Category
Tech
Stories from Stacklog, Uptime Notes and Layer Lines.
StacklogHow I built a marble-sorting machine that paints in real time (C++, Box3D, Vulkan)900 random marbles, six independent sorters, one sunset. The mechanism, the jams, the path tracer, and the hardware it takes to render.
Uptime NotesThe cheapest VPS that can run a real workload in 2026: 7 providers benchmarkedWe rented the cheapest viable plan at seven VPS providers and ran identical CPU, disk, network, and load-test benchmarks on each. Prices, specs, and sign-up links included.
StacklogWe switched from Datadog to self-hosted observability: what it costA line-by-line breakdown of our Datadog bill, the self-hosted stack we moved to, the migration pain, and what we pay now.
Layer LinesBambu P1S vs Prusa MK4S vs Creality K1C: Which One for a First Serious PrinterThree sub-$900 printers that can actually replace a hobby machine. A head-to-head on reliability, print quality, ecosystem, and value.
Uptime NotesUptime monitoring tools compared: what you get free and when to payA comparison of six uptime and status-page monitoring tools — free tier limits, paid pricing tiers, alerting features, and which trial to start with.
StacklogBuilding a quiet home NAS in 2026: parts list and what I'd changeA full parts list and price breakdown for a near-silent home NAS build, plus what I'd change if I built it again.
Layer LinesEight PLA Brands Printed With One Profile: Which Ones Are Worth the MoneyI printed the same calibration part on eight PLA brands with zero profile changes. Here's where the money actually goes.
Uptime NotesBuild a quiet home server for under $400A complete parts list and total cost for a quiet, low-power home server under $400: mini PC vs. used SFF, RAM, SSD, a UPS, and a managed switch.
StacklogI benchmarked five VPS providers for a side projectCPU, disk, and network benchmarks across five VPS providers at similar price points, plus which one I'd actually recommend.
Layer LinesThe $120 of Tools That Fix 90% of Print FailuresSeven cheap tools that solve almost every print failure I see in the comments section, with exact prices.
Uptime NotesDeploy a Docker Compose stack on a fresh Ubuntu VPSA step-by-step guide to taking a brand-new Ubuntu VPS from any provider to a running Docker Compose stack behind a reverse proxy, with a domain pointed at it.
Layer LinesBuilding a Filament Dry Box From a Cereal ContainerA step-by-step build for a filament dry box using a cereal storage container, desiccant, and a printed spool holder.
StacklogMechanical keyboard switches explained for people who type all dayA plain-language guide to mechanical switch types and what actually changes how typing feels and sounds.
Uptime NotesBackups that actually restore: the 3-2-1 rule for self-hostersThe 3-2-1 backup rule explained for people running their own servers: picking your three copies, automating them, and testing restores before you need them.
StacklogHow I organize a personal knowledge base after five yearsFive years of notes, false starts, and one system that finally stuck.
Layer LinesPETG Warping: Every Cause I Have Found and How I Fixed EachA running list of every PETG warping cause I've diagnosed, and the settings that actually fixed it.
Uptime NotesHow Linux schedules I/O, and why your server stalls under loadAn explainer on how Linux's block-layer I/O schedulers work — none, mq-deadline, bfq, and kyber — and how to diagnose a server that stalls under disk load.
StacklogPostmortem: the day our cron jobs ran twiceA detailed postmortem of a daylight-saving-time bug that caused every scheduled job in our fleet to run twice.
Layer LinesWhy First Layers Fail: A Mental ModelA simple mental model for the four forces actually at play in first-layer adhesion failures.
Uptime NotesPostmortem: the DNS change that took us down for four hoursA lightly edited internal postmortem of a DNS record change that caused a four-hour outage — the timeline, the TTL caching chain that delayed the fix, and what changed afterward.
StacklogA short history of the Unix cron daemonWhere cron actually came from, how its crontab syntax ended up the way it is, and why it still runs most of the internet's scheduled work.
Layer LinesWhat I Learned Printing 300 Keychains for a School FundraiserA PTA asked me to print 300 keychains in three weeks. Here's what that taught me about running a hobby printer like a tiny factory.
Uptime NotesA field guide to log formatsA practical guide to the log formats you'll actually encounter running servers: syslog, JSON Lines, Common and Combined Log Format, journald, and Windows Event Log.
StacklogNotes on reading RFCs effectivelyA practical method for reading internet RFCs without drowning in them.
Layer LinesA History of the RepRap ProjectHow a 2005 university project to build a self-replicating 3D printer became the ancestor of nearly every desktop printer you can buy today.