today's howtos

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jan 25, 2026

• LinuxConfig ☛ How to Install Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop on ZFS Root

• Linux Capable ☛ How to Install Latest Linux Kernel on CentOS Stream (10, 9)

  The default kernel shipped with CentOS Stream prioritizes stability over new features. If you need support for the latest hardware, improved performance for modern workloads, or access to new kernel features, the ELRepo project provides newer kernel packages.

• ID Root ☛ How To Install Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Teams on Fedora 43 [Ed: Proprietary spyware of hostile company; use Free software instead, e.g. BBB]

  Collaboration tools have become indispensable for remote work, hybrid teams, and digital communication.

• ID Root ☛ How To Install HandBrake on Debian 13

  HandBrake stands as one of the most powerful open-source video transcoders available for GNU/Linux systems today. Whether you need to convert video files between formats, compress large media files, or rip content from DVDs, this versatile application delivers professional results without costing a penny.

• Linux Capable ☛ How to Install Yandex Browser on Fedora Linux

  Yandex Browser is a Chromium-based web browser developed by Yandex, the Russian technology company known for its search engine and cloud services.

• Matthew J Ernisse ☛ tcpdump filters (pcap filters, really) for Fun and Profit?

  I've been fighting what I'm pretty sure is a silly firewall problem while trying to get Synctrain to work when my iPhone isn't on my WiFi. Long time readers will know that when I am not on a trusted WiFi network my i{Pad,}OS devices automatically VPN into my network so they can tunnel all their traffic through my security apparatus (and multi-layer ad and tracking prevention systems). I'm getting ready to re-build one of my main servers and I'm trying to modernize some of the services it runs. According to the debian-installer logs the server was built on November, 5, 2011 in the early evening and I installed the recently released Debian 6.0 (squeeze) Linux distribution on it. One of the services it provides is a sync location for data from my i{Pad,}OS devices, specifically I use OwnCloud's app to sync my photos so I can edit them on my laptop and then organize them using my image-process python script. I want to get rid of OwnCloud and while the other services it provides (contact and calendar sync) are easily replaced, the file syncing is not. Enter syncthing.

• Christian Hofstede-Kuhn ☛ Self-Hosted CryptPad on FreeBSD with VNET Jails and Caddy

  CryptPad is an end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite. Think Google Docs, but where the server never sees your content. It’s a compelling option for privacy-conscious teams or anyone wanting to own their data. This post documents installing CryptPad in a FreeBSD VNET jail, served behind a Caddy reverse proxy, with network isolation enforced by PF.

  This guide assumes familiarity with FreeBSD jails, PF, and BastilleBSD. It focuses on architecture and pitfalls rather than introductory jail setup.

• University of Toronto ☛ Understanding query_response in Prometheus Blackbox's tcp prober

  Prometheus Blackbox is somewhat complicated to understand. One of its fundamental abstractions is a 'prober', a generic way of probing some service (such as making HTTP requests or DNS requests). One prober is the 'tcp' prober, which makes a TCP connection and then potentially conducts a conversation with the service to verify its health. For example, here's a ClamAV daemon health check, which connects, sends a line with "PING", and expects to receive "PONG": [...]

• HowTo Geek ☛ I stopped using the Linux start menu: This "fuzzy" launcher is so much faster

  I used to treat my Linux app menu like a forgotten drawer. I rarely opened it, only to switch to my terminal a bit later. Then I found Ulauncher. It quietly replaced my start menu, app grid, and desktop shortcuts. Once I got used to it, I wondered why I ever clicked through menus in the first place.