Blog
The latest personal musings, learnings, and patterns to share. Generally tech-related, unless it's not!
Blog posts
How to Host Home Assistant in a TrueNAS Scale VM
October 14, 2024
Objective: migrate an existing Home Assistant Container installation to Home Assistant OS using a virtual machine on a TrueNAS Scale host.
Wake Up to an SMS Message
February 18, 2024
Problem statement:
Automate a way to guarantee waking up when an SMS message is received from specified phone numbers.
Debian Linux Initial Setup Guide
November 12, 2023
Whenever I buy a computer or have to re-install the operating system, I find myself gravitating towards Debian-based Linux distributions for the operating system. In the recent past, this has included Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi OS, and Pop!_OS. I have to run through very similar initial steps to get started with all of these, so it’s about time to document them!
Setting Up Zigbee With Home Assistant
November 22, 2022
Now that my Home Assistant server is set up, it’s time to start adding device integrations! But… there’s some choices to make before diving into this and buying new smart devices. Let’s break those down!
Getting Started With Home Assistant
November 15, 2022 · 10 min read
I have been spending some time learning more about cybersecurity, and the more I learn the more I become suspicious of the internet connected devices that I use on a daily basis. For example, I’m a daily user of WiFi smart plugs. I love being able to remotely schedule my lights to turn on and off, or simply just turn on all of the living room lights without having to individually toggle all of the lamps.
Switching Between Java Versions
February 16, 2022 · 5 min read
Problem: How do I quickly change between Java versions in the terminal?
Stop for the Sunrise
January 31, 2022 · 2 min read
Sometimes I need to slow down and remind myself to appreciate the little things - like the sun rising/setting every single day. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been feeling a little down. Whether it’s from the short winter days, stress about making big decisions, what’s going on in the news, or just being exhausted from work, I feel like I don’t spend always spend enough time appreciating the little things that make me smile.
Starting a blog with Hugo... lots to learn!
January 16, 2022 · 5 min read
The other day, I watched a YouTube presentation called “Give Yourself a Blog for Christmas” that one of my favorite podcasters, Jack Rhysider, shared. Jack argued that anyone can benefit from a podcast, whether it’s for posting documentation to look back on later or to share out ideas for others to benefit from on the vast internet.