Proxmox vs VMware ESXi in 2026 — And How to Migrate

Proxmox VE vs VMware ESXi compared in 2026 — cost, features, clustering, backups — plus how to migrate ESXi VMs to Proxmox with the built-in import wizard.

Self-Hosted Uptime Monitoring with Uptime Kuma

Run Uptime Kuma in Docker for uptime monitoring — HTTP/TCP/ping checks, Telegram and Discord alerts, a public status page, and a reverse proxy with TLS.

CrowdSec — A Modern Take on fail2ban

Set up CrowdSec on Linux as a fail2ban alternative — the agent/bouncer split, parsing logs, the firewall bouncer, community blocklists, and honest trade-offs.

systemd Timers Instead of cron

Replace cron jobs with systemd timers — .timer + .service pairs, OnCalendar syntax, Persistent catch-up, journald logging, and when cron is still fine.

Ollama — A Local LLM for Sysadmin Tasks

Run a local LLM with Ollama on Linux — install, pull models, use the HTTP API from scripts, and analyze logs offline without sending data to a cloud provider.

Hytale Server Backups and Auto-Restart with systemd

Keep a Hytale dedicated server alive — clean nightly world backups with tar + restic, a scheduled daily restart via systemd timer, and crash recovery.

Factorio Headless Server on Linux

Set up a Factorio headless dedicated server on Ubuntu/Debian — download the official tarball, server-settings.json, port 34197 UDP, mods, RCON and a systemd unit.

Rust Dedicated Server on Linux

Install a Rust dedicated server on Ubuntu/Debian with SteamCMD, set the server.* cvars, open the right ports, add Oxide/uMod plugins, and run it under systemd.

Windows Task Scheduler from PowerShell — Cron for Windows

Create and manage scheduled tasks on Windows from PowerShell — New-ScheduledTaskAction, triggers, run as SYSTEM, S4U logon, XML export, and the gotchas.

Proxmox + ZFS — A Storage Pool That Survives a Disk Death

Build a redundant ZFS pool on Proxmox VE — mirror vs raidz, ashift, ARC cap, scrubs, and how to replace a dead disk without losing a VM.

wbadmin — Free Bare-Metal Backup on Windows Server

Free bare-metal backup on Windows Server with wbadmin and Windows Server Backup — one-off image, scheduled policy, and the full WinRE recovery drill.

7 Days to Die Dedicated Server on Linux

Install and run a 7 Days to Die dedicated server on Ubuntu/Debian with SteamCMD, serverconfig.xml, ufw ports, EAC notes and a systemd unit.

Piping Logs Through Claude — AI Log Triage That Actually Helps

A realistic look at piping Linux log slices through the Claude CLI for fast error triage — redaction, prompt structure, cost, and where it falls down.

Hosting a Website on IIS — Windows Server Without the Bloat

Set up IIS from PowerShell without the bloat — install only the role services you need, create an app pool and site, bind HTTPS, harden, verify. No clicking through the GUI.

Project Zomboid Dedicated Server on Linux

Run a Project Zomboid dedicated server on Ubuntu/Debian via SteamCMD. Configs, mods load order, memory, ports, systemd, and the gotchas that corrupt saves.

Building an MCP Server to Give Claude My Sysadmin Tools

How I built a small MCP server in Node so Claude Code can run disk_usage and service_status on my hosts. Code, registration, and the security gotchas.

Hyper-V on Windows Server — Your First VM Without the GUI

Install Hyper-V and build your first VM on Windows Server entirely from PowerShell — switch, VHD, ISO, boot order, Secure Boot, checkpoints. The commands I run.

Terraria Dedicated Server on Linux with TShock

Self-host a Terraria dedicated server on Ubuntu with TShock 5.x — dotnet runtime, config.json, REST API, systemd, ufw, and world backups.

Claude Code Hooks — Automating the Boring Parts of My Workflow

How I use Claude Code hooks in settings.json to auto-run formatters, block rm -rf, and ping me when an agent stops. Real configs, exit-code contract.

Enshrouded Dedicated Server on Linux — SteamCMD, Wine, and the RAM Reality

Run an Enshrouded dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD + Wine. Systemd unit, ports, the real RAM requirement, save backups, and the gotchas the wiki skips.

DHCP on Windows Server — Scopes, Reservations, and the Gotchas

Set up the Windows Server DHCP role end to end in PowerShell — install, authorise in AD, scope, options, reservations, failover. The gotchas that cost real time.