Category: server

A guide on how to set up Time Machine inside a FreeBSD jail.

A practical guide to installing Void Linux on an encrypted ZFS root with LUKS-encrypted swap and working hibernation support.

I usually publish articles about how much I love the BSDs or illumos distributions, but today I want to talk about Linux (or, better, GNU/Linux) and why, despite everything, it still holds a place in my heart.

Compare static web hosting performance on an Intel N150 using the same nginx.conf across FreeBSD jails, SmartOS zones, NetBSD, OpenBSD and Linux, focusing on HTTP vs HTTPS and TLS CPU usage.

A practical guide to boosting Mastodon performance by self-hosting your media with SeaweedFS. Configure a fast, S3-compatible storage backend to efficiently handle your instance's files and take full control of your data.

A real-world horror story about contracts, control, and the dark side of managed open source.

Which virtualization host performs better? I put FreeBSD and SmartOS in a head-to-head showdown. The performance of Jails, Zones, and bhyve VMs surprised me, forcing a second round of tests on different hardware to find the real winner.

Introducing illumos Cafe: a community-run hub on illumos, inspired by BSD Cafe. Fediverse-ready (Mastodon, snac). Built for OS diversity, transparency, and positivity.

Build a bulletproof backup server with FreeBSD, ZFS, and jails. Complete guide covering encryption, security hardening, and multiple backup strategies for enterprise-grade data protection.

A new article on running WordPress on FreeBSD with BastilleBSD has been published on the BSD Cafe Journal, plus a small update on future technical content.

When a datacenter fire threatened 142 of my servers, my backup strategy had them back online in hours. This post shares my personal philosophy on creating a resilient system, focusing on the crucial planning that must happen before you write a single script.

A practical guide to installing FreeBSD on hosting providers that don't officially support it, using the powerful mfsBSD tool for rescue mode installations.

A GlusterFS failure during a critical client upgrade turned into a nightmare of false accusations and politics, revealing a deeper story of corruption.

A story from 16 years ago - trust, tech, and a server that had to disappear. They offered me a blank check. I said no.

Create a personal blog with NetBSD on a 1€ VPS - efficient, secure, and completely under your control. Minimal cost, maximum performance. Because your thoughts don't need to float in someone else's cloud.

Announcing the public release of BSSG, a Bash Static Site Generator born from a personal journey away from complex dynamic CMS. Discover a simple, portable alternative for your blog.

The slides, the notes, and the text behind my presentation at OSDay 2025 in Florence, Italy - 'Why Choose to Use the BSDs in 2025.

How a simple idea turned into an international weather service on the Fediverse.

Using nginx to cache proxied media in snac to improve performance and privacy

Using nginx to cache snac multimedia files to boost performance

I share my experience migrating a client’s Windows BIOS VMs from Proxmox to FreeBSD/uefi, using bhyve and ZFS.

I share my experience migrating a client’s VMs from Proxmox to FreeBSD, using bhyve and ZFS.

A healthcare client risks IT failure by ignoring outdated infrastructure in favor of an impractical cloud migration plan.

The slides, the video, and the text behind my presentation at EuroBSDCon 2024 and BSDCan 2025 - Why and how we're migrating many of our servers from Linux to the BSDs.

A comprehensive guide on how to move a FreeBSD installation, including the operating system, from one host to another, with a focus on ZFS and bootloader configurations (UEFI and BIOS).

After revisiting my old Fediverse instances and helping friends set up new ones, I took the chance to update and evaluate several platforms. Here's my experience with Akkoma, GoToSocial, Mitra, Snac2, and Mastodon.

Learn how to configure a reliable read-only root file system on NetBSD, improving system stability and reducing the risk of corruption in embedded and remote setups.

Learn how to build a self-hosted CDN using NetBSD, Varnish, and nginx

Learn how to build a self-hosted CDN using OpenBSD base and just 2 packages

Learn how to build a self-hosted CDN using FreeBSD jails, Nginx, Varnish, WireGuard, and PowerDNS to improve media delivery for your website without relying on external providers.

Monitor your services efficiently by installing Uptime-Kuma in a FreeBSD Jail.

A simple method to limit the priority of processes within a FreeBSD jail using the nice(1) command.

Experience a journey from Kubernetes to FreeBSD, achieving major cost savings and efficiency through real-world optimization.

Comparative tests show FreeBSD's virtualization performance surpasses Proxmox, especially with NVMe drivers.

Learn how to create and use UFS snapshots on FreeBSD for reliable backups and system management, with practical examples using mksnap_ffs.

Enhance your FreeBSD-based mail server by adding Nextcloud for webmail, contacts, calendars, and IMAP integration. A step-by-step guide to building a full-featured groupware solution.

Make your own E-Mail server - Part 1 - FreeBSD, OpenSMTPD, Rspamd and Dovecot included

I recently faced the task of moving an Alpine Linux-based VPS onto a FreeBSD host. I decided to use a jail.

A detailed walkthrough of migrating from FreeBSD VMs to a hierarchical jail setup using BastilleBSD, optimizing resource usage and simplifying management without sacrificing isolation.

Explore the seamless migration of an old Linux server (1690 days uptime!) to a new FreeBSD machine, detailing the use of mfsBSD, BastilleBSD, Borg Backup, and bhyve for improved efficiency and manageability

Set up your own secure VPN with FreeBSD, WireGuard, IPv6, and integrated ad-blocking using Unbound and Spamhaus. Get full control, enhanced privacy, and a performant solution.

A retrospective on a NetBSD server set up in 2010 under tight deadlines, running almost untouched for over a decade on consumer-grade hardware—proof of the OS's remarkable stability.

Create your own secure, high-performance VPN with OpenBSD, WireGuard, IPv6, and integrated ad-blocking using Unbound and Spamhaus. Full control, enhanced privacy, and a lightweight setup.

Part 3 of our migration series details the complex process of moving servers from Proxmox to FreeBSD, including overcoming challenges with old hardware, problematic LXC containers, and fine-tuning virtual machines for optimal performance on bhyve.

A comprehensive guide to installing Mastodon on a FreeBSD jail using BastilleBSD

Some details on how we're performing backups and disaster recovery of the migrated servers.