Installed and configured ModSecurity with the OWASP Core Rule Set on the Farm City Nginx web server, tuned a GraphQL false positive and integrated Fail2Ban to temporarily ban repeat offenders.
A vendor invoice would report a completed print job on Linux while silently dropping the last page. This is how I narrowed the problem down, proved the printer was working and built a simple script to work around the issue.
Working through Windows administration after years of Linux has meant retraining some familiar command-line habits. This entry looks at what has started to click for me with PowerShell and how the concepts compare with the Linux tools I already know.
A reflection on completing The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking and the study guide I built along the way covering TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, NAT, WANs, wireless networking, cloud computing, IPv6, and network troubleshooting.
A production server upgrade broke my Dockerized KeystoneJS, PostgreSQL, and Next.js stack. This is how I recovered the database, fixed image storage and Docker networking, redeployed the backend, and built a verified backup strategy.
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.
Notes on section 'The Network Layer' on 'The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking' course at Coursera/Grow with Google.
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.
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.
How I engineered custom FastCGI location rules and resolved symlink conflicts on live server infrastructure.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A focused study session on Layer 3 of the OSI model, diving into IPv4 structuring, datagram encapsulation, ARP mechanisms, and an introduction to subnetting.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Completed the OS Fundamentals module, passing an interactive architectural review on kernel mechanics and provisioning live Windows and Linux virtual machines via Qwiklabs.
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.
Glossary of Common Terms