitality.

Starting this new chapter left me speechless and genuinely excited — it truly was a dream come true. I can provision 100 tablets in just four hours, and I love every minute of it. I enjoy preparing tablets for new launches and supporting Joe Coffee partners through system upgrades and improvements.

Our cottage getaway was a mix of hands-on technical work and genuinely relaxing downtime — and honestly, that balance made it all the more memorable.

We stayed for two nights at Breakwater Resort, and it was a genuinely enjoyable trip — a nice mix of relaxation and hands-on work. During our visit, I had the opportunity to help the resort with some essential networking upgrades. My main task was installing a wireless bridge access point to improve