While I’ve brought back my old neelc.org website, I’m now primarily posting on Mom & Pop Network. If you want new articles, please go there.
Running a Raspberry Pi DNS Resolver, or how I learned MikroTik DNS sucks
For quite a while, on my two Rocky Linux servers/hypervisors, I got the following message if I log in via my Samba Active Directory:
Domain Controller unreachable, using cached credentials instead
I upgraded both my hosts to Rocky 10 via re-installing, yet the same error still showed. I used a MikroTik core router, with a DNS resolver forwarding AD DNS to the domain controllers.
Unrelated yet somewhat related, I had family members complain about “slow internet” even when I get 180-300 Mbps download and 40-75 Mbps uploads.
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Remapping the Copilot Key to Right Ctrl on Fedora 43
If you own a modern non-Mac system, chances are there’s a Copilot key on it.
As a Fedora user, there’s absolutely no way I’d use Copilot. And even if I could, I wouldn’t: I’ve worked at Microsoft yet barely used AI.
However, I do want a working Right Ctrl key for VirtualBox. How do I do that?
Step 1: Enable the Copr repository You’ll need to import keyd from Copr and install it:
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Installing SearXNG on AlmaLinux/RHEL/Rocky Linux with Podman and SELinux
While I’ve never really used DuckDuckGo, due to me liking Google results better (although I hate the data collection), I was bored today and wanted something in my home lab.
When checking awesome-selfhoted I thought “why not try SearXNG” after seeing someone else run it too.
On my home lab, I run two Minisforum MS-01s as compute nodes, both running Rocky Linux 9 with a mix of Incus, Podman and Cockpit KVM.
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Virtualizor: Fixing the "Required number of IPv4 : 1 and I support : 0" Error
For a living, I run the VPS host Fourplex. I am launching a storage VPS service alongside our flagship Ryzen 9000 VPS.
When I added the new VPS group, I got this error in WHMCS:
Error: No server found which fits in the criteria for your VPS configuration ... Server ID: 8, Reason: XXX.fourplex.net | Required number of IPv4 : 1 and I support : 0 The funny part is in Virtualizor I added the IPv4 and IPv6 pools to the “Storage” group alongside the “Ryzen” group.
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Installing Incus on AlmaLinux, RHEL or Rocky Linux 10
When I set up Rocky Linux on my homelab, I initially set up LXD containers. But when Incus got Rocky Linux 10 images while LXD didn’t, I decided to switch.
After all, like most Linux users I never liked snap packages.
The problem? The Rocky Linux installation instructions for Incus points to a Copr repository for Rocky Linux 9, not 10.
While I have two Minisforums running Rocky Linux 9, I also have a HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9 running Rocky Linux 10 as a domain controller, UniFi controller and virtual router for NYC Mesh.
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Using QEMU with the virtio-net Internal Network for Network Simulations
For years I’ve primarily used x86 PCs. With that, VirtualBox had a unique feature called the Internal Network that could be used to isolate VLANs. But more recently I’ve been daily-driving a M3 Pro MacBook Pro on-and-off.
However, VirtualBox on Apple Silicon cannot run MikroTik CHR. While it does run on UTM, UTM doesn’t give me isolated non-DHCP VLANs. Also, attempts at using “bridge” interfaces failed miserably.
The solution? QEMU. I tested this guide on macOS 15 Sequoia but it should also work on Linux, Windows and BSD variants.
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Setting up UniFi Controller on Debian 12
While I’m more of a fan of Red Hat-based distros, using a Fedora desktop and laptop, and multiple Rocky Linux servers, I decided to revisit UniFi after our NYC townhouse had poor Wi-Fi from MikroTik wAP AXs.
The reality is that UniFi is designed for Debian and Ubuntu as most hobbyists (and startups) use those. Trust me, I run a VPS host and like 90% of my customers (not exact) use Debian or Ubuntu.
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ASRock Rack B650D4U/1U2S-B650: Fixing the 0d error on AMD Ryzen 9000-series CPU
If you thought HPE support was bad, ASRock Rack support is 100x times worse. But for my startup Fourplex branded servers have become cost-prohibitive post-COVID-19. I remember when HPE servers were actually affordable for a homelab.
That being said Fourplex is planning to expand into VPS hosting and I have one 1U2S-B650 (using the B650D4U motherbord) and have three more shipping.
One of the problems with the B650D4U is that the stock BIOS does not recognize Ryzen 9000 CPUs, nor can you flash from USB without booting the system first.
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Mastodon vs Bluesky is a new standards war
With Bluesky’s apparent rise after the elections, I’ve heard a lot of criticism about Bluesky on the Fediverse. I’m starting to feel the Mastodon vs Bluesky war is a new standards war, one that is analogous to the cellular standards war.
While Gen Z readers are used to LTE and 5G phones which is based off the historically more popular GSM branch, there was another cellular technology CDMA which was a fierce rival and chosen by carriers like Verizon pre-4G days.
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