July 31, 2026Systems AdministrationLinux
Upgraded main VPS infrastructure from Ubuntu 22.04 to 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat). Created manual tarball archives and MySQL dumps for Mailcow, osTicket, and Nginx configurations prior to the migration. Restored full osTicket functionality by installing PHP 8.1-FPM via the Ondřej Surý PPA to resolve PHP 8.3 incompatibilities, re-initialized Docker stacks, and updated UFW and Fail2ban whitelists.
July 29, 2026NetworkingNotes
Notes on section 'The Network Layer' on 'The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking' course at Coursera/Grow with Google.
2026-07-27Systems AdministrationMail SecurityAutomation
Configured and automated daily DMARC report parsing on Arch Linux using parsedmarc, GNOME Keyring via secret-tool for secure credential injection, and systemd user services/timers.
July 24, 2026Systems AdministrationEmail Infrastructure
Hardening a Dockerized Mailcow mail server on VPS by configuring strict SPF, DKIM alignment, DMARC quarantine enforcement, and Google Postmaster/Site Verification to achieve 100% deliverability and primary inbox placement.
July 23, 2026NginxLinuxosTicketSystem AdministrationWeb Infrastructure
How I engineered custom FastCGI location rules and resolved symlink conflicts on live server infrastructure.
July 21, 2026Systems AdministrationNetworking
Documented the deployment of a containerized Mailcow mail server (Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd) on an Ubuntu VPS, including osTicket integration, Postfix IPv4 routing adjustments, and full DNS authentication hardening (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and PTR) to achieve a 10/10 mail deliverability score.
July 20, 2026Systems Administration
Deployed a production-ready osTicket instance on a dedicated subdomain (tickets.scottdiemer.com) hosted alongside a portfolio server. Documented full Nginx, MariaDB, and PHP-FPM stack setup, Let's Encrypt SSL provisioning, file permission hardening, setup directory cleanup, and database-level authentication fixes in preparation for Active Directory LDAP integration.
July 17, 2026Systems Administration
A chronicle of a 48-hour battle against a corrupted Windows 11 Enterprise update that bricked the desktop shell UI. Details the creative navigation workarounds used when shortcuts failed, a unique PowerShell pipeline fix inspired by Linux grep logic, and the ultimate lesson learned in recognizing a sunk cost and utilizing hypervisor snapshots.
July 15, 2026Systems Administatrion
A hands-on guide resolving modern user-space software installation loopholes (Firefox AppData) by joining a Windows 11 Enterprise VM to a Windows Server 2022 domain controller, organizing the Active Directory OU structure, and enforcing kernel-level block policies using AppLocker.
July 14, 2026Systems Administration
Successfully resolved deployment pathing issues to launch the Next.js portfolio server via SSH and added core AD roles/users to Windows Server, while troubleshooting ongoing installation blockers with the Windows Desktop Client.
July 13, 2026learning-journal
Completed the Network Layer and Subnetting modules in the Grow with Google IT Support course, covering IPv4 encapsulation, ARP, binary math, and CIDR notation, and earned 100% on both practice assessments.
July 9, 2026Learning Journal
A focused study session on Layer 3 of the OSI model, diving into IPv4 structuring, datagram encapsulation, ARP mechanisms, and an introduction to subnetting.
July 8, 2026System Administration
Configured a Windows Server 2022 virtual machine in KVM to establish an Active Directory Domain Controller baseline, implemented static network routing, resolved host-to-guest clipboard isolation, and provisioned a structured mock help desk directory.
July 7, 2026IT Support Certification
An overview of the fundamental components of computer networking covered in Module 1, focusing on the TCP/IP five-layer model, physical infrastructure including twisted-pair and fiber-optic cabling, and the behavioral evolution from hubs to switches and routers.
Glossary of Common Networking Terms
July 6, 2026Learning Path
Started Course 2 of the Google IT Support Certificate focusing on the TCP/IP model, while pushing new terminal animations, milestone links, and navigation fixes to the homepage.
July 3, 2026Learning Path
A productive sprint upgrading my Ubuntu server, refining my Neovim environment, fixing Next.js markdown rendering, and completing the first course of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate.
July 2, 2026System Administration
Troubleshooting a custom deployment bash script, resolving sudden git authentication failures caused by inactive SSH key pruning, and advancing through core IT infrastructure and software modules.
Glossary of Common Software Terms
Glossary of Common Networking Terms
June 29, 2026Fundamentals
Completed the OS Fundamentals module, passing an interactive architectural review on kernel mechanics and provisioning live Windows and Linux virtual machines via Qwiklabs.
June 26, 2026System Administration
An end-to-end breakdown of engineering a Markdown-driven portfolio, optimizing state-managed client routing, isolating content via JSON, and resolving enterprise web-server directory traversal constraints.
June 25, 2026Fundamentals
Glossary of Common Terms