Reading List
The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.
Debugging VLANs on my TP-Link Managed Switch
I recently bought my first-ever managed networking switch, a TP-Link JetStream TL-SG3428X.
The main feature of a managed switch is that it lets you segment your network into VLANs. I was excited about this functionality, but it took me hours of trial and error to get VLANs working.
I found TP-Link’s VLAN documentation lacking, so I’m sharing my notes in case they’re helpful to others.
My First Impressions of Nix
Nix is a tool for configuring software environments according to source files. I’ve been hearing more and more about Nix on Hacker News and Twitter. The idea of it appeals to me, so I’ve been tinkering with it over the past few weeks.
My history with infrastructure as code
Ten years ago, I discovered Salt, a tool that allows you to define a computer system’s configuration in source code. I loved the idea of a git repo that defined what services were installed on my computers and VMs. I could blow away the computer, re-run the configuration tool, and get it back to the same state.
TinyPilot: Month 35
New here?
Hi, I’m Michael. I’m a software developer and the founder of TinyPilot, an independent computer hardware company. I started the company in 2020, and it now earns $60-80k/month in revenue and employs seven other people.
Every month, I publish a retrospective like this one to share how things are going with my business and my professional life overall.
Highlights
- I frantically tried to come up with $250k for a large expense.
- I evaluate how a contract manufacturer will change my finances.
- Outsourcing to a 3PL vendor is less expensive than I expected.
Goal grades
At the start of each month, I declare what I’d like to accomplish. Here’s how I did against those goals:
Takeaways from Cory Zue's May 2023 Livecoding Session
Takeaways from Cory Zue's May 2023 Livecoding Session
My friend Cory Zue has been publishing his live coding sessions, so I decided to watch one and record my notes.
My background vs. Cory’s
I’ve read a lot of Cory’s blog. We’re both Python developers, but he specializes in Django, whereas I’ve always worked with thinner frameworks like Flask. I have no experience with Django, but I’m comfortable in Python.