I created my own script/tool using rsync to handle backups and transferring data.

My needs are quite smaller with just a computer and two Raspberry Pi’s but I found rsync to be really useful overall.

My backup strategy is to make a complete backup on the local device (Computer / RPi4 / RPi5) then copy all those backups to a Storage partition on my computer, then make a whole backup from the partition to an externally attached SSD.

The RPi’s both use docker/podman containers so I make sure any persistent data is in mounted directories. I usually stop all containers before performing a backup, especially things with databases.

Everything in the docker containers is either hit or miss when it comes to restoring. The simple docker images restore as it they were untouched and will launch like nothing happened. I have a PieFed instance that must be rebuilt after restoring a backup. Since PieFed’s persistent data is in mount points, everything works perfectly after a fresh build.

I can send a link to my rsync tool if that’s any interest to anyone. I’ve found it super useful for backups and minimizes so much headache for myself when it comes to transferring files between different network connected devices.

Maybe it’s something sightly outside no js/ccs/html but I am curious if there are any super minimal social media sites.

I want to do something locally within my town and it would be nice to host something simple and tiny with my raspberry pi as the server.

I’m assuming bulletin boards are quite minimal in comparison to other types of social media but I’ve never been a fan of how they handle previous replies with those boxed quotes.

I’ve also been nostalgic for irc lately. Everything on the internet these days has become overwhelming. Over the past 1.5 years I’ve been turning to simplicity and it’s a craving I that’s hard to ignore.

I have a computer and 3 devices I wanted to transfer files between but every available solution was either too awkward which made things annoying, or too bulky with more than what I needed.

I ended up writing a long script (around 1000 lines but I’m generous with spacing so I can read my own code easily) using rsync to deal with transferring files and whole directories with a single command. I can even chain together multiple rsync commands back to back so that I can quickly transfer multiple files or directories in one command. Instead of trying to refer to a wall of text full of rsync commands, I can make something like this:

alias rtPHONEmedia="doas rtransfer /home/dell-pc/.sync/phone/.sync-phone_02_playlists /home/dell-pc/.sync/phone/.sync-phone_03_arbeit /home/dell-pc/.sync/phone/.sync-phone_04_albums /home/dell-pc/.sync/phone/.sync-phone_05_soulseek /home/dell-pc/.sync/phone/.sync-phone_06_youtube"

This will copy everything from a specific folders on my phone, and store them neatly organized into my storage partition on my computer SSD. This also includes all the necessary information including SSH username, address and ID keys.

I can then run alias rtARCHIVEfull="doas rtransfer /home/dell-pc/.sync/computer/.sync-computer_01_archive-full" to quickly copy that storage partition on my computer to my external backup SSD.

I use it so often. It’s especially nice because I can work on a file on my computer and quickly update the file to the remote address location, putting it directly where I need it to be immediately.

I started self-hosting as a hobby and while I enjoy it, I was getting frustrated with file transfers between my computer, phone and two raspberry pi’s. Since I was already using rsync, I created a tool for myself to help sort rsync commands into sortable files.

I can now lump together those files into a single command and run several rsync commands in one go.

It’s definitely saved me some sanity by not having to refer to a wall of text full of rsync aliases.

I posted it on codeberg.

It is random code on the internet and it involves file transfers so if anyone uses it, those are the risks unless you care to read the code itself.

I think I’ve worked in automation long enough to feel super uncomfortable with the idea of a tattoo print machine being anywhere near my body.

Even if I had a kill switch in hand, it still makes me uncomfortable. In general machines don’t care about fleshy bits at all. If something happens, for example a sensor ages and becomes defective, the printer has the potential to cause serious harm.

I probably also hold a bit of bias, I prefer the imperfections of human, hand made art over digitized perfection from machines.

I’m the same here. I don’t know enough or care to know enough about systemd. I simply enjoy the minimalism of Alpine.

The downside is that I have to learn a bit more to make it work how I want but as a hobby I enjoy it.

When I first started with linux, Mint with systemd just worked for my laptop. For the people who are less computer literate, that should be good enough. They don’t want to worry about how to make their computer work, they just wanna do basic computer things without hassle.

Ah yeah, I’ve heard of Proxmox but have never looked into it. From my experiences, HA is quite flexible so some questions are never that simple. Still worth all the effort though :)

How do you have HA set up? For example I currently have a Raspberry Pi 4 and installed a HomeAssistant Docker image.

Since I’m not using HA addons, I’m free to use any Docker image that supports Raspberry Pi’s ARM architecture. I use a simple file server which is more than enough for my needs.

If you’re using an HA setup where that’s not possible, someone else may be able to suggest an HA addon that would fit your needs.

For the past month I’ve been writing a script to simplify transferring files and folders between my devices at home. All I have to do is change one feature, test it and it will be complete.

I’ve tried writing code before but never finished any project so this will be a nice accomplishment.

I’m thinking of putting it up on Codeberg to share. Maybe someone else might find my code/script useful. Even if it’s just one other person who uses, it would be nice knowing my work made their life a little less tedious.

Financial advice from old men who should spend more time minding their own business and less time giving advice when it was never asked.

If I listened to them, I’d end up a miserable old man giving advice that no one asked to hear.

They are definitely dead. On the inside.

It took me a long time to be comfortable with the fact that people hated me. I eventually learned that I had the courage to do things they wish they could have done with their time. Instead they worked themselves into a life of constant pain and misery.

Not understanding why I received so much hate was a mindfuck itself. At least now I know I can be proud of my past actions. They were able to target their insecurities. In my opinion, words alone could never reach that deep.

If I spent all my time reaching my potential, I would have never had time to experience life. I know I made the right choices when I look into those dead, judgemental eyes. All the bullshit words in world could never bring a light back into those eyes.

I was born in Canada and was essentially raised Canadian. Both my bio parents were born in Guyana. Go back in history and their relatives were from India. My stepdad is from a Scottish background.

In Canada I lived in a city with a noticeable Indian and Pakistani population. People there assume I am Indian.

When I travelled Europe, everyone assumed I was African, French or French Canadian. I can’t speak French. In Germany, people assumed I was German or Muslim. I know being Muslim isn’t a nationality but the Turkish people in Berlin would greet me all the time. While I was in Australia, I was just treated like I was exotic… Yeah… And in Cuba, people thought I was Cuban. Luckily I had a pasty white, Spanish speaking Californian guy with me for a short time to speak to the locals.

It’s such a trip what people assume about me. Even more trippy with the amount of people who thought I was a local when I was abroad in Europe, especially in Germany where I only had a year with a work/travel visa.

Even though I have no pride in being Canadian, that’s what I am. That’s the culture I was born in and raised up as. The people who ask “Where are you from? No, where are you really from?” Tend to be closed minded people who I actively avoid.

I spent so much of my life breaking cycles before I ever knew I was breaking cycles. Before I had the understanding and the words to describe my reactions to this world, the only thing I really knew was that other people made me feel bad and I didn’t want to make other people feel the same way I did.

So much of my behaviour came out of defiance. However my acts of defiance are subtle. When someone maee me feel bad or told me I can’t do something, I’ll spend my time trying to figure out why I felt so bad or why they didn’t want me to do something by doing it anyways (within reason). I never came back to fight them or prove a point. I used that knowledge or experience to quietly defy them more in the future. I used that knowledge or experience to be kinder to other people that came into my life.

When my family chose to ignore me, I defied that behaviour by acticely listening to everyone else. When my family chose to make me feel judged and guilty, I defied that behaviour by allowing people to be themselves without explanantion. When my family chose to only view me as a stereotype, I defied that behaviour by allowing people the time to show me who they were without labels. When my family chose not to take the time to understand me, I defied that behaviour to make sure other people felt understood.

For all the pain from all the trauma I experienced, I know I’ve been able to turn that into something that made other people feel accepted and whole. It was always unexpected when those people showed appreciation for me. Even some of the people that showed appreciation for me were completely unexpected.

When it’s my turn to die, I will at least be able to die at peace with myself knowing that others felt safe to be themselves around me and that they deeply appreciated that. Being kind when so many people around me are so unkind takes too much energy. But I won’t stop, that defiant part of my brain won’t let me.

The automation industry is too dependant on so many other industries. I learned this real quick after the COVID lockdowns of 2020.

The shipping delays, as well as the overall lack of devices and materials caused huge waves but management made it seem like manageable ripples in a pond.

I made an educated gamble and got out of that industry in 2021. I couldn’t predict Trump’s tariff wars but I felt a disturbance early on.

I’m speaking from a North American perspective but the automation industry is global. This doesn’t surprise me but even the headline alone brings a sense of disappointment.

I hate digital clutter and regularly clear out old data I don’t want anymore. My browser is set to clear everything when I close it. If I find something useful, I bookmark it. Once in a while I’ll sort out any unsorted saved bookmarks and make a backup of the cleaned up list.

I’m also similar in real life though. I’m quite minimal and prefer only to have what is useful or meaningful to me.

My digital life and personal life are very similar.

This seems to over simplify the complex feelings I have in both those situations and does not quite fully resonate with me. I can sit with this and over analyze it but I choose not to because there isn’t much need to for me.

I don’t always need an explanation for why I am enjoying living in the moment, what’s important is that I am living in the moment. Those are the memories that are truly important to me because I get to enjoy them for myself later on my own time.

I’m super quiet and often look well composed but emotionless. It seems to give off an aura of confidence which is a complete contradiction to the overstimulated chaos happening inside.

Since I am so quiet because of over stimulation, people react by either assuming I know too much or I’m a absolute idiot who needs to be talked to like a toddler. This ends up with people expecting me to just know everything or thinking I know nothing at all. There’s rarely ever someone that treats me as average, just like everyone else on this planet.

The worst part about adhd and autism is that everything seems to be a contradiction. I personally have leaned into the contradiction because it’s the only way to be comfortable with myself. It may not always make sense but if it works and I am happy and no one is being hurt, there shouldn’t be an issue about it. I am a human being, just another animal on this planet.

I think me acknowledging and embracing that contradiction scares people and a result, takes it out on me for being comfortable in my own contradictions.

Why do I hate crowds and loud noises but love to dance in a big happy, sweaty crowd with loud music? Fuck if I know but it makes me happy. Why do I need structure in my daily life but can’t plan a trip beyond a return plane ticket and 5 nights booked somewhere at a hostel for a 3 months trip to Europe? Fuck if I know but I survived and it made me happy.

I can’t outrun my adhd so why not embrace it.

Depend on who I am around, I will either over explain things or say the least amount of words possible.

If I’m around people who make assumptions, I will give the shortest answer possible and let them read between the lines. I won’t challenge them. If they refuse to listen to me the first time then they don’t deserve to know anything about me.

So many guys at my last job thought I was gay. Never challenged them. If they asked me leading questions to try and figure out if I was actually gay, I’d give them a short, ambiguous answer. They couldn’t figure me out and that drove them insane. My very nosy sister who does nothing but assume everything about me gets very upset with me because all I say is “I don’t know.”

If I’m with a close friend, I can talk none stop for 7+ hours, until my voice is raspy and my throat is sore. Even my therapist said I talk a lot in our last session. Although that’s not really over explaining things. They tend to be more understanding from the start.

The older I get, the less energy I have towards people who spend all their energy trying to read between the lines.

I pretty much just went crazy with the egg shells and added a bit more mulch to balance it out. My parents eat eggs every morning and just put them in an uncovered container to dry out.

I didn’t think to treat the egg shells but I will keep that in mind for the next time. All I really did was spend some time with my pestle and mortor in the sun and grind them down.

Over the last couple years, I just sort of threw all the trimmings back into the garden, especially the tomato plants. Then I just started throwing all my food scraps in there because why not. I’m sure all the bugs appreciate it and their poop is good for the plants too.

I also covered the garden bed with leaves last year to protect the soil, and when that breaks down it should add more nutrients to the soil too. Trying to copy what a forest does with their leaves for the winter.

The weather has slowly been warming up so the most I’ve been able to do is prep the gardens with compost and used mulch from the mushroom farm nearby.

I am trying to start my seeds with some compressed soil blocks I made. I used some backyard soil, compose, mulch and a bunch of crushed eggshells from my parents. I managed to get a couple peas and beans started with my first attempt before remaking the remainder to be less soil dense. We’ll see how it goes the second time around.

My collard green from last year survived this long winter. Happy to see it thriving.

I can’t wait for a stretch of warm weather. I’m too lazy to properly compost so I’ve been burying all the veggie scraps in my garden beds all winter and spring. I know once it’s warm it’ll break down real quick but for now it’s just kinda there…