Automation, scripting, infrastructure management for DevOps, SysAdmin and other Tech stuff
SQL Server encrypts every connection when a certificate is configured — but if no certificate is installed, SQL Server generates a self-signed one at startup that is only trusted by the local machine. Remote clients get the “self-signed certificate” warning (or more dangerously, they silently accept it). This article covers installing a proper TLS certificate, […]
Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) comes with a self-signed certificate that covers the web administration interface. DSM also hosts multiple services — File Station, WebDAV, Surveillance Station, Drive, and others — all of which can use the same certificate. This article covers replacing the DSM certificate with a Let’s Encrypt or custom certificate, assigning it to
Traefik is a reverse proxy designed for container environments. One of its most useful features is automatic TLS certificate management — Traefik can request, store, and renew Let’s Encrypt certificates without any manual certificate management. This article explains how to configure Traefik v3 for automatic HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt using both HTTP-01 and DNS-01 challenges,
Traefik TLS Configuration: Automatic Let’s Encrypt Certificates for Docker Services Read Post »
TrueNAS ships with a self-signed certificate and shows a browser warning every time you open the web UI. The warning is dismissible, but it also means you cannot verify you are connected to the real TrueNAS system and not an impostor — important for NAS devices that may hold backup data or sensitive files. This
TrueNAS SSL Certificate: Replacing the Self-Signed Certificate in TrueNAS CORE and SCALE Read Post »
Wiki.js is a Node.js wiki application that supports TLS in two ways: its own built-in HTTPS server, or via a reverse proxy. This article covers both approaches, explains how to configure the correct site URL so that generated links and authentication callbacks work, and shows how to set up OAuth providers with HTTPS redirect URIs.
Wiki.js HTTPS Configuration: TLS Setup for the Self-Hosted Documentation Platform Read Post »
Windows Admin Center (WAC) installs with a self-signed certificate that generates browser warnings every time you open it. When WAC is deployed in Gateway mode on a Windows Server (accessible to multiple admins over the network), this warning is more than cosmetic — it means you cannot verify you are connecting to the legitimate WAC
Windows Admin Center TLS Certificate: Replacing the Self-Signed Certificate Read Post »
I still use tar constantly, even in environments with snapshotting, object storage, and dedicated backup platforms. It is not because tar is magical. It is because it is everywhere, predictable, scriptable, and surprisingly flexible once you stop treating it as just “that old archive command.” For small servers, config backups, pre-maintenance snapshots, application exports, and
tar and gzip Backup Strategies on Linux Read Post »
I like systemd more now than I did when I first had to live with it. My early frustration usually came from treating unit files like mysterious magic instead of what they really are: declarative service definitions with a few sharp edges. Once I started writing them carefully, validating paths, and reading logs instead of
Writing and Managing systemd Unit Files: A Practical Guide Read Post »
Most Windows certificate guides are either too shallow to help in production or so obsessed with PKI theory that they ignore what I actually do at 2 a.m. when a binding is broken, a PFX will not import, or I need to find every certificate expiring in the next month. This is the practical side
PowerShell for SSL Certificate Management: Commands I Actually Use Read Post »
If I had to keep only one command-line tool for TLS troubleshooting, it would be openssl s_client. Not because it is pretty. It is not. The output is noisy, old-fashioned, and easy to misread when you are in a hurry. But it connects directly to the service, shows you the certificate chain, reveals the negotiated
OpenSSL s_client: The TLS Debugging Tool I Reach For Every Day Read Post »