Active Directory Part 1 — Promoting Your First Domain Controller

Stand up a new Active Directory forest from scratch. Install AD DS, promote the first DC, DNS integration, the post-promo checks. PowerShell-driven, no GUI.

Proxmox + Cloud-Init — Spinning Up an Ubuntu VM in 30 Seconds

Build a reusable Ubuntu cloud-image template on Proxmox with cloud-init. Clone, set hostname, IP, SSH key, boot — full VM in under a minute. The setup I run on node1.

Netdata on Ubuntu — Live Server Metrics in 5 Minutes

Install Netdata on Ubuntu for per-second server metrics. Install, bind to localhost, SSH-tunnel the dashboard, ship alerts to Discord.

WireGuard VPN on Ubuntu — the Setup I Actually Use

Minimal WireGuard setup on Ubuntu. Server config, one client, UFW rule, QR code for the phone. The version I run on my home-lab jumpbox.

BungeeCord / Waterfall Setup — Running a Minecraft Server Network

BungeeCord network on one Linux box: proxy, Paper backends on localhost, IP forwarding, systemd template, DNS. Plus why Waterfall is EOL.

PowerShell for Sysadmins — A Cheatsheet From My Daily Use

The PowerShell snippets I actually use every day on Windows Server — pipeline filters, remoting, services, event logs, scheduled tasks, error handling.

Minecraft Java Server on Linux — Paper, systemd, and Memory Tuning

Run a Paper Minecraft server on Linux the clean way: own user, Java, systemd unit, Aikar's flags, sane RAM sizing, RCON console, firewall and safe backups.

Valheim Dedicated Server on Linux — the One Thing People Get Wrong

Valheim dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD. Systemd unit, port 2456-2458, the SteamAppId thing that trips everyone up, backups that actually survive crashes.

Vanilla vs Spigot vs Paper — Which Minecraft Server Should You Use?

Vanilla, Spigot, Paper, Purpur, Folia, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge compared: plugins vs mods, performance, vanilla mechanics, what to pick.

SSH Hardening Checklist for Ubuntu Servers

Lock down SSH on Ubuntu 24.04 without locking yourself out: keys only, no root, the cloud-init drop-in trap, socket activation, verification.

Palworld Dedicated Server on Linux with SteamCMD

Palworld dedicated server on Ubuntu via SteamCMD: native Linux build, systemd unit, the empty PalWorldSettings.ini trap, steamclient.so fix, backups.

Join Windows Server to AD Domain with PowerShell

Domain-join a Windows Server with Add-Computer: point DNS at the DC first, land in the right OU, verify the secure channel, fix the usual join errors.

rsync Backups That Actually Work — No Excuses

rsync backups that hold up: trailing-slash rules, dry runs, hard-link snapshots with --link-dest, rotation, pull over SSH with rrsync, a timer.

Reset a Forgotten Windows Administrator Password — the Utilman Trick

You're staring at a Windows login screen. You don't know the password. You own the machine. You need back in. This is the utilman trick — a classic…

How to Install Mods on a Hytale Server (Full Guide)

Installing mods on a Hytale server is short enough to fit in a tweet, but most new operators still get tripped up by three things: which file goes where,…

How to Set Up a Hytale Dedicated Server (2026 Guide)

You want to run your own Hytale server. The official manual has every flag and config key — what it doesn't have is the opinionated "this is the order you…

Windows Server Initial Setup Checklist (2026 Edition)

Fresh Windows Server install. The OOBE finished, you're at the desktop, now what? Here's the checklist I run on every new server — in order — before it…

Claude Code Superpowers: How I Brainstorm Features Before Writing a Single Line

How the Superpowers plugin for Claude Code forces a design step: one question at a time, 2-3 approaches, a written spec, then a plan. Install and workflow.

Enable Remote Desktop (RDP) on Windows Server — CMD & PowerShell

You just finished installing Windows Server, you're sitting at the console, and you need to RDP in from your workstation so you can finally close the KVM…

Create a Windows User via CMD (net user) — Cheat Sheet

Creating a local user on Windows Server from the command line is one of those tasks you'll do a hundred times. The GUI is fine for one user; CMD is faster…

Installing Docker on Ubuntu the Right Way (Not the Snap Version)

Install Docker Engine + the compose plugin from Docker's official apt repo on Ubuntu/Debian, ditch the snap, and fix log growth and the UFW bypass.