posts.org

#+hugo_base_dir: .
#+hugo_level_offset: 0
#+seq_todo: DRAFT DONE
#+startup: indent

* Content
** DRAFT Photos meta data: the disjointed state of EXIF, XMP, IPTC in tools :hugo:foss:exif:
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250615_photos-meta-data-the-disjointed-state-of-exif-xmp-iptc-in-tools
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/7598b765
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250615_photos-meta-data-the-disjointed-state-of-exif-xmp-iptc-in-tools/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:

#+hugo: more
Hugo only support EXIF. The only reasonably modifiable fields are Image Description and Artist (Copyright, Software have meaningful information, UserComment is prefixed with ~ASCII~).
Darktable will export XMP information with the photos
- Tags are exported in XMP: Subjects, not XMP: Keywords
- Hierarchical tags will export the entire hierarchy as a flattened list, top-level hierarchies need to be made into standalone Category to avoid export
- Title, Description, Creator, Publisher, Copyright, Notes export just fine
EXIF:Artist = XMP:Creator (both are written out)
Darktable 5.3 just added the ability to customize the metadata editor list of fields and has all fields supported by Exiv2
Use the same tag system that Negative Lab Pro uses to maintain some sort of compatibility
[[https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/image-exif-and-usercomments-tag/49817][UserComment is extractable]] and Exif.Photo.UserComment is writable as are Exif.Image.PageName (and ReelName) but can't extracted (even with toml config set to [[https://gohugo.io/configuration/imaging/#exif-data][imaging.exif.includeFields = '.*']])

** DONE D2 diagramming
CLOSED: [2026-09-20 Sun 01:08]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260919_d2-diagramming
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/5a22ff63
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have tried diagramming on a couple posts but never had a good workflow because I didn't want Mermaid.js with a massive payload, but maybe D2 is a contender!?

#+hugo: more
I watched this excellent video: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsC-OsHR9RY][Beautiful diagrams in Emacs]] by [[https://skybert.net/][Torstein Krause Johansen]] and it got me interested in reexamining an easy way to integrate diagramming that is both declarative and tangled out, my Mermaid [[https://codeberg.org/shom/shom.dev/commit/aa85e3d19a2cc716881c974a6ea8ff3f5d8c4949][attempt]] wasn't that.

*** Yak shaves
I've started this blog post as a way to try it out directly in my workflow, so this is happening live and already has yak-shave vibes. So, let's see how many yaks we shave:
1. Oh yeah, just realized that to actually test it fully I need to update my custom build OS image to add the ~d2~ CLI tool and getting it pushed up to my container registry and pulling it down to the laptop to test.
2. It was a yak-shave after all since elpa.gnu.org kept failing until I realized that it was not code but the remote machine was on VPN 😭. But now I have ~d2~ in my build environment.
3. I struggled with trying to write a file and then include it and then realized that tangling it inline also includes it in the export, which is cool. But tangling my whole file isn't doing the job, manually tangling the block does work. * many minutes later * Right, that doesn't work because of my workflow of org > ox-hugo > md > hugo.
4. Had to go through and update my Hugo templates to handle SVG images (since resize for thumbnails doesn't make sense and hence fails).
5. The org file still isn't tangling the ~d2~ block in the build pipeline but it does tangle out other blocks.... arrrggghhh!
6. Alright, it needs to tangle with the rest of the file but not rendered inline, small yak shaved with =:exports none :noeval=
7. Woof, now I have to update the Hugo shortcode so it doesn't try to resize a svg.
8. =:flags= or =:cmdline= isn't supported by ~d2-mode~'s =org-babel-execute:d2= function natively, so all cli parameters (like themes) need to be passed via =d2-flags= and can't easily be customized per block.
#+begin_src elisp
     (setq d2-flags (list "--sketch" "--layout" "elk" "--theme" "102" "--dark-theme" "200"))
#+end_src
Post completion reflection: 1 and 2 were completely unnecessary and would have been obvious if I thought through how I handle images and I wouldn't use the auto-inlining because I add images as figures with alt-text. 7 and 8 were the only real dependencies, the rest was learning churn... a bit sad/frustrating but definitely learned stuff.

*** D2 Diagrams
Alright now I can finally try D2 diagramming (in my workflow). Here's the most basic one and it's reasonably small overhead (now that I have shaved a heard of yaks) and can be reduced further if I made another short code to add in the Hugo image boiler plate and read in org properties to reduce manual entry effort.
#+begin_src d2 :file ./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/simple.svg
  foo -> bar: read
  bar -> foo: write
#+end_src

#+RESULTS:
[[file:./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/simple.svg]]

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="simple.svg" width="300 px" title="Simple D2 diagram" alt="Two boxes named foo and bar with arrows pointed to each other with lables read and write" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Styling is fairly simple but I can't figure out to show to style all connectors but not shape borders.
#+begin_src d2 :file ./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/styled.svg
  direction: right
  ,*.shape: circle
  foo -> bar: read
  bar -> foo: write{
  style: {
  	animated: true
  	stroke-dash: 3
    }
  }
#+end_src

#+RESULTS:
[[file:./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/styled.svg]]

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="styled.svg" width="600 px" title="Styled and animated D2 diagram" alt="Two cirlces named foo and bar with arrows pointed to each other with lables read and write in horizontal orientation where the 'write' arrow is dashed and animated" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** Webring diagramming
So if I were to [[../20240417_starting-a-webring-in-2024][recreate the webring diagram]] which started this "I wonder if" thought HOURS ago, it would look like:
#+begin_src d2 :file ./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/webring.svg
  direction: right
  ,*.shape: circle
  A <--> B
  B <--> C
  C <--> D
  D <--> E
  E <--> A
#+end_src

#+RESULTS:
[[file:./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/webring.svg]]

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="webring.svg" width= "800px" title="Webring diagram in D2" alt="Five circular nodes have a bidirectional connection to their immediate neighbors. Nodes are named A, B, C, D, E." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

And when I was trying to explain a broken webring, I could get quite fancy without /that/ much effort:
#+begin_src d2 :file ./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/brokenwebring.svg
  direction: right
  classes: {
  broken: {
    style: {
  		stroke-dash: 4
  		stroke: "#884444"
  		}
    }
  working: {
    style: {
      animated: true
  		stroke: "#44AA44"
  		stroke-dash: 1
  		}
    }
  }
  ,*.shape: circle
  A <--> B: ✅ { class: working }
  B <--> C: ❌ { class:broken }
  C.style.fill: "#884444"
  C <--> D: ❌ { class:broken }
  D <--> E: ✅ { class: working }
  E <--> A: ✅ { class: working }

#+end_src

#+RESULTS:
[[file:./images/posts/20260919_d2-diagramming/brokenwebring.svg]]
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="brokenwebring.svg" width= "800px" title="Broken Webring" alt="Same ring as before but node C is broken and colored red and so are it's connections, all other connections are green and animated." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

So in conclusion: D2 is great, now that the infrastructure is set up and I have a tiny bit of familiarity with it, it is fairly easy to use. I still have to tangle out a file and then include it manually but that could be templated/automated but this side quest ended up being my most of my day so I'm putting a pin in it.

** DONE Handworks 2026                                     :woodworking:life:
CLOSED: [2026-09-06 Sun 01:29]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260905_handworks-2026
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/78da46c9
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I'm an amateur woodworker and a very amateur (fine, almost not a) hand-tool user, but I attended Handworks and it was great.

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="1handworksposter.jpg" width= "400px" title="Handworks Poster" alt="An art poster saying Handworks which looks like a 3D wood carving being done by a figure with a chisel and mallet on a workbench that says Amana, IA and the dates Sept 4-5 2026" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

[[https://www.handworks.co/][Handworks]] is woodworking event/gathering and was billed as
#+begin_quote
join modern woodworking hand tool makers and fellow enthusiasts for a weekend immersion in all things handwork. Unplug from the world of machines, dust and noise while listening to the crisp sounds of the hand plane, chisel and saw in a restored timber-frame dairy barn in the traditional, historic German village of Amana.
#+end_quote
I can attest that it was exactly that and I just realized that there was no sounds of loud woodworking power tools, which is nice. Here are a few photos and thoughts...

The quality of the tools that the craftspeople made was phenomenal. It was very clear that the indie makers were there for the love of the game. I loved that everyone was friendly and wanting to chat with anyone stopping by and not in a sales-y way. There was a lot of hands on demonstration and encouragement from the makers to pick up and interact with the tools. It is very clear that they are proud of what they made and want others to experience joy in using the tools.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="markingknives.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Marking knives with a display of steps" alt="Tool maker booth with marking knives, a work in process steps board, and a tiny lathe." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

It was cool to see that there were new tools as well as old tools that were restored. There were definitely old tools that were geared towards collectors but most of them were well loved and restored tools that were looking for a new home. Side note: I did see a Union no. 1 0XA hand plane that was on sale for $4500!!!
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="usedtools.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Used tools looking for a new home" alt="Old woodworking tools for sale on table tops and people browsing" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

The event was across three locations that are within a short walk and it is a very cute town BUT it was very hot and humid (feels like temperature of 95F/35C).
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="dairybarn.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Dairy barn and tents were at least breezy, sometimes" alt="Old barn with a yellow and white tent beyond." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
The main barn was absolutely packed, didn't spend too much time in there with the sea of sweaty bodies 🤢 (mine being chief among them).
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="mainbarn.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Main barn was packed and had more of the big players" alt="An old barn with a light ropes on the pillars and just packed with people." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
That is also where the more commercial entities were so it was less interesting to me. BUT, the Veritas booth had their miniature series, which are fully functional and 100% adorable!
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="miniaturetools.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Just look at those tiny adorable chisels" alt="A display of hand tools and there are tiny chisels and planes that look impractical but cute." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
While these are beautiful tools I think the indie maker tools are just works of art. Look at these tools made in Australia by HNT Gordon (pretty sure).
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="australiahandtools.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Classic Plane Makers from Australia with native woods" alt="Classic wooden planes with brass and steel on a display table with a company banner in the background." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
Soooo... I got some really cool tools. I got a marking knife made from snakewood by [[https://personmakeobject.square.site/][Person Make Object]], a saddle square made from buckeye burl and brass by [[https://www.hillviewtool.com/][Hillview Metal&Wood]], and a ryoba saw. My friend also got a few things as well, here's our haul:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="toolhaul.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Our tool haul" alt="A bunch of tools on a white countertop made of wood and brass gleaming in the sunlight." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
I did not know that saddle square is a tool that existed but it is absolutely a tool I could have used a lot. Saddle squares let you mark a line on both adjacent (orthogonal) faces at the same time (or transfer your mark from one to the other). I struggle a lot transferring a measurement from one face to the next, especially if I need to take it to the opposite face, this will be a great help!

Amana Colonies have their own forestry service who sustainably manages the land and supplies their furniture making operation and lumber sales. They have a little show room attached to their workshop where skilled craftspeople make beautiful furniture. I wish I had taken some photos inside but look at the size of these Sycamore slabs
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="sycamoreslab.jpg" width= "600px" title="Absolute unit Sycamore slab" alt="A very wide slab of spalted sycamore with a brown hand giving a thumbs up to show the scale. It is several feet across and perhaps five feet tall." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
I got a slab of walnut with the intent of making it a top of a coffee table. I'm very happy with the find, the figure is beautiful bacony figure 🥓 and will absolutely pop when finished.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="walnutslab.jpeg" width= "600px" title="A glamour shot of the walnut slab" alt="A walnut slab leaned up against a tree in a grassy yard. The slab has a lot of interesting grain/figure, beautiful swoops and swirls." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

The stack of boards also turned out excellent with only one board being less than desirable. A total surprise on the wide boards being sequential and can be used as a book-match! I bought these to mill up legs for the table but now I want to use the wide boards as a bookmatched table top, look at the 👀🦉
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="walnutboards.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Walnut boards laid on table saw" alt="Six boards of walnut are laid on top of a table saw, there's of differing lengths and widths." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

I don't mean to cause envy but it's unavoidable for anyone aware of walnut prices... this 58"x18"x1¾" (145 x 45 x 4 cm) slab was $160 (USD). The bundle of boards all together roughly measuring 44" x 30" x 1" (110 x 75 x 2.5 cm) was $50 (USD).

It was a great trip with quality time with my good friend, excellent food, and cool people doing amazing work. Despite the oppressive heat, I would totally do it again and hope it was like 2023 weather wise when we walked around the explored the town.

A version of this post [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01M1S3WWJ9TQE321D5XGRWFDMX][was shared as a thread]] on the Fediverse/Mastodon, feel free to comment there and share your experience.

** DONE In the market for assorted moldy fishes         :life:blaugust:scuba:
CLOSED: [2026-08-31 Mon 21:26]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260831_in-the-market-for-assorted-moldy-fishes
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/db490df9
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260831_in-the-market-for-assorted-moldy-fishes/scorpionfish.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
A bit of a follow-on from the [[../20260830_any-day-diving-is-better-than-a-day-without-diving][previous post]], today was only a good day because it included diving and one moldy fish that keeps hope alive.

#+hugo: more
We went down to Lauderdale by the Sea today and the dive was kind of a bust. The reef is interesting but the visibility was 3 to 10 feet-ish at best. This has been a bit of an unlucky trip from fauna, conditions, and equipment. Side note: got my octo-inflator serviced and back from the dive shop, the rental worked out nicely; the BCD (a Zeagle with a backplate) is a very tempting upgrade.

The visibility made photography almost pointless but I halfheartedly took some photos and near the very end of the dive, I spotted a Scorpion fish. Very well camouflaged until it decided I was sus and moved... into the open and opened up the beautiful underside of its fin. Well not very good camouflage but I will take it as a sign to not get discouraged because seeing their fin is quite rare indeed.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="scorpionfish.jpg" width= "800px" title="A scorpion fish - moldy camouflage expert" alt="A scorpion fish is sitting on a reef and would be totally blending in except it is showing the underside of its fins which is very colorful bands of yellow, black, and pink." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

One more dive tomorrow, depending upon your worldview you're either going to give up hope and be pleasantly surprised if something good happens or be full of hope and manifest any of the moldy looking fishes we're in the market for: moldy frogfish, moldy batfish, moldy seahorse, moldy stonefish, really any moldy looking weird fish will do. Thanks moldy scorpionfish, is this a sign to keep hope alive?

~note to fellow pedants:~ plural of fish is fish when it's the same kind of fish, when it's a variety of them, it's fishes. Happy to be corrected if this isn't right.

** DONE Any day diving is better than a day without diving :life:blaugust:scuba:
CLOSED: [2026-08-30 Sun 22:17]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260830_any-day-diving-is-better-than-a-day-without-diving
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/ae697421
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260830_any-day-diving-is-better-than-a-day-without-diving/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Today it rained, I had equipment issues, and we saw "nothing good" but any day diving is better than day without diving.

#+hugo: more
I'm on a short dive trip with a friend, diving the Blue Heron Bridge off Phil Foster Park by West Palm Beach, Florida. It is the least glamorous dive spot, literally under a bridge; not a cool suspension bridge, a flyover. But somehow through some magic some of the coolest critters show up here. I've seen some [[https://photos.shom.dev/scuba/blueheron/][truly amazing things]] here, today was not one of those days.

The day started out with great weather, bright sunny skies. But it started raining the moment we set foot in the water. Rain under water looks really neat but nothing else looks neat when you have no light.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="rain.jpg" width= "800px" title="wet on wet" alt="An abstract scene of light blue on the top of the frame making way to darker blues towards the bottom with a lot of undulating dappled texture throughout the image. It's a photo of rain falling on the surface of water taken from underwater." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

But with the rain it wasn't that pretty, the visibility was poor, we found nothing in the grass or anything we hadn't seen a bunch before. I also experienced equipment issues because my secondary air supply which is also my Buoyancy Control Device (BCD) inflator started free-flowing after just having been serviced this week.

Here's where I admit that I've become a bit of a snob; unless I see something that is truly rare (to me) then it feels like I saw nothing. So basically, if it's not a seahorse, octopus, batfish, or something equally wild it doesn't feel successful. I totally understand people catching Pokemon. Do birders get this way too?

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="eel.jpg" width= "800px" title="'Hey guuuuuuys, let's hang out underwater sometime, preferably in a tube!'" alt="An extreme close up for a sharp tail eel which has this goofy nostrils and a single eye visible, cute and derpy expression" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Sometimes it takes a bit longer than I like for me to realize that I get to choose: I got to dive today and that makes today a great day. I saw a lot of wonderful fish, crabs, eels, even a stone fish and the dive shop was so great they will service my gear again and gave me a free rental so I could dive again tomorrow. Diving is awesome and any day I get to hangout underwater with my eel friend here is a great day that I'm grateful for.

** DONE Like tears in the rain                                :life:blaugust:
CLOSED: [2026-08-29 Sat 22:57]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260829_like-tears-in-the-rain
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/b5612cf2
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260829_like-tears-in-the-rain/atlantic_storm.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
As I sat on the dark beach listening to the sounds of the crashing waves and the very faint roar of thunder from the distant flashes of lightning, I wondered if will I think of this serene moment again? How many times will I remember this memory? Or will
#+begin_quote
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.[fn:BladeRunnerTearsInRain]
#+end_quote

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="atlantic_storm.jpg" width= "600px" title="Dark 'n Stormy" alt="A dark image of the ocean at night but the white foam from the crashing wasves on the beach is visible against the greenish blue of the water and the dark blue of the sky with some gray storm clouds and a hint of lightning in the distance." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

"Like tears in rain" is an iconic line that is etched in many people's memories. It pops up in my mind a lot and elucidates a strong emotional reaction. There are a few others from movies/shows that do the same (all are spoilers so I won't reference any of the specifics) and my thoughts aren't specific to any single quote but I find it fascinating that these stick with me.
#+begin_quote
Not like this. [fn:MatrixNotLikeThis]
#+end_quote
I think what all of these have in common is that they are paradigm shifting but more importantly they are said by people with a lot of heart, believers. 
#+begin_quote
Not Penny's Boat. [fn:LostNotPennysBoat]
#+end_quote
They also touch on impermanence but how that impermanence gives way to a broader reality, where there are more questions than answers.
#+begin_quote
What door? [fn:WestworldWhatDoor]
#+end_quote
Where how we define ourselves and /this world/ shifts but it's not a lack of hope, it's profound possibilities.

My personal north star is that we're all motes of dust in an ocean of time, and the least I hope to do is make the lives of the other motes that I bump into slightly better instead of slightly worse. This impermanence is personified when I watch the ocean and its crashing waves: utter chaos dressed in beautiful rhythm; destroying and creating in the same motion; unpredictable but inevitable. There is no profundity, just waves shaping lives and we get to choose the motes of dust and the moments of time to remember. 

So I hope that do I remember this moment; the cool breeze after a hot muggy day, the sound of waves punctuated by thunder, and the piece of Key Lime pie that made me walk over to the beach to begin with.

*** Footnotes

[fn:LostNotPennysBoat] LOST
[fn:MatrixNotLikeThis] The Matrix
[fn:WestworldWhatDoor] Westworld
[fn:BladeRunnerTearsInRain] Blade Runner

** DONE Fedi thread to blog post           :littleFedi:fediverse:ui:blaugust:
CLOSED: [2026-08-09 Sun 20:29]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260809_fedi-thread-to-blog-post
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/7f1e5964
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260809_fedi-thread-to-blog-post/proposal.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Aside from being a [[../20260801_i-m-a-cyclical-hobbyist-dot-dot-dot/][cyclical hobbyist]] I don't blog as much as I potentially could because I end up posting something on Fedi and repeating myself feels weird unless it's something [[../20260730_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound/][completely bonkers]] that I want to capture for posterity. Last week I thought about writing an application that did just that and link it to this here blog. But the last few days I've been preoccupied with [[https://littleone.littlefedi.social/][littleFedi]].

#+hugo: more
*** Converting threaded posts to blog proposal

Based on my incessant posts it's clear that I'm a fan of littleFedi and the static blog integration. Currently, it is possible to take an existing public post and mark it as a blog post and takes that existing post and all the interaction on it and creates a blog post from it (with the interactions as comments), brilliant.

*** Desired State

> The idea is that if you end up writing a series of posts and it becomes something that is more meaty and has some value for longevity it can be persisted by simply changing the post type to a blog, after the fact.

This is [what I wrote](https://littleone.littlefedi.social/@shom/1ad99f9c-2c9a-47d2-80fa-04399dc477d5) when I first learned about this feature and the more I think about it the more it makes sense for me. The whole premise was that you start writing something and have interactions with others or have updates over time and now it is a "body of work". How can that be made into a full-on blog post without the venerable copy-paste method. And again, from that original post
> it's cognitively easier to write a series of posts instead of sitting down to write a blog post.

*** Proposal
A threaded post is a known quantity in the Fedi world and littleFedi does a great job of showing threads. So when editing a post the threaded replies that are either nested replies OR replies to the top post from the original author can be considered for inclusion into the blog post. Making an assumption on which posts should be part of the blog is not possible since the author did not write the posts originally with intent for a blog post. This is a potential way this can be achieved but I can imagine how the implementation can be hairy and supported scenarios could be difficult to define and explain. Here's a visual to illustrate the idea, I created this with the littleFedi UI and developer tools in Firefox
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="proposal.png" width= "600px" title="littleFedi threaded post to blog mockup" alt="Screenshot of a html composite of the littleFedi edit inteface and threaded replies with check boxes in front of each thread, not all boxes are checked for demonstration." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
link to post shown: https://littleone.littlefedi.social/@shom/1ad99f9c-2c9a-47d2-80fa-04399dc477d5

** DONE Big hopes for littleFedi  :fediverse:selfhosting:blaugust:littleFedi:
CLOSED: [2026-08-08 Sat 22:35]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260808_big-hopes-for-littlefedi
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/c5e65606
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260808_big-hopes-for-littlefedi/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
The Fediverse is exciting, I've formed genuine connections with interesting people. [[https://gotosocial.org/][GoToSocial]] got me hosting my own presence. And I hope [[https://littleone.littlefedi.social/][littleFedi]] is what gets to hosting a community.
#+hugo: more

*** Thoughts/context on Fediverse
The federated universe (Fediverse) is awesome: different applications, networks, sub-cultures all able to interact with each other via a rather lightweight protocol, ActivityPub. It's this very lightweightness is interesting because not all the servers are architected to be lightweight because they are architected to scale. There's a lot of debate about the role of centralization, discoverability, "flagship" instances this post isn't that. BUT, decentralization is a big selling point of ActivityPub and being able to run many small instances on low power hardware democratizes participation. I'm all about that, GoToSocial fits the bill perfectly and I have been very happy hosting it and the team is doing great and thoughtful work.

*** Why am I excited about littleFedi!?
Well maybe it's a better idea to talk about what is littleFedi is?! I'll let [[https://littleone.littlefedi.social/@stefano][Stefano]] talk about that: [[https://littleone.littlefedi.social/@stefano/blog/2026/08/07/littlefedi-a-fediverse-server-that-doesn-t-need-a-data/][littleFedi: a Fediverse Server That Doesn't Need a Data Centre]]. That blog is actually served directly by littlFedi and the post was created as any other regular post AND the blog is statically served AND a regular post can be retroactively turned into a blog post AND it supported threaded comments (since it also remains a regular ActivityPub post). littleFedi has a load of other great features as well and I don't want to take away from that but this is definitely what sets it apart from GoToSocial.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="littleFedi.png" width= "600px" title="littleFedi post page" alt="Screenshot of littleFedi default teal and black theme showing a social post with nested comments and likes and boosts metadata" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** Blogging vs Microblogging
Blogging and maintaining a separate social feed is difficult. The ability to do it all in one platform and also convert existing posts into blog posts if they need to be persisted as a "body of work" is great for folks who don't want to mess around with tech and just want to share with their community. Also it's cognitively easier to write a series of posts instead of sitting down to write a blog post and being able to convert it later is great.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="blog.png" width= "600px" title="Same post as a static blog" alt="The same content has been rendered into a distinct blog interface and the comments from the fedi post are displayed as nested blog comments." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** What's next?
[[https://littleone.littlefedi.social/@shom][I'm on the test instance]] and have been doing some testing and providing feedback. Stefano is both very prompt and gracious in receiving feedback and fixing issues. The project will be released as a MIT licensed self-hostable application and I plan on trialing a niche community hub (more on that later) using littleFedi. I wish the project well and will be following it closely and eagerly.

** DONE Morning joy                                           :life:blaugust:
CLOSED: [2026-08-04 Tue 00:19]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260803_morning-joy
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/34527634
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260803_morning-joy/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I'm NOT a morning person, never have been. I'm at my best from 10 pm to 2 am! Somehow morning larks get all the glory when historically it was us night owls who kept your butts unmonched by wolves! But, there are a few things I like about the morning...

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="latte.jpg" width= "600px" title="A latte to like about the morning" alt="A white coffee cup on a dark walnut wooden table top with some latte 'art' somewhere between and onion and a heart" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_quote
It can't be said I'm an early bird

It's 10 o'clock before I say a word
#+end_quote

I like the diffused light of the morning when dew is burning off.
I like the bird songs.
I like knocking out a clean puck of espresso after I've pulled a shot.
And of late I like how sweet and loving this pup is in the morning. We get up and do some stretching on the floor, which is her cue to find a way to be under me regardless od how much ground clearance there might be and give my face a bath any opportunity she finds. I also an enjoying the morning walk with the long shadows and the aforementioned light and birds.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="shadows.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Long shadows" alt="Elongated shadows of a person and a dog (in profile) stretched out over grass lit by a soft morning sun." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

I can love these things, but I have no intention of becoming a /virtuous/ morning person. To them I have the same question as Hozier:
#+begin_quote
Don't you just wanna wake up, dark as a lake

Smellin' like a bonfire, lost in a haze?
#+end_quote

** DONE I'm a cyclical hobbyist...                            :life:blaugust:
CLOSED: [2026-08-01 Sat 19:54]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260801_i-m-a-cyclical-hobbyist-dot-dot-dot
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/07bc55b5
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260801_i-m-a-cyclical-hobbyist-dot-dot-dot/golden-sunset.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
... and I'm finally okay with it!

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="golden-sunset.jpg" width= "600px" title="Film photography magic, not knowing if you got it until later and it's awesome when you did get it." alt="A sunset scene at Baker Beach by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco, CA, USA. The sun is setting off screen to the left and casting a beautiful light sideways towards the subjects which is further scattered by the spray in the air. A wave is crashing in from the left with white foamy water rushing onto the sand and covering most of the bottom third, beyond which are the rocks that have caused a huge splash of brilliant white spray just in front of a couple that is standing front to back on some rocks hugging framed in between to two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background which stands under a blue sky with scattered fluffy clouds. Shot with a Voigtlander BessaR3M and Voigtlander40f1.4MC lens, on KodakKodacolor100, and developed with LabDev by Shom Bandopadhaya. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA)." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Last week I pulled up my for-fun [[../20251228_let-s-go][acoustic-coding Go project]] the last commit was from April 27th, exactly 3 months ago. Well that just smells like yet another abandoned project. But instead of feeling bad, I tied up the main functionality and added a small feature (after getting reacquainted with the code). It started as an elaborate joke and my mate and I had a chuckle, delightful.

In the last year or so I've realized that I'm a *cyclical hobbyist* and instead of feeling guilty for not doing my hobbies consistently (I know it sounds ridiculous) I have accepted that! This means that my projects don't have to be abandoned projects, they can just be on hold and I can pick them up when I'm interested again. This is fundamentally different than being a serial hobbyist, where you're chasing novelty; not saying I won't add hobbies but I genuinely like the thing and come back to them. Part of me is sulking that I'm learning basic things like this about myself this late in life, but the rest of me is trying to learn how to be happy about small victories that change the larger narrative about my self lore. Be kinder to yourself y'all, it works 😭

So what are these hobbies that I cycle between?! I enjoy [[https://photos.shom.dev/film/][film photography]], [[https://phanpy.social/#/mastodon.social/s/116479730120274093][woodworking]], [[https://phanpy.social/#/mastodon.social/s/115470036738640175][bicycling]], [[https://photos.shom.dev/scuba/][scuba diving]], [[https://phanpy.social/#/mastodon.social/s/114123564188306239?media=1][open hardware/software]], [[https://phanpy.social/#/mastodon.social/s/114966498152501004?media=1][watercoloring]], and [[https://craftering.systemcrafters.net/][indie web/blogging]].

** DONE The Hummingbird and The Hound                              :fun:life:
CLOSED: [2026-07-30 Thu 22:35]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20260730_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/4f866734
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20260730_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound/1sandy-and-ernest.jpeg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
The story of The Hummingbird and The Hound, originally told in a [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01KY8GXK3CJ1RXZXGKAVK2MMP1][series of posts on the fediverse]].
#+hugo: more

It's was a day! I'm dog sitting for a friend's very high energy young rescue with more than a touch of separation anxiety. We go on a lunch walk and stumble upon this hummingbird. How do you try to help a tiny struggling bird while a high prey drive dog wants to pounce on it!?
#+begin_export html
<video controls width="800" align="center">
<source src="./hummingbird-street.mp4" type="video/webm" />
<track kind="subtitles" src="alt_hummingbird-street_en.vtt" srclang="en" />
</video>
#+end_export
#+begin_src org :exports none :tangle content/posts/20260730_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound/alt_hummingbird-street_en.vtt
  WEBVTT

  1
  00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000
  - Sorry, this is a poor solution to provide alt-text. Description of video follows:

  2
  00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:10.000
  Video of a sidestreet where a tiny green hummingbird is fluttering desperately but unable to fly or even make it onto the grass.
  #+end_src
=Note:Alt-text provided as closed-caption=

This is the dog, Sandy. She is very very sweet but loses her mind when she sees a prey animal (we're working on it).
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="sandy-window-ledge.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Sandy patrolling from the window ledge" alt="A brown yellow dog who looks like a dingo in profile with giant antenna ears looks out the window standing on a window bench." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="sandy-sniff.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Sandy sniffing" alt="Same dog calmly smelling grass and tiny yellow flowers." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Well I don't know how but I managed to grab the bird without Sandy eating him (don't know gender using him to distinguish from she dog). Well she wouldn't eat him per se but violently shake him and launch him into orbit. I still needed to do a little bit more of the walk to keep Sally from being too energetic. This bird (does he need a name?) was so exhausted that it just lay in my hand and didn't even have the energy to squeak or struggle.
I got him back home and tried to get him to drink some sugar water. Y'all this bird is so tiny and had a thinner than needle tongue. He was drinking the sugar water and surprisingly Sandy didn't notice.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="hummingbird-espresso-cup.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Shots of espresso, err sugar water" alt="A tiny green hummingbird is sitting in the open palm of a light brown hand looking into an espresso cup with a spoon sticking out of it." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="1sandy-and-ernest.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Ernest and Sandy" alt="Same bird and same hand show the dog from before laying on the floor facing away being completely oblivious." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
~note~: someone suggested the excellent name [[https://oslo.town/@matt/116971693497428603][Ernest Hummingway]].

I cannot emphasize enough how tiny and how still this bird was. I've never seen a hummingbird be still but it was encouraging to see him move his neck around a bit and blink. The sugar water treatment carried on for a while.
#+begin_export html
<video controls width="800" align="center">
<source src="the-hummingbird-and-the-hound.mp4" type="video/webm">
<track kind="subtitles" src="alt_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound_en.vtt" srclang="en">
</video>
#+end_export
#+begin_src org :exports none :tangle content/posts/20260730_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound/alt_the-hummingbird-and-the-hound_en.vtt
    WEBVTT

    1
    00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000
    - Sorry, this is a poor solution to provide alt-text. Description of video follows:

    2
    00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:10.000
  A video of a tiny green hummingbird on an open palm of a light brown hand being panned around the kitchen and a laying dog can be seen out of focus in the background at the end of the video.
  #+end_src
=Note:Alt-text provided as closed-caption=

I took him outside with the dog along on a leash (see separation anxiety from above) and felt like a Disney Princess but the struggling single mom flavor desperately trying to make sure one kid doesn't eat the other. Everytime he would try to fly away he would just struggle to the ground immediately. It was not safe for him to be inside or outside.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="hummingbird-close-up.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Ernest close-up in the sun" alt="A beautiful iridescent green hummingbird in the open palm of a light brown hand under bright sunshine, green grass in the background." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="hummingbird-sunshine.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Sooo pretty" alt="Same as before but more zoomed out. Copied description below. A beautiful iridescent green hummingbird in the open palm of a light brown hand under bright sunshine, green grass in the background." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Well at this point I had no choice but to attend a meeting with a hummingbird in the hand. He was definitely worth more than two hummingbirds in the bush.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="hummingbird-meeting.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Ernest and I attended some meetings (should have signed an NDA)" alt="Tiny green hummingbird sitting on the open palm of a lightbrown hand against the chest of a person wearing a gray shirt." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
Over the next two hours his strength started returning and I tried to move his wing a bit so it was not stuck under his other feathers. He peed on me. But eventually started getting feisty but still not able to fly. Keeping Sandy oblivious was very stressful!
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="sandy-sleeping.jpeg" width= "600px" title="For a long while thankfully Sandy was oblivious and took some naps" alt="A yellow brown dog is curled into a tight ball and sleeping on top of a plaid fleece blanket." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

He started getting more feisty so I put him outside on the grass and left him with some sugar water. Checked on him a couple times throughout the afternoon. Called the Humane Society, they can't help but said I could bring him in a box to the county to euthanize him 😭

In the meanwhile he had perched himself on some grass (on grass! this is a tiny bird). I left my phone inside in the chaos of making sure Sandy didn't eat him so no photos, she clued in big time when he got more and more feisty.  and when I finally came back at the end of the work day, he was gone.

I'd like to think to greater adventures or he became part of the food chain. But we tried the best we could. And that's the story of how I spent an afternoon with a hummingbird in the palm of my hand, wild!

** DONE Let's Go                                        :hugo:gotosocial:foss:
CLOSED: [2025-12-28 Sun 02:48]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20251228_let-s-go
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/53dfbebc
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20251228_let-s-go/202311_Peoria_120IlfordFP4_0003.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
So without making a conscious choice I've been using and loving some excellent Go-lang software: [[https://gohugo.io/][Hugo]], [[https://gotosocial.org/][GoToSocial]], and [[https://readeck.org/en/][Readeck]]. I don't know Go but I've picked up some templating from customizing Hugo (which powers this blog), is it time I learned more? Let's [[https://go.dev/][Go]]!!!
#+hugo: more
I don't engineer/code for work anymore so I don't have proficiency in any specific language and for some reason that has been bothersome. I do write some ad-hoc and nominal (terrible) Python and SQL, neither of which I have written professionally before, so I've been thinking about increasing my Python proficiency. But... that's not where my tinkering/crafting heart has been, although [[https://fastht.ml/][FastHTML for Python]] is a really interesting proposition.

I've also rooted around in [[https://rust-lang.org/][Rust-Lang]] and really love the core concepts of borrow-checker and memory-safety; wish I had that when I was (poorly) working in embedded software (so. many. segfaults.). I've read some of the Rust book and even contribute a bit to a Rust project ([[https://github.com/k3rs3d/ringfairy][Ringfairy]]) but realistically I do not have the focus and drive to gain any proficiency in Rust.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="202311_Peoria_120IlfordFP4_0003.jpg" width= "400px" title="I don't have a gopher (Go mascot) photo but I do feel like a coffe'ed up bear" alt="Black and white photo of a taxidermied polar bear dyed black holding a coffee cup in front of a brick wall and very bright windows to either side." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

But since I've burrowing around in Go software and would love to scratch a few itches and contribute back, I decided to take advantage of a bit time off to learn a bit of Go-lang. The cross-platform, single-binary, C-like paradigm, with a massive standard library is pretty appealing. I'm getting along fine with the syntax for the most part but putting the type after the variable is going to be an adjustment. 

I wrote a toy "hello world" with the most common syntax I need as a reference (based on reading and watching YouTube snippets). To get up and running I created a nix-shell environment, and since I didn't have emacs setup for Go dev, I fired up VS Codium, instead of yak-shaving (for once). 😬 VS Codium works really well out of the box with click-ops extensions installation. Someone better give me a nicely configured Go setup for Emacs quick. ~Update~: I was pointed to this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_xX_vX8M7g][great video]] made by [[https://hachyderm.io/@skybert][@skybert@hachyderm.io]] for Go development in Emacs ([[https://gitlab.com/skybert/my-little-friends/-/tree/master/emacs][linked config]]).

So what? This 100 lines of reference between Go and HTML (with comments) prints to console, starts and serves a webpage and conditionally shows information from structured data on a webpage; that's pretty cool and compact. Nothing I am going to make with Go can't just easily be slopped together and probably better, but learning things with your own brain is punk AF!

If you have tips or want to chat, [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01KDJ2Y9G6MGXAFQRYBDB3ES04][catch me on the fedi]].

=main.go=
#+begin_src go-lang
  package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"html/template"
	"net/http"
	"strconv"
)

// global variables go here
var message = "Http World!"

// slice, array is fixed size, put size in []
var items = []string{message, "val1", "val2"}

type language struct {
	Id       int
	Language string
	Hello    string
	Active   bool //defaults to false
}

var english = language{
	Id:       0,
	Language: "English",
	Hello:    "Hello",
	Active:   true,
}
var spanish = language{
	Id:       1,
	Language: "Spanish",
	Hello:    "Hola",
	//Active defaults to false, but needs expanded declaration
}
var bangla = language{2, "Bangla", "নমস্কার", true}
var japanese = language{2, "Japanese", "こんにちは", true}
var languages = []language{english, bangla, spanish, japanese}

func main() {
	items = addItem(items, "hola")
	printItems(items)

	http.HandleFunc("/", app)
	http.ListenAndServe(":9090", nil)
}

func printItems(items []string) {
	//if index is not needed use _
	for index, item := range items {
		//fmt.Println(index, ":", item) //will print space between strings
		fmt.Printf("%d: %s\n", index, item)
	}
}

// return multiple values by specifying types in (): ([]string, int)
func addItem(items []string, newItem string) []string {
	return append(items, newItem)
}

func showItems(writer http.ResponseWriter) {
	for index, item := range items {
		var showItem = strconv.Itoa(index) + ": " + item
		fmt.Fprintln(writer, showItem)
	}
}

func app(writer http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Request) {
	//fmt.Fprintln(writer, message)
	//showItems(writer)
	renderTemplate(writer, languages)
}

func renderTemplate(writer http.ResponseWriter, languages []language) {
	var htmlTemplates *template.Template
	htmlTemplates, _ = htmlTemplates.ParseGlob("templates/*.html")
	htmlTemplates.ExecuteTemplate(writer, "index.html", languages)
}
#+end_src

=templates/index.html=
#+begin_src html
  <!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
    <title>Greetings</title>
</head>

<body>
    {{range .}}
    {{if .Active}}
    <div id="{{.Id}}">
        <span>{{.Language}}: </span>
        <span>{{.Hello}}</span>
    </div>
    {{end}}
    {{end}}
</body>

</html>
#+end_src

=shell.nix=
#+begin_src nix
    let
    nixpkgs = fetchTarball "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tarball/nixos-25.11";
    pkgs = import nixpkgs { config = {}; overlays = []; };
  in

  pkgs.mkShellNoCC {
    packages = with pkgs; [
      go
      gopls
      vscodium
    ];
  }
#+end_src

** DONE Anatomy of a yak-shave               :selfhosting:forgejo:containers:
CLOSED: [2025-11-30 Sun 00:02]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20251129_anatomy-of-a-yak-shave
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/f80d6631
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20251129_anatomy-of-a-yak-shave/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
In an EPIC bout of [[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yak_shaving][yak-shaving]] I have reduced the build time for this static site infrastructure running on a puny VPS by a factor of 5. Come along on this undiagnosed journey.

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="buildtimes.png" width= "600px" title="Build times reduced by 5x" alt="Screenshot of side by side build steps and their elapsed times. Both builds have passed, the one on the left took 13 minutes and 22 seconds, while the right took 2 minutes and 45 seconds." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Anatomy of a yak-shave:
  - See what had happened was...
  - I wanted to put animated snowflakes on my site
  - Learned about CSS animation, nice
  - Learned how to not bork screen readers
  - Remembered I barely got my CI/CD working with Forgejo runner
  - Remembered it takes for ever to deploy
  - Realized most of it is just downloading and setting up dependencies
  - How hard can it be to bake all that into my own image?
  - Oh Forgejo supports a container registry too, nice!
  - If I can't quickly build and push an image then this will have to wait
  - Oh wow, that was really easy
  - False sense of how well things are going
  - All the freaking examples are for using public forges with public container registries ([[https://codeberg.org/shom/shom.dev/src/commit/a8eb4a6d979b952711178cfd15765afbac9660b9/.forgejo/workflows/build.yml][use credentials with a Personal Access Token]])
  - Fall down several totally wrong rabbit holes due to lack of knowledge
  - Have not stood up, eaten, drank, blinked in hours by this point
  - Things are kinda working, yay! Noooo version mismatch
  - I barely know Nix flakes, how do channels work, how do you pin them?
  - Realized my tools have been broken but flake.lock has been saving me, nice!
  - Fatigue related silly errors and utter faith this attempt will work so I don't need to make a quick test setup and test on a much faster setup
  - Revert back to how it was, drink water, oh wait silly me...
  - Victory
  - Should probably write a blog post, it'll be SO fast to deploy

If you want to commiserate, [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01KB9NAC9ERVE2G8D8A4A2F9FN][drop me a line]].
** DONE Phanpy custom build for self-hosting :selfhosting:containers:gotosocial:
CLOSED: [2025-11-27 Thu 16:01]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20251127_phanpy-custom-build-for-self-hosting
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/b61138e3
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20251127_phanpy-custom-build-for-self-hosting/phanpy-compose.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
[Phanpy](https://phanpy.social/) is an excellent front-end client for Mastodon compatible Fediverse instances that I use with [GoToSocial](https://gotosocial.org/). Here's how I build the Progressive Web App (PWA).

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="phanpy-compose.png" width= "600px" title="Phanpy compose window now automatically reads the alt-text embedded in image files" alt="A screenshot of Phanpy compose window with two black and white images added and the alt-text filled out." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Phanpy is a purely static web app so serving it is as simple as pointing your webserver (Caddy in my case) at a static folder. Phanpy has releases that you can just unzip but I want to build and use the latest feature before release sometimes. And I also wanted a single command to update my customized install. I created a ~Containerfile~ (~Dockerfile~) to build the app and a shell script to run the container and extract the build artifact so I can serve it out of Caddy (instead of running another web server within another container).

Phanpy needs ~node~ with ~vite~ to build so there's a =npm install= step and I added ~git~ and ~tar~ to the ~alpine~ container to get the latest Phanpy code and create an archive of the build output.

#+begin_src Dockerfile
FROM node:25-alpine
RUN apk update
RUN apk add git tar
RUN git clone https://github.com/cheeaun/phanpy.git
WORKDIR /phanpy
RUN npm install
RUN PHANPY_CLIENT_NAME="Phanpy" \
    PHANPY_WEBSITE="url-of-where-phanpy-will-be-served-from" \
    PHANPY_DEFAULT_INSTANCE="url-of-the-mastodon-compatible-fediverse-instance" \
    PHANPY_REFERRER_POLICY="no-referrer" \
    PHANPY_DISALLOW_ROBOTS="true" \
    npm run build
RUN tar cf ./phanpy.tar -C /phanpy/dist/ .
ENTRYPOINT ["sh"]
#+end_src

I typically run the application in the same container that builds it. I normally deal with file ingress and egress via folders mounted from the host into the container. But I had to learn that in order to extract a build artifact (~phanpy.tar~ in my case) I had to use =podman cp= from a running container, so that's what is happening here, the application is built, containers is started, build artifact copied out and extract, and finally the container is removed. I use Podman but wherever you see =podman= you can replace with =docker= if that's what you're using.
#+begin_src sh
#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail
podman build --tag phanpy .
podman create --name phanpy phanpy:latest
podman cp phanpy:/phanpy/phanpy.tar ./
rm -rf ./phanpy
mkdir -p ./phanpy
tar xf phanpy.tar -C ./phanpy
rm phanpy.tar
podman rm phanpy
#+end_src

I'm sure there are better and more idiomatic ways of doing this, so if you have any suggestions [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01KB3S1F1P2JQ80NWMX4S1JTE1][please drop me a line]].

** DONE EXIF for Film Photos                       :hugo:darktable:exif:film:
CLOSED: [2025-09-28 Sun 23:44]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250928_exif-for-film-photos
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/ed4cc349
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250928_exif-for-film-photos/darktable-export-exif-mapping.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have a blog post titled "Photos meta data: the disjointed state of EXIF, XMP, IPTC in tools" that's been a draft with talking points since June. The whole landscape is maddeningly inconsistent and eventually I'll sort out my thoughts and harmonize my little part of the world and +rant+ blog about it. But until then I finally have a workable solution.

#+hugo: more
The primary thing I want is embedded alt-ext in EXIF Image Description. But I also wanted to display an image title, which was fraught. I had a "workable" solution going with Hugo by cheating the EXIF artist flag for the title of the image (since the only other field UserComment was pre-pending everything with ~ASCII~) but that seems to have resolved itself thankfully because I could not stand that metadata "corruption". AND I got some great advice from [[https://toot.community/@tmcfarlane][tmcfarlane]] [[https://toot.community/@tmcfarlane/115242078564848872][in this fedi thread]] about exporting tags in [[https://www.darktable.org/][Darktable]].

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="darktable-export-exif-mapping.png" width= "600px" title="Darktable Export Preference Dialog" alt="Darktable Export Preferences dialog box showing the EXIF data checkbox off and all the pertinent tags redefined under Exif.Image.$ and Exif.Image.ImageDescription is set as $(Xmp.dc.description) Shot with a $(CATEGORY0(Camera)) $(CATEGORY1(Camera)) and $(CATEGORY0(Lens)) lens, on $(CATEGORY0(Film)), and developed with $(CATEGORY0(Developer)) by $(Xmp.dc.publisher). Licensed under $(Xmp.dc.rights)." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
I had already been using hierarchical tags for Camera, Film, and Developer but now knowing that I could actually overwrite the EXIF on the exported image, opened up more ideas and investing more heavily in tags made sense. I broke up the Camera hierarchy to =Camera|Make|Model= added a =Lens|Model= (might expand to =Lens|Model|FocalLenght|Aperture=) in the future and added =ISO= in addition to Film (maybe future possibility is =Film|Manufacturer|Brand|ISO=). Currently, I'm appending the meta data at the end of the =EXIF.ImageDescription= and displaying that on alongside the image. But now I will have the opportunity to customize more and actually show the true EXIF and not what the "scanning camera" records.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="red-shed.jpg" width= "600px" title="Red Shed photo with alt and metadata" alt="Screenshot of the image that is linked below which shows the title of 'Red Shed' and alt-text as it appears on the image." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
This is what the final presentation [[https://photos.shom.dev/film/mamiya-six/#20250902_202506_mxxxx_peoria_harmonphoenixi_mamiyasix_0017.jpg][looks like on my photos site]]. The good part about this approach of putting all the metadata in the image description is that not all images need to re-tagged and re-exported all at once and the site won't break. When all the image are properly tagged, I'll create a metadata section similar to what you see below, but note that the EXIF information showing the camera setup used for scanning the negative (the whole reason I'm doing all this song and dance) so all images *have* to be tagged and exported. Also, I don't keep good enough notes while shooting, so I'll likely remove the aperture and shutter speed, despite their very cool SVG icons.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="commercial-street.jpg" caption="Hugo template for displaying EXIF data" alt="Color of a red door with two panes each with a glass window. Above the door is is another horizontal pane of glass with the words 'COMMERCIAL STREET' emblazoned in gold. The door has trim decoration a heavily patina'd copper door handle and some shiny bronze splash guards at the bottom. The opposite side of the street is reflecting a nondescript scene of an alley, the reflection of the photographer is missing. The vibe is of by gone glory fallen into disrepair." >}}
#+end_export
If you're interested in how this template came to be , I wrote about it a while ago: [[../20220128_hugo-photos-with-exif-data/][Hugo photos with EXIF data]].

** DONE Forgejo'ing forward        :foss:hugo:containers:selfhosting:forgejo:
CLOSED: [2025-09-07 Sun 23:54]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250907_forgejo-ing-forward
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/39e7fbba
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250907_forgejo-ing-forward/mascot-dark.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
From the very get go, this site has been written in markup and then built and deployed via CI/CD. As of today, through several iterations, the exact same thing is happening but all of it is happening on my own infrastructure via Forgejo.

#+hugo: more
=Note=: This is not a how-to post, I hope to make a [[../../start][Getting Started]] guide one day. Most posts here are written for me and maybe a couple other people find it helpful, this one is probably a pretty firm audience of 1.

I just wanted to quickly mark the occasion and capture some of the history today. Capturing the history is an interesting phrase here since this site has always been hosted via a [[https://codeberg.org/shom/shom.dev][public repo]], so the history has always been out there. The main motivation was to learn the world of Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) through hands-on experience, do work in the open (scary!), and 'own' my own content. And while those goals were met from the beginning the last one was ill-defined as best. I did have all my words and photos in plain text and files and not snarfled up into some database or binary blob, but I was still dependent upon the infrastructure and availability of a platform run by someone else.

I started the hosting of this site with Sourcehut's CI/CD and Pages for static deployment. I still think that their solution for having a git repo that builds and deploys to their Pages is the simplest and most elegant. I was and continue to be happy with what they provide. However, there was a time when they were getting brutally attacked via denial of service bots and that got me thinking more about my setup. While this site isn't mission critical and I already had the source and could go elsewhere I wanted to have more control and understanding and hence wanted serve my own site.

I'm grateful that Sourcehut has an excellent selection of images so I was able to use the same Nix flake to build and test locally that would be used on Sourcehut. A Nix container based build system allows for reproducibility, which makes also portability easy, so I could be confident that the same output hosted by Sourcehut is what I was getting locally (and wherever I decide to build). So I started serving my site from a VPS via Caddy which was already doing a lot of reverse-proxying. With a simple DNS change I was serving my own site. But this wasn't going to be great long term since it required me to build locally and then deploy manually, kicking everything off with a simple ~git push~ was a luxury I was too accustomed to. I did briefly consider going to Codeberg (which I consider the canonical public repo for this site at this point) but it didn't solve the control issue and Codeberg actions don't provide a Nix image anyway (yet). I would like to keep the Codeberg option alive as a backup in the future and I'm running Forgejo so a move or fallback would be seamless.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="mascot-dark.png" width= "800px" title="Forgejo Mascot¹" alt="A cute cartoon squirrel with some steam punk welding glasses, overalls, and gloves is happily hammering away at a glowing acorn." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

[[https://forgejo.org/][Forgejo]], finally, the titular character! I've run Forgejo, and Gitea before that, for many years and it has been awesome to see all the great functionality that has been added over time (Actions for instance). I am also very much looking forward Forgejo's federation, the real promise of distributed development and collaboration. I've wanted to move the CI/CD infrastructure to Forgejo but had to work through several things:
- Get Forgejo actions setup locally
- Learn the github actions syntax
- Work around the fact that checkout action doesn't work due to node missing from the image (then realizing I needed to clone over SSH anyway)
- Setup secrets management for both the clone and the deploy
- Work through [[https://jan.wildeboer.net/2024/08/Running-a-runner-codeberg/][forgejo-runner on Podman, with help from great article by Jan as always]]
- Move the runner on the VPS
- Setup a systemd service
- And it all works, yay!

This is all running on my Forgejo instance but I'm not exposing that to the web. Just seeing how hard my static site gets hit with bots, expensive end-points like git will knock me over in no time (eventually maybe with [[https://github.com/TecharoHQ/anubis][Anubis]] in the middle). So Codeberg will remain my public remain facing repo and the main branch will reflect what is deployed on the site.

PS: Ironically, looks like Codeberg is suffering another outage (bots no doubt) at this moment so another reason to use my own infrastructure and lighten the load where possible. I'll keep supporting Codeberg and Sourcehut, we need these great alternatives!

PPS: GNU elpa is down too, what a confluence, really driving home the point of reducing dependencies today. I might need to bake in an image everything I need and serve that from my own container registry (like I needed an excuse to fall deeper into rabbit holes).

#+begin_export html
<p class="attribution"> ¹Mascot is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA 4.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" alt="CC icon" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" alt="By icon, stick figure person"style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/sa.svg" alt="SA icon" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. </p>
#+end_export

** DONE Readeck: "still delighted" mini-review update      :foss:selfhosting:
CLOSED: [2025-08-18 Mon 18:57]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250818_readeck-still-delighted-mini-review-update
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/a94be9bc
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250818_readeck-still-delighted-mini-review-update/epub-collection-readeck.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I wrote about my bookmark management journey and ended up writing a [[../20250629_bookmarking-i-mean-omnivoring-no-hoarding-no-bagging-dot-dot-dot-wait-decking/#readeck][glowing mini-review of Readeck]]. Well, it's been almost a couple months and not only am I still using it (more than any of the previous solutions) but also still delighted despite the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill][hedonic adaptation]].

#+hugo: more
So let's start with what am I missing so it doesn't sound like a paid advertisement: native PDF support. Aside from that, nothing really. But I'm excited for some of the [[https://codeberg.org/readeck/readeck/milestone/7623][new features]] (bookmark notes, yes please!) being worked on and native apps just as a convenient sharing target on Android. I currently use the Firefox plug-in which is a couple extra taps since Firefox doesn't shows all plugins in a sub-menu.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="epub-collection-readeck.png" width= "600px" title="EPUB export for Collection in Readeck" alt="Screenshot of the Readeck interface showing several articles in a collection, with the collection filtering criteria shown on the right and a menu option that shows EPUB export." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
Now, why am I excitedly writing an update? Today, I came across an article with a list of links to [[https://transfer-orbit.ghost.io/here-ar/][2025 Hugo award winners]] and wanted to read the short stories but didn't have time. I have had this exact scenario play-out many times before, it goes like this: I save that link in my Signal 'notes to self' and... and that's it, no further action. I don't want to read it on my phone or monitor, I'd love to read it on a proper e-ink device ([[../20250308_pinenote-day-one/][PineNote]]) but that's too much hassle, but not with Readeck. I added the short stories quickly and tagged them #hugo2025 #shortstory and created a collection in Readeck with those tags, et voila, EPUB!

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="ko-reader-toc.png" width= "400px" title="KO Reader EPUB with table-of-contents" alt="KO Reader screenshot showing the same articles as chapters in an EPUB book." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
The EPUB is nicely formatted with chapters and a Table-Of-Contents and I can also access it from inside KO Reader on my PineNote OPDS library, so I don't need to sling files around like the stone age. Side Note about KO Reader: I will admit that I don't do it often enough to remember the exact menu options in KO Reader to launch the OPDS library. KO Reader has a very unique UX and is great for touch operation but the paradigm is so different that my brain forgets the pathways if I don't use it for a couple days.

Anyway, I think it's great to revisit the things that bring us value/joy and today I had the spoons to write it up and share with you and hopefully the Readeck team will enjoy this real 'user story'.

** DONE GoToSocial Custom CSS                                :gotosocial:css:
CLOSED: [2025-07-04 Fri 04:01]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250704_gotosocial-custom-css
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/284dbe2b
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250704_gotosocial-custom-css/gotosocial_custom_css_gts.shom.dev.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
See what had happened was, I accidentally saw my Fedi profile not in dark mode (basically how all adventures begin). Now I'll tell you about a fairly small rabbit hole, in comparison to the other Yak-shaving chronicled here.

GoToSocial allows customization through CSS at the instance and profile level. I had customized a few small aspects (borders, layout tweak) but decided to try on a new theme and got carried away with Yak-shaving. Then I was going to just throw the CSS into a gist, got carried away again and here's a blog post.

#+hugo: more
GoToSocial has recently shipped some fun themes and they can be customized with CSS at the profile level. The Midnight Hunt theme is pretty bold but also has some interesting CSS gradients going on, I thought maybe I'll change the highlight color and see how I like it. Well I kept tweaking for a bit. Here's the default theme looks like:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="gotosocial_default_midnight_hunt.png" width= "800px" title="Midnight Hunt theme" alt="Screenshot of the theme, it has red edges fading to black in the middle  " align="center" >}}
#+end_export

These are the instance level customizations I had previously made to my instance [gts.shom.dev](https://gts.shom.dev). I'm not a fan of borders and elements with their own background, preferring empty space for denoting boundaries. I also wanted to make the footer more responsive.
#+begin_src css
.profile .profile-header .basic-info .avatar-image-wrapper {
  border: 0rem;
}
.status .status-header > address > a .avatar {
  border: 0rem;
}
.status .status-header > address > a .avatar img {
    background: var(--status-focus-bg);
}
.page-footer {
  font-size: 0.8rem;
  grid-column: 2 / span 1;
}
.page-footer:after {
  content "";
}
#+end_src

I've adapted it to something a little less exciting and way more drab so I guess it's more of a *New Moon Stroll* now. I decided to apply all of the CSS to the instance level since I'm single user instance and I wanted the about page to match my profile page. Normally this will be applied only to the custom CSS for the profile.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="gotosocial_custom_css_gts.shom.dev.png" width= "800px" title="I guess I'm calling this 'New Moon Stroll'" alt="Screenshot of the theme, it's a dark blue gradient background with lighter blue borders around the key sections and white text. The profile itself is described at the link above." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Here's the CSS snippet (the ~root~ and ~body~ are standalone and can be used in any page):
#+begin_src css
.profile .profile-header .basic-info .avatar-image-wrapper {
  border: 0rem;
}
.status .status-header > address > a .avatar {
  border: 0rem;
}
.status .status-header > address > a .avatar img {
    background: var(--status-focus-bg);
}
.page-footer {
  font-size: 0.8rem;
  grid-column: 2 / span 1;
}
.page-footer:after {
  content "";
}
:root {
  --bright-red: #;   //#f61a1ae6;
  --blood-red: #;    //#6c1619;
  --feral-orange: #; //#f78d17;
  --link-fg: #aafefe;
  --fg-accent: #aafefe;
  --ghastly-blue: #446868; //#88bebe;
  --og-ghastly-blue: #88bebe;
  --outer-space: #06080e;
  --inner-space: #121630;
}
a {
  color: var(--link-fg);
}
.status .text > .content a, .status .text-spoiler > summary > .spoiler-content a {
  color: var(--link-fg);
}
.status .status-info,
.status.expanded .status-info {
  color: var(--og-ghastly-blue);
}
body {
  background: linear-gradient(
    90deg,
    var(--outer-space),
    var(--inner-space) 30%,
    var(--inner-space) 70%,
    var(--outer-space)
  );
  text-shadow: none;
}
.profile .about-user .fields .field {
  border: none;
}
.profile .about-user .fields .field:first-child {
  border-top: 0.1rem solid var(--ghastly-blue);
}
.button {
  box-shadow: none;
}
.about {
  background: none;
  border: none;
  box-shadow: none;
}
.account-card {
  background: none;
}
.account-card h3 {
  color: var(--og-ghastly-blue);
}
#+end_src
Just messing with CSS to make my profile felt like I was 'wasting time' but now that I have written a post about it somehow it feels like I did something useful!? It would be better to just be able to enjoy doing things because it was fun/interesting in the moment but making a blog is also kind of fun even if it did start as a 'I should get something out of idle inquiry so I'll write a post'.

If you want to make me feel even better about my sunk-cost, come [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01JZAD3GRV85G5WY1H6XZGKR80][chat about it on Fedi]].

~Updated 2025-07-06:~ updated colors to meet accessibility contrast rules.

** DONE Bookmarking! I mean omnivoring! no, hoarding! no, bagging... wait, decking!? :foss:selfhosting:
CLOSED: [2025-06-30 Mon 00:59]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250629_bookmarking-i-mean-omnivoring-no-hoarding-no-bagging-dot-dot-dot-wait-decking
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/6bee267b
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250629_bookmarking-i-mean-omnivoring-no-hoarding-no-bagging-dot-dot-dot-wait-decking/logos.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have been on a prolonged bookmarking/reading-later/digital-archiving solution journey. Here's a quick run-down of my experience, this is /not/ a review of these tools.
#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="logos.png" width= "600px" title="All the apps!" alt="Logos of Omnivore, Hoarder (now Kara Keep), Wallabag, and Readeck in increasing size from left to right against a teal to yellow fill gradient." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** In the beginning
There were browser bookmarks and then that was unmanageable and often lost while moving machines through incompetence and laziness. Then there was a long period of not keeping track of anything when internet search was in its golden years, you just needed to conjure vague phrases and within the top 5 links it was right there. Then came the darkness of search getting worse, and platforms disappearing, and personal blogs vanishing or buried and the need for bookmarks returned. The prodigal bookmark came home but had picked up a bad habit called link-rot. So any solution now also needed to archive the actual content of the page and not just the link itself. This is also coincidentally when I decided to take Personal Knowledge Management more seriously, so I wanted it all to integrate nicely and I wanted to have control over the content. Spoiler: I'm still not fully there.

*** Omnivore
For a brief moment I almost had it all (albeit with some compromises) and I was consuming everything into my system and truly living up to the [[https://github.com/omnivore-app/omnivore][Ominvore]] moniker. Omnivore had/has excellent mobile experience, great reading and highlighting experience, and integrated into [[https://github.com/logseq/logseq][Logseq]] and brought along the highlights. (Side note for nerds (I mean nerdier nerds): Logseq supports org-mode notation as a backend along with the default Markdown, so I can work effectively with it in Emacs but use Logseq as a front-end on mobile and sometimes on desktop).

This was all fine and great, but I was uneasy about how their whole stack was not fully self-hostable but they seemed to be making a good faith effort to make it so. It was too good to be true and even with a paid hosting service they decided to shift focus/sell/acqui-hire, can't remember. But their tech stack was too complicated and too Google-y, so I was out. The community seems to have kept working on it, which is wonderful but my lesson learned was to stick with something that is self-host first approach and something I could understand and manage.

*** Hoarder (now karakeep)
One of the migration paths available was Hoarder (now [[https://karakeep.app/][karakeep]]) that would take the Omnivore output (no highlights... sad!) and made it a fairly seamless transition. It is pretty powerful but I just never quite got along with it and I have a few reasons that are more preference than limitation and philosophical misalignment/gripes that are not worth diving into (design aesthetics, heavy AI nudge for tagging, etc.). The one actual issue was it did not integrate with my RSS Reader: [[https://miniflux.app/][Miniflux]].   

#+begin_details :trim-post nil
#+begin_summary
Which is crazy because Miniflux integrates with tons of stuff, click to expand:
#+end_summary
- Apprise
- Betula
- Cubox
- Espial
- Fever
- Google Reader
- Instapaper
- LinkAce
- Linkding
- Linkwarden
- Matrix Bot
- Notion
- Ntfy
- Nunux Keeper
- Omnivore
- Pinboard
- Pocket
- Raindrop
- Readeck
- Readwise Reader
- RSS-Bridge
- Shaarli
- Shiori
- Telegram Bot
- Wallabag
- Webhook
#+end_details
#+begin_export html
<br />
#+end_export

I also looked at [[https://github.com/linkwarden/linkwarden][Linkwarden]] and it's a fast moving target and I was looking for a simple, single-user approach that I could wrap my head around if needed for long-term viability. But again, both Karakeep and Linkwarden are great pieces of software and I'm happy to see so many choices in this space.

*** Wallabag
So [[https://wallabag.org/][Wallabag]] is an OG (like 2013 OG), I bounced off of it a long time ago mostly because I didn't know what I was doing and this is before search sucked. I used [[https://www.instapaper.com/][Instapaper]] for a while and I really liked it but I can't remember the details of why I stopped paying for it (just looked at the price and it may have contributed) but I remember it got worse somehow and I didn't control my content. And now again that I had been bruised a bit with shiny choices I decided to go back and give Wallabag a fair shot. Wallabag is SOLID. And since it's been around for ever, /almost everything/ works with it but also because it's been around for ever, it's age is noticeable.

Honestly it does everything I needed and I was happy with it... except that there's no way to highlight text in the Android app. But, the Progressive Web App (PWA) let's you do that *if* you leave a comment, someone on fedi told me that it will save with a blank comment, which was a fine enough work around, but janky! So I would read and highlight with the PWA and use the native app for it's share intent and *offline reading*, which is a huge feature of the native app. I kept hopping along and bagging articles into my virtual marsupial pouch. But it would absolutely soil the bag when you threw a YouTube, PDF, or Mastodon link at it, in a less than helpful way. 

*** Readeck
Amongst all this of this playing out and me bouncing along not fully satisfied but also too resigned to try something new, Mozilla announced the death of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_(service)][Pocket]]. I was always skeptical of Pocket because they pushed it too hard but didn't ever open source it and it never smelled right, even though I would have loved to use it since I'm a long-time Firefox user (mini-rant: browser-engine mono-culture, Mozilla please do better we beg of you, etc., so hope this is trimming for a worthy cause). So the topic of bookmarking/read-it-later (ironically Pocket's original name) was hot again and the [[https://linuxlads.com/episodes/144/][Linux Lads]] discussed it in a recent episode and mentioned Wallabag and [[https://codeberg.org/readeck/readeck][Readeck]]. I was done with messing around and had committed to Wallabag but something tugged at me to check it out more thoroughly, probably because it's a Go project and I've been loving my experience with [[https://codeberg.org/superseriousbusiness/gotosocial][GoToSocial]].

I was so convinced that this wouldn't go anywhere that I didn't even bother running it with a compose file or podman systemd service, just threw a one-liner podman command into the terminal. But it started looking more and more appealing. It is so simple but has the exact feature set that I'm looking for (minus the Logseq/org-mode integration but the API is so simple that even a dummy like me can hack something together). I'm actually surprised how I kept getting more interested, the API browser and inline querying that is built-in (through Go libraries) makes the software so approachable, elegant even. Nothing here is new but all the things together really clicked for me, so I kept looking into it more.

The interface is almost too simple and even the settings are bare and almost hides the excellent features, which I'm good with; not having to tune ten knobs to do one thing is good when the defaults are sane. It solves some of my gripes with Wallabag: handles Mastodon/Fedi threads really well, as well as YouTube links (it even pulls in the transcript text so videos are searchable), and the highlighting is excellent (has like 4 colors, if you're into that) and all highlights are collected in one place (no need to even open the article to go look for them) and collected as a side-bar within the article. Here's a quick look, I changed my highlights to different colors to make a point, I don't have a system.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="readeck.png" width= "400px" title="Readeck interface with highlights, sharing, and article links" alt="A screenshot of an article about with three different pieces highlighted in different colors and the corresponding highlighted texts appear on the right side bar in their respective colors. The sidebar also has tags and a QR code with a link that expires in a day which can be shared with the highlights available to the sharee. The bottom shows all links found in the article in a list." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

A couple other things to point out about the screenshot: The sidebar also has the usual meta data like the link details and tags but a list of all the links found in the article all collected at the bottom, just delightful! And the sharing menu generates a link (and QR code) which can be shared with the highlights available to the sharee, the link auto-expires in 24 hours.

Another hidden gem is the [[https://opds.io/][OPDS]] library, which allows a reader software/device to directly connect to Readeck and have it export an article as an ePub. I use KO Reader on my [[../20250308_pinenote-day-one/][PineNote]] and now that the library is setup I can pull down an individual article or an entire collection as an ePub book (collections render into chapters in a book), how awesome! I really wish the highlights synced back, small lament.

I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing a full review so I tried to cram a lot in here. Anyway, I'm early on with this journey and this was supposed to be a quick post after having sorted it all out, but 1500 words later I probably could keep going. I will say one last thing, I've been very encouraged with how the developer, [[https://codeberg.org/olivier][Oliver Meunier]], has been interacting with the community (on Codeberg!) and I hope I can figure out a way to contribute. I'll update this with a [[https://gts.shom.dev/@shom/statuses/01JYZQEP89RD1SKGZB1A37YR2M][link to a Fediverse post]] if anyone wants to chat about this.

** DONE Undo finally clicked with vundo                               :emacs:
CLOSED: [2025-06-22 Sun 18:18]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250622_undo-finally-clicked-with-vundo
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/84ed7afe
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250622_undo-finally-clicked-with-vundo/vundo.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Emacs undo is one of those things that never clicked for me, I used vanilla =undo-fu= until I discovered [[https://github.com/casouri/vundo][vundo]] via [[https://sachachua.com/blog/2025/06/thinking-about-time-travel-with-the-emacs-text-editor-and-org-mode/][Sacha's post]].
#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="vundo.png" width= "600px" title="vundo (visual undo) shows a node graph and supports diff" alt="Emacs screenshot showing a configuration snippet of vundo and the vundo window at the bottom. The vundo window shows a lot of nodes and branching paths. One of the branched nodes has a blue x and that is being compared with the cursor positioin, the output of the diff is shown in its own pane." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

I used =undo-fu= for a familiar approach to undo-redo system but knew I wasn't taking advantage of the power of multi-path undo. That is what the =vundo= package simplifies by visualizing the history of the buffer as nodes that can you can traverse and diff in a very familiar git branch paradigm. I have only been using this package for a day but it has really freed up my mental load on what I want to tweak around and keep track of when the changes are small enough that they don't warrant a commit but also numerous that there's a branching aspect. Very useful for working in a REPL-like workflow for Hugo-templating or CSS tweaking. I'm aware of undo-tree as another popular package but sometimes things don't click, it was one of those things.

The feature that is really cool, is being able to diff any arbitrary point in the history with one in another branching path (and selecting them visually). The screenshot shows how a node is selected (marked) in blue and then it can be diffed with any other node where the cursor (point) is currently. The pop-up mode can also be useful to visualize how far you're backing up just with regular undo-redo keybinds.

I've been pretty intentional about not messing with Emacs config and just using it as a tool but this has been fun discovery and made me realize I need to learn a bit more about the undo system. I want to make the node size a little more configurable. Ideally a grouping of words when I'm writing a block of prose, like this blog post. Sometimes it's very granular and other times it has entire paragraphs. To be clear, this isn't an issue with =vundo=, I've had this issue forever, but never looked into it (possibly ~undo-limit~). Let me know how you deal with this issue, or if you even have it.

** DONE Five years on the Fedi                     :mastodon:fediverse:rant:
CLOSED: [2025-06-09 Mon 23:52]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250609_five-years-on-the-fedi
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/85195526
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250609_five-years-on-the-fedi/fearitself.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I joined the Fediverse via Mastodon five years ago and it has been a really good experience. So I guess this is a love letter to human connections on the internet in the face of bots, trackers, and ad-tech.

#+hugo: more
I have been on the internet since the Netscape days. I am not a everything was great and eternal September ruins everything person, because that is gate-keepy, I'm an usher. However, the internet then *was* different, it was about people making weird stuff. I was never much into the internet chat scene but I did have an Angelcity website and learned to like computers by making crappy HTML websites with awesome under-construction gifs. I then lived through the era of blogs and forums and enjoyed discovering, my friend often quotes me saying "the internet is a big place". But I never really established a community of sorts, that happened for me offline. But as early social media came into vogue and my offline communities moved online, there was a small period of "living in the future" and being connected with real people from all over. Well, I don't need to go into how that is going... /gestures vaguely at corporate social media/.

So, what's any of that got to do with the Fediverse!? Well, the Fediverse is what I wish I had all along. I adore that I can interact with various communities from a single place (Reddit was like that, but again...) and still learn of things that are not on my radar (through boosts). I have always been a fairly aware and broadly read person but the aperture of my awareness is greatly increased here on the Fedi. Sure it helps that most people that I personally come across have been great but I am nonetheless painfully aware of unsavory ones and willfully ignorant ones. But the ability to form your own community, run your own server but join in with the larger conversation is excellent. While it is not without flaw and I am keenly aware of my privilege to be able to run my own instance, I do think that it is incredible.

But more than anything, I think the Fedi has exposed me to a different side of the internet a much more human side of the internet. It is truly remarkable to be able to share in the humanity of the people, from their joys to sorrow, from triumphs to stumbles, from hope to despair and while it is sometimes overwhelming, I am encouraged by people living their authentic lives. I am truly inspired by the people freely sharing their lives, their passions, their knowledge and building connections with strangers and reaching out with friendship. In the real world, that is how I am, but I never imagined that could be true of people that I have never met online, and yes this is naive and optimistic but that's the future I imagined when I first saw 'the internet'. So I am inspired to live more authentically online and tell random strangers that their website is cool, their pets are cute, to offer silent companionship in hard times, to cheer their successes and petty revenges against the machine, to learn about their special interests; but also to receive encouragement as I struggle in my pursuits and to whisper into the void only to learn the void listens and can relate. The world is full of challenges so I'm happy to have a place where I can share my photography, art, jokes, and learn courage and defiant joy. 

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="fearitself.jpg" width= "800px" title="The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" alt="Color photo of a rust colored wall built of heavy stones taken at an angle where the top row of stones have the words 'THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF' carved into them. Above the tree rises a cherry tree full of white blossoms in a soft pastel color pallete contrasting the hard edges of the stone." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

So, thank you Fediverse; the people who make the human-centric platforms, the kind souls and collectives who host it, and the fascinating people that fill its corridors!

** DONE A PineNote only 5-day weekend           :pinenote:linux:openhardware:
CLOSED: [2025-04-07 Mon 00:00]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250406_a-pinenote-only-5-day-weekend
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/f50d4418
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250406_a-pinenote-only-5-day-weekend/hanami.jpeg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I went away this weekend to visit a friend and to experience _hanami_ (the appreciation of the transient beauty of cherry blossoms, a cherished memory from living in Japan). A perfect scenario to bring only the PineNote on this five day trip. TL;DR: PineNote was exactly the right device for this and I have no complaints.

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="hanami.jpeg" width= "600px" title="Sakura Hanami" alt="Pink cherry blossoms in full bloom taking most of the frame with some branches are sticking out against the blidning warm golden sunlight to the right edge of the frame. It's very glowy, warm, and fuzzy feel." align="center" >}}
#+end_export


This was a non-work trip so I didn't need to bring a laptop and I was only shooting film on this trip, so there was no need to back-up photos from a SD card. The only time I would "need a computer" would be if I need to type a lot for any reason. The biggest reason I ended up needing to type for, was chatting with folks on IRC, which is a great reason I suppose. The other reason was typing this blog post at the airprot, while also chatting on IRC.

I brought along my wireless Corne keyboard which is what I use at home as well. The total weight of the setup was 903 grams, for contrast my laptop is 1347 grams. Aside from graphical and processor intensive workloads the PineNote has the edge as a travel device, especially since I get a great e-reader and a writing tablet. The slight lag in typing is not a real concern for the type of use case (typing, not reacting to changes on the screen), but I also don't think I would want to use this if I had a laptop or desktop available. All in all, it is excellent on the road.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="pinenote-dca.jpeg" width= "600px" title="PineNote with Corne" alt="The PineNote e-ink tablet is in landcape mode on a table at an airport with the Corne split-ergo 42 key keyboard." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

I read on the device on average about 1.5 hours a day, most of that on Airplane mode. In addition to that I typed on it (with WiFi and Bluetooth) for an additional 3 hours or so, and I had the warm backlight halfway up for about half the time. So roughly 10 hours of active use and on standby the rest of the time, the total battery usage usage was about 75%. This is super non-scientific but point is that I did not have battery anxiety and I only charged it once during the trip.

Another thing that I intended to do but didn't need to / get around to is getting TailScale setup. I want to think through that a bit more to see if that is something that is a good idea on a portable device that is most convenient when there's no passcode involved. But if I keep using it more like a Linux device than an e-reader I really need to reconsider how to secure it better. More on that another time.

So, I'll declare this experience a success for my needs.
** DONE How I accidentally got better at self-hosting and FOSS contributing :foss:selfhosting:fun:
CLOSED: [2025-04-02 Wed 00:00]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250401_how-i-accidentally-got-better-at-self-hosting-and-foss-contributing
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/a2242e57
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250401_how-i-accidentally-got-better-at-self-hosting-and-foss-contributing/nodes.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:

A year ago (April 3rd, 2024) [[../20240417_starting-a-webring-in-2024/][I started a webring]] with the System Crafters Community, building the web I wanted to see instead of lamenting its absence. [[https://craftering.systemcrafters.net/][Craftering]] has motivated others to write and share more, which in itself is very rewarding, but what I didn't anticipate is how it improved my self-hosting and FOSS contributions.
#+hugo: more

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="nodes.jpg" width= "600px" title="Let's pretend these are rings not nodes, same idea." alt="Black and white photo of a square divided into triangles and the edges each then split off into other triangles. A reflection is visible in the right and bottom central triangles cluing-in the viewer into it being a glass window (it's a glass ceiling actually)." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** Build the thing you want to see
Craftering started because I was nostalgic for a web of yore where people had their own quirky sites and each of them had their own personality — alright fair, a lot of them had the personality of a "red text on black background with under-construction-gifs". But the thing I really liked was being recommended another interesting personal site via blog rolls or webrings. It's organic, word of mouth, "haaaaave you met..." kind of "algo". So I built the webring with encouragement and active participation from the community, it was really fun.

[[https://github.com/k3rs3d/ringfairy][Ringfairy]] was and remains the perfect solution for what I was looking for (static, simple linking, shuffles sites,built-in link audit). But it didn't have a mechanism to add all the sites (with RSS feeds) of a ring into a feed reader in one go through an OPML file. So I finally put some of that rudimentary Rust I had tried learning into actual use and [[https://github.com/k3rs3d/ringfairy/pull/3][upstreamed an OPML support feature]]. The developer (Kern) was also super encouraging and kind.

*** Creating opportunities for FOSS workflow
One of the hardest things about getting started with contributing to FOSS projects is that very first contribution. There is a HUGE hill to climb if you're not already steeped in a PR driven workflow. One of my unstated goals was to help get over that hump. Craftering onboards members in Coderberg through PRs or issues. We had a few first timers using git PR workflow and it felt great to be able to provide that learning experience and I learned a lot about being a maintainer. Whether we like to admit it or not, it's really nice to a see a clean merge from your PR... I had to learn how to clean up the PR through communication (while still being inviting and not coming across as gate-keepy) instead of just fixing it in the merge, that was also good growth.

The other FOSS win was learning more about Nix packaging from the ever helpful and excellent mentor [[https://blog.benoitj.ca/][Benoit J]]. He got Ringfairy packaged up for Nixpkgs and made the entire build process trivial. Building it with Cargo was a bear (a tame but slow bear) and without Craftering that wouldn't have come about either. And that whole experience made me comfortable to rev the version of the [[https://halloy.chat][Halloy]] IRC client in [[https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/341510][Nixpkgs]], a real scratch-your-itch FOSS win.

The other part of the workflow that I wanted to make "easier" for an Emacs crowd (a not insignificant contingent of System Crafters) was a [[https://codeberg.org/shom/ox-hugo-nix][Emacs+OrgMode+Hugo+Nix]] CI/CD blog. This is a clean "reference implementation" of my current blogging setup if I knew what I know now back when I started. I know it has been helpful as a reference for a few people.

*** Nothing's more permanent than a temporary solution
When all of this started the goal was to use Codeberg pages to host the static site after it is built with Codeberg's Woodpecker CLI. But instead of waiting around to get all the Cargo based (back then) CI/CD figured out (it's a lot more straightforward for repos you own, less so for organization repos and coordinating secrets management), I decided to host it on my VPS via Caddy. I did NOT appreciate what I had just signed up for... I signed up to be a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) / System Administrator (SysAdmin) and really had to take the responsibility seriously.

Until that point in time, I had only hosted for myself and only things I was fine with being down for up to a few weeks at a time. But hosting a site where I had rallied people to link up to, couldn't be down for weeks. So I did a few things that I had been meaning to for years:
- Moved from Docker to Podman and using systemd to manage containers in order to be rootless by default and make automated system bring-up more robust.
- Monitoring with [[https://github.com/louislam/uptime-kuma][Uptime-Kuma]].
- Notifications with [[https://ntfy.sh/][Ntfy]].
- Discovered a great systemd tool: [[https://isd-project.github.io/isd/][isd]]

What's really interesting and cool is that this all actually works! I had an issue just yesterday as I was deploying Craftering for our *20th!* member and accidentally knocked down the site and I kept getting yelled at by the notifications. What even cooler is that this is an isolated incident, even more impressive because I'm always trying things on that VPS and serve a lot of other services out of it. (no whammy/no jinx/no curse)

The long-term plan is to still get CI/CD figured out and deployed on Codeberg Pages so I'm not a single point of failure. But I'm grateful for having the opportunity and impetus to learn/improve where/when it counted.

*** Community
The best part of this whole experience without a doubt is the community we have built together. I wanted to learn and do these things but I needed motivation, encouragement, support, and more fundamentally — a reason. That's what I have found in the System Crafters community, the FOSS community, and the Fediverse writ large. There are a lot of great, kind, and patient people who want to collaborate to build something together. Two special shout-outs to [[https://systemcrafters.net/][daviwil]] for bringing us together and to [[https://glenneth.org/][glenneth]] for being an embodiment of the spirit I described.

Sometimes you don't have to wait for someone else, you can be a catalyst. Happy Birthday Craftering!

** DONE Slimming the site slightly                         :hugo:selfhosting:
CLOSED: [2025-03-26 Wed 23:00]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250326_slimming-the-site-slightly
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/274e28bb
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250326_slimming-the-site-slightly/ArticleLoadPre.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I was looking into how Caddy serves pre-compressed files (html/css/js), it's pretty straightforward, I just need to generate the compressed files after Hugo builds the site. However, that is small fraction of the total payload since a lot of my posts have images. So I'm tackling that first.

#+HUGO: more
So why this and why now? I will eventually be moving this blog/site to own VPS and serve it via Caddy. I have really enjoyed the convenience of [[https://srht.site/][Sourcehut Pages]] and being able to utilize their build system for CI/CD, but I would like to do so with Forgejo instance fully on my VPS. Still, why? Why not, it's all for fun and learning.

The [[../20250308_pinenote-day-one/][previous post]] seemed like a good one to optimize since the payload was actually quite hefty at 5.67 MB (mostly due to the three images). While this is not "bad" by modern web standards, it is non-value-add heavy. The images were inserted as ~figure~ and even though the max-width was 800px, it is loading the full size image. I'm a lot more mindful of this in the [[../../film][Film]] section of this site since it is all images but I had not taken the time to optimize the image experience for regular posts.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="ArticleLoadPre.png" title="Pre Optimization" alt="Showing 5.67 MB transferred" >}}
#+end_export

So how much bandwidth is saved on a cold-cache load? 12x! That is more than an order of magnitude savings for an arguably better experience (now the images can be clicked to open the original). *12x!!*    
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="ArticleLoadPost.png" title="Post Optimization" alt="Showing 449.66 kB transferred" >}}
#+end_export

It's a real shame because it didn't take long and I already had most of the shortcode from when I implemented the exif display for photos. I added a new shortcode =fig= in ~/layouts/shortcodes/fig.html~:
#+begin_src hugo
{{ $srcUrl := .Get "src" | safeURL }}
{{ $originalImage := .Page.Resources.GetMatch (printf "%s" $srcUrl) }}
{{- $alt := .Get "alt" -}}
{{- $title := .Get "title" -}}
{{- $width := default "600px" (.Get "width") -}}

{{- $resize := default "800x" (.Get "resize") -}}

{{- /* generate thumbnail */ -}}
{{ .Scratch.Set "image" ($originalImage.Resize $resize) }}
{{ $resizedImage := .Scratch.Get "image" }}

<figure class="align-center">
	<a href="{{ $originalImage.RelPermalink }}"> <img loading="lazy" style="display: block; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;" src="{{ $resizedImage.RelPermalink }}" alt="{{ $alt }}" width="{{ $width }}" /></a>
	<figcaption>{{ $title }}</figcaption>
</figure>
#+end_src
=note:= /~width~ and ~resize~ are optional so I can easily control the viewing experience./

And updated my Hugo Image Yasnippet template from using the HTML default =figure= to my custom =fig=. So now whenever I insert an image, I don't do anything differently, the shortcode takes care of it all. 
#+begin_src html
{{ < fig src="${1:SOURCE}" width= "${2:6}00px" title="${3:TITLE}" alt="${4:ALT-TEXT}" align="center" >}}
#+end_src
=note:= /there's a space between ~{{~ and ~<~ when Hugo templating should _not_ have that, I can't get Hugo to not render that even though it's in a code fence. I'll take any advice anyone has. Yes, it's a Hugo thing, not a ox-hugo export issue, I tried with the generated Markdown file as well./

Oh, and how much would compressing the HTML save? 3.5x, between raw html and serving =zstd= which is what Sourcehut serves by default. But the difference there is 35 kB vs 10 kB. My plan now is still to pre-compress the text files after the Hugo build process and configure Caddy to offer =zstd= (and =br=?) but also eventually go back and update all images to use this new =fig= shortcode.

** DONE PineNote - Day One                       :foss:pinenote:openhardware:
CLOSED: [2025-03-08 Sat 21:55]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250308_pinenote-day-one
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/69a9f84e
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250308_pinenote-day-one/PineNote_Overview.jpeg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've been eye'ing the [[https://pine64.org/devices/pinenote/][PineNote]] for years and recently decided to check up on it. The community has been hard at work it starting to look ready for prime now. I would LOVE an ebook reader and note taker but do not want to be tied into proprietary walled gardens (tempted most by the [[https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2][Remarkable 2]] / [[https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-paper/pro][Paper Pro]]). I didn't find much review type information on the PineNote since it's original developer edition release several years ago. So I decided to be the change I wanted to see and bought one. It's Open-Hardware, Free Open Source Software (FOSS), and the main distro is purely community built, the purchase justifications just write themselves!
#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="PineNote_Overview.jpeg" width= "800px" title="PineNote" alt="A PineNote e-ink tablet with a pen on it is placed on a black mat with white grids along a collection of various coins down the side for a size comparison. The coins are (top to bottom): Canadian 2 dollars, Mexican 10 pesos, Japanese 500 yen, UK 1 pound, US 25 cents" align="center" >}}
#+end_export
*** First impressions
#+begin_export html
<style>
aside {
  padding-left: 0.5rem;
  margin-left: 40%;
  float: block-end;
  box-shadow: inset 5px 0 5px -5px #29627e;
  font-style: italic;
  font-size: medium;
  text-align: right;
  color: #29627e;
}
</style>
#+end_export
#+begin_aside
I made a [[https://makertube.net/w/cSDcWZVjFksZsxpPx5yo8j][first impressions video]], showing the device in action, covering most of the information here and more.
#+end_aside
It arrived from Hong Kong within a week via DHL, conveniently on a Friday afternoon so I was able to get into it last evening. I shared my experience on the Fediverse and what follows is mostly capturing and organizing those thoughts. 

My first impression was: feels like a quality and sturdy device. Feels good in the hand, the texture is a kinda soft grippy plastic. Pen felt good, the writing friction seems ok, I don't want to make any software qualifications until I update the device but still happy with the out-of-box experience. The wake from sleep time is essentially instant.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="PineNote_WarmFrontLight.jpeg" title="The warm glow is delightful" alt="PineNote in a dark room with its warm front light which is a gentle glow. There's a Garmin watch on top of the screen blasting out harsh blue light. The PineNote is open to the Foreword of Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
I have been really hoping the warm front light was decent, and it is fantastic! That's about halfway up the brightness scale. The regular (white/blue) and warm front lights are separate sliders both in the quick access menu (white is totally off). Garmin watch is still showing a bit more blue than white. I adjusted the color balance to correct for the camera and get it to a close as what I see in a pitch black room.

*** A bit of Q&A driven review
I had solicited questions from the Fedifolks so I could answer questions people might have. There seems to be some interest and I got a few great questions. I then compiled them into an initial review by section.

**** Linux Experience
This is a first-class Linux device, full on Debian Trixie with a full Gnome desktop with Pine specific packages that are pinned so they're not overridden by generic packages. The on-screen keyboard has been the only source of frustration. The display runs at 200% and the keyboard isn't optimized for that. 

**** Display Rendering Modes
There's a handy widget to change the current display rendering modes based on what you're doing.
- *Grayscale*: 16 levels of gray for best quality, slowest refresh, good for graphics.
- *DU4*: 4 levels of grey, great for reading (text is very crisp).
- *B&W + Dither*: best for fast refresh needs, writing, terminal, etc. still easy to read but display will feel lower res.
*B&W and B&W invert*: these exist but I haven't found them to be that useful for me yet.

**** Backlight
Wonderfully configurable from very dim to burn your retina. The white and the warm backlights can be controlled individually from the quick access, so you can create your own perfect color temperature. Genuinely delighted by this!

**** Applications
- *Terminal*: Gnome Terminal, everything works great, touch typing hampered by on-screen keyboard but entirely good experience as a terminal with B&W + Dither mode.
- *Browser*: Firefox, full install, works with plugins (only tried uBlock Origin).
- *Reader*: KO Reader (more utilitarian) and Foliate (more UX polish) but both work great with epub and mobi, didn't try pdf much but it works. I will test annotation, marking, etc. later. It's a good eBook experience, I'm happy to say but as long you realize that it's not that small but definitely not heavy for its size and build quality. 
- *Note-taking*: Xournal++, works fine out of the box but can be improved with some community config. Haven't used the writing much, more on that in the future. Without config, totally usable but not a dream.
- *App Sources*: Anything available in Debian Trixie and Flatpaks cab be enabled. I plan to test and use Flatpaks, will report back.
- *Sync*: Syncthing built-in but I read people are also using NextCloud with it. Will test both in the future, might need a test NextCloud instance (if you want answers sooner).

**** Battery
Definitely not enough data to say. I've been poking and prodding the device most of the day and it has used about 30% of charge so that is very encouraging. Closing the folio case and opening it up again is almost instant response, which I love (was a big fear).
*Speculation*: The device must be doing  some good battery management  it seems since first launch of app after inactivity takes a bit to startup but is responsive after launch.

**** Peripherals
I have not connected Bluetooth devices yet, I plan to test it with Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, and headphones and report back in the utnext couple days. 
*Disclaimer* based on very quick research: There's no USB-C dock functionality, the chip supports USB 3 PCIe,but the actual circuit out to USB-C connector is USB 2.0. There is no physical way for display mirroring (as in act as a  external display) or multi-monitor support (as in extend/duplicate screen). But there are Gnome tools to achieve this, I'll play with them at some point.

**** Rough Edges
As generally impressed as I am, this is *not* consumer device and Pine64 are very upfront about it. They actually caution is much less usable than it actually is. I've experienced a couple of freezes, specific to window dragging (my guess is dragging + gesture conflict + Xournal++ interaction). I had to run a few (documented) commands to get the boot environment fixed and remove a symlink to get ~apt~ to update properly. Honestly, these aren't even papercuts based on my expectations but I want to be fair about it.

**** Resources
- [[https://pndeb.github.io/pinenote-tweaks/][On-device documentation shown on startup]].
- [[https://domistyle.gitlab.io/pinenote-2024][Great blog post with device overview and links to resources]].
- [[https://fosstodon.org/@carbonatedcaffeine][@carbonatedcaffeine]] [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdVTsU3z511czt6WO_w5_MpOW52KkhQCB][YouTube Channel]] with demos and tutorials.
- [[https://github.com/PNDeb/pinenote-debian-image][Community developed Debian image]] that is shipping on device.
 
*** Up next
My plan is to make an initial hands-on video and then add some feature/function focused videos. I don't plan to get very technical in any testing but I'm open to collaborating. So if you have an idea and want to try something out (given its within my capability, time availability, and risk appetite) please get in touch and let's chat.

One of the other objectives of buying an early device is to contribute to the community both by writing reviews but also contributing to documentation (maybe code?). I already made my first PR to the on-device documentation and I hope to do some more. And finally, I'll be writing at least three more posts in this series: Week one, Month one, Year one.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< fig src="PineNote_Sideview.jpg"  title="PineNote portable thin client (no backlight at all)" alt="The PineNote is shown from a sideview resting on a table with black cutting mat. The folio is folded to prop the tablet up like a laptop screen and a wireless keyboard is in front of the screen. The screen is showing a small browser window and a terminal window with uname -a output" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

** DRAFT GPG Keys and Signing Git Commits
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250302_gpg-keys-and-signing-git-commits
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/af7407ee
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250302_gpg-keys-and-signing-git-commits/GoldLock_FischerFotos_Flickr.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
It started with me adding a claim to my [[https://id.shom.dev][Keyoxide identity]] to link my new [[https://gts.shom.dev][GoToSocial fediverse]] home. That led to me making a minor edit to [[https://codeberg.org/shom/keyoxidizer][Keyoxidizer]] and then remembering that I meant to update my GPG key from RSA to ed25519. So that's the lovely path I walked to fall into this rabbit hole...

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="GoldLock_FischerFotos_Flickr.jpg" width= "600px" title="The G in GPG is for Gold(i)locks¹" alt="A brass lock hangs brightly in front of a blue wall made of wooden slats" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Let's just collect the ideas:
- PGP keys can't be upgraded unlike SSH keys
- Gotta do a full generate
- Keys and subkeys: separate signing from encryption
  - This post about [[https://dev.to/benjaminblack/signing-git-commits-with-modern-encryption-1koh][signing git commits]] was very helpful
#+begin_src conf
[user]
	name = Shom Bandopadhaya
	email = shom@bandopadhaya.com
	signingkey = 2231A3331BA5DF5B!
[commit]
	gpgsign = true
#+end_src
- Forgejo (Codeberg) and Github only need the signing keys
- Getting signing keys extracted out after lot of trial and error
  - ~gpg --list-keys --keyid-format short~
  - ~gpg --armor --export 1BA5DF5B! > signingkey.asc~ (it's the same key, just truncated, read from the back)
- Forgejo will use the main key as the default
  - ~gpg -a --default-key CFFF15E945DF1157 --detach-sig \ gpg: using "CFFF15E945DF1157" as default secret key for signing~
  - need to change it to the key you specified (not sure if this matters though because both are present) ~gpg -a --default-key 1BA5DF5B --detach-sig \ gpg: using "1BA5DF5B" as default secret key for signing~
- Sourcehut needs the encryption and the signing key (they encrpyt email with GPG before sending)
- The reward for all this? Little lock icon and verified badge! Not enough? Another layer of authenticity. 

#+begin_export html
<p class="attribution">¹"<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/80854685@N08/7454996046">Gold Lock</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fischerfotos/">Mark Fischer</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY-SA 2.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" alt="CC icon" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" alt="By icon, stick figure person"style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/sa.svg" alt="SA icon" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. </p>
#+end_export

** DONE Python, FastHTML, and Yak-shaving :rant:mastodon:containers:selfhosting:
CLOSED: [2025-03-02 Sun 01:12]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20250302_python-fasthtml-and-yak-shaving
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/6c578fb5
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20250302_python-fasthtml-and-yak-shaving/prototype.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I wanted to save my barely passable Python scripting from total extinction and write something quick/useful. So what had happened was...

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="prototype.png" width= "600px" title="FastHTML web app prototype" alt="Single webpage titled 'Systemd config generator for Podman' with form fields 'App Name', 'Port number mapping', and 'Volume name' with a 'Generate .service file' button. The table underneath shows the same fields as above plus a Delete column with the example data being Caddy with ports 80, 443, and volumes being ./data and ./site" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Instead of writing a quick script I decided to learn a bit of FastHTML to create a web app to generate systemd service files for Podman, so a total yak-shave (I used podman generate last week but wanted "cleaner" files).

FastHTML is a really neat approach to "templating" HTML and seems to scale nicely with your needs, which means it's easy to get started. The fact that Pico.css and sqlite are built-in is really nice for out-of-box experience (can be disabled and extended). I'll keep working on my toy app and maybe actually make it useful (I'm posting publicly for accountability, I hope).

I posted the above on my single-user GoToSocial instance (having migrated away from Mastodon in late January). I have been meaning to document my journey with that and revamping my infrastructure on the VPS but I have been more in a doing mode and connecting with people on Fedi mode than actually writing mode. But I want to avoid falling into my perpetual really-nice-post™ trap so I'm adding some color here.

I have been pretty happy with how things are set up at the VPS now. There's a separate user that runs all the containers in podman through ~systemd~ user service. The data for the various containers are served out of a single data folder that is Syncthing'ed over to various machines (and there are backup snapshots), and I have monitoring via Uptime Kuman and Ntfy (which I plan to move to a different VPS on a different provider). Taking ownership of my Fedi presence with GoToSocial elevated my personal SLA and recovery needs quite a bit.

Well, I do still plan to write more about the VPS setup and crate a Start guide but the more I learn, the more I'm not sure where I would want someone else to start. Finding that balance between "best practice" / "I wish I had known when I started" / "this is way too complicated to start with" is a hard one to find. But it's nice to be doing things, learning, and now sharing (a bit).

** DONE 2024 in review                                             :fun:film:
CLOSED: [2024-12-31 Tue 22:08]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20241231_2024-in-review
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/8e634aea
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20241231_2024-in-review/vibes.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I'm not that big on marking milestones but I'm also realizing that I don't always remember, appreciate, and am grateful for the seasons of life. So a little retrospection is in order.

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="./vibes.jpg" width= "600px" title="2024 vibes" alt="Photo of a large green tree behind a field of yellow black-eyed susan flowers in full bloom, the foreground is a bright red-orange light bleed emanating from the bottom right almost making the field look like it's on fire." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

The first thing that surprised me as I sit down to take stock the year that was, is how much I actually did. That was definitely not my gut feel, I didn't do a lot of things that I had vague notions about and unfortunately that's that sticks out without this explicit retrospection. This isn't chronological...

*** Just trying things
I wrote an article about [[../20240119_tech-debt-for-personal-projects/]["Tech debt for personal projects"]] and that was a good kick off for the year. It allowed me to just make and do things without trying to have grand plan, something I need to periodically revisit. I added a new section to the site for [[../../start][Getting Started Guides]] and while it still feels pretty empty I've had some great feedback from people who have found both the current guides helpful. I do want to add more to the series, I have a couple ideas in mind but I'm trying to lean into seasons of interests and hobbies and not worrying about "unfinished work".

The biggest thing in this area of just diving into something was starting up a webring for the [[https://systemcrafters.net/][System Crafters Community]]: [[https://craftering.systemcrafters.net/][Craftering]] and that was wild to get several people adding their blogs and posting more. A few of my craftermates made their first site and started blogging from all the hype. Looking back, I'm quite proud of that and grateful for all the help and support from the community (especially [[https://blog.benoitj.ca/][Benoit]] for always being willing to help and encourage). It was a very concrete example of build the internet you want to see and small federated personal sites is exactly what I want to see. A bit more of that journey is [[../20240417_starting-a-webring-in-2024/][documented in this post]].

Based on all this, I also created a getting started template site that is fully integrated with Nix and CI/CD for sourcehut: [[https://git.sr.ht/~shom/ox-hugo-nix][ox-hugo-nix]]. Which was both fun to make and got me another step closer towards a [[https://git.sr.ht/~shom/dotfiles][fully declarative tech stack based on Nix]], I want to get back to it and move of the Nix VM onto bare metal.

Craftering was also a great excuse for me to learn a tiny bit of Rust and contribute to the project that builds the ring: [[https://github.com/k3rs3d/ringfairy][Ringfairy]]. Rust has been on my wish list for years and while I still know next to nothing, I'm grateful to [[https://kersed.net/][Kern]] for being so encouraging and merging my changes.

I've wanted to make videos for fun/helpful instruction, I tried some streaming to get a setup figured out. I finally made a video about the [[https://makertube.net/w/14PXvXsCGAMPPvCNXGGGxA][Mamiya Six folder camera]] that I am totally enamored with, which brings us to...

*** Film Photography (give me all the mechanical cameras)
The biggest focus for me from a hobby/creative outlet perspective this year has been Film Photography and the whole analog experience has been good for the soul. I find myself to be the happiest when I'm looking through and optical view/range finder. I've been developing film at home, both B&W and as of a few months ago, C-41 color and it has been a rewarding experience. I also realized that the highest friction and least enjoyable parts were the digital parts so after a bit of a journey I'm now camera scanning and while that feels ironic it's fast and I'm actually developing and scanning, so a big win!

Speaking of digital friction, have wanted to revamp my [[https://photos.shom.dev][Photos]] site for a long time because the cobbled together Wordpress workflow was too much friction for posting frequently so instead of boiling the ocean I added a [[../../film][Film]] photography section to the site so I could document/share the photos I am taking. I have finally found a route forward for the new site in the last week and am playing a hugo test site, I'll include a photo since the test link is not meant to be permanent.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="hugogallery.png" width= "600px" title="Hugo Gallery theme with mods" alt="Home page screenshot showing Featured album and three folders: Nature, Film, Scuba; all of them have relevant cover art (automatically picked or can be specified in index.md)" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** Life experiences
I have found that I have really embraced being connected with online friends and that has been very rewarding. It is still a privacy/sharing struggle for me (not the people but putting stuff online) but I have found great community in System Crafters and the Fediverse as a whole and the Film Photography community specifically. Trying to balance between finding my voice / not self-censoring / digital privacy, it's an evolution but I have been a lot more active on [[https://phanpy.social/#/fosstodon.org/a/243697][Mastodon]] and so far I'm glad for it.

Aside from that, there have been a lot of personally significant things but the most incredible experience of the year has to be experiencing the total solar eclipse. I'm glad [[../20240407_2024-total-eclipse-prep/][I planned for it]] and had some contingencies mapped out, I was down to plan C but had a transformative experience.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="./eclipse.jpg" width= "600px" title="Total Solar Eclipse" alt="Two side by side photos of the total solar eclipse. First one has the entire sun covered with only the prominence streaming off and the second one is the diamond ring breaking through at the 4o'clock position." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Here's to just trying more things in 2025!

** DONE Hosting a Valheim Plus server on a VPS with Podman and docker-compose :linux:containers:selfhosting:
CLOSED: [2024-08-18 Sun 22:28]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240818_hosting-a-valheim-plus-server-on-a-vps-with-podman-and-docker-compose
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/6a32ef7b
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240818_hosting-a-valheim-plus-server-on-a-vps-with-podman-and-docker-compose/gameplayscreenshot.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
One of the best parts of being a self-hoster is being able to host a game server for your friends, right? Well, yes but also it can go sideways and not only because you're a system admin for more than yourself. There are many ways but Podman, docker-compose, and Syncthing can help!

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="gameplayscreenshot.png" width= "600px" title="Valheim Gameplay Screenshot" alt="A videogame character holding a bow is standing on some rocks with a wooden building and garden behind. It has a low-poly look but with beautiful lighting." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

*** Unwarranted exposition
I plan to write a [[../../start][getting started]] guide at some point but after doing a bit of maintenance to get everything working again I wanted to share some quick thoughts. I did not want to expose Docker to the external web because running Docker as root is easier but also dangerous since root inside the container is root on host -- took a bit to really understand that. There are (involved) ways to run [[https://docs.docker.com/engine/security/rootless/][Docker rootless]] and other security measures but after [[https://blog.alexellis.io/docker-is-deleting-open-source-images/][Docker pulled some shenanigans]] and Podman being almost fully API compatible, it was an easy choice to just switch to [[https://podman.io/][Podman]].
**** Valheim
#+begin_quote
Valheim is a game where you explore, build, craft and conquer in a procedurally generated world inspired by Norse mythology.
#+end_quote
[[https://www.valheimgame.com/][Valheim]] is stunning game that really captured my attention and was an excellent escape during a long winter a few years ago, I describe it as Viking Minecraft. The game supports multiplayer and people have figured out how to run it headless so there's a persistent world on a server allowing people to play and build asynchronously. It's quite fun to play with some friends when a simple resource gathering trip turns into a harrowing boondoggle.
However, there are a lot of small quality of life improvements that could make the game more enjoyable. These (and many more) things have coalesced into a mod-pack called Valheim Plus.
**** Valheim Plus
[[https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/2323][Valheim Plus]] can live alongside the game and I first used it locally for my solo game. But when a group of friends wanted to play I suggested we keep our options open to enable Valheim Plus and selectively tweak the game. All of that finally led me to this [[https://github.com/Grantapher/ValheimPlus][excellent container stack]].
*** The Setup
I went through a couple of different approaches but I'm happy with a =docker-compose.yaml=, a =valheim.env= file, and the =valheim_plus.cfg= file to fully define the "server". It is a bit annoying that all three files in are their separate file types but that's just modern development.
**** Documentation and Version Control
I use a private git forge, [[https://forgejo.org/][Forgejo]], for my self-hosted infrastructure so I can commit secrets in .env files and not worry about leaking them accidentally. I wrote up a readme file, screenshot included to show how nice self-hosted Forgejo is and how it pays to do documentation for your own sake.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="valheimreadme.png" width= "600px" title="Readme Screenshot" alt="Screenshot of a readme file showing from a Forgejo instance with sections for Server, Server Staus, Valheim Plus, and Podman" align="center" >}}
#+end_export
Quick points on each piece of the tech stack, I hope to expound in a planned article on "self-hosting on an affordable VPS", feedback and topics to cover are very welcome.
**** Podman
[[https://podman.io/][Podman]] installation is pretty straight forward. I suggest creating a separate user on the server who owns all the containers. If you're familiar with docker, you can replace all ~docker~ commands with ~podman~ and it'll work a treat, [[https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/compose-podman-pods][Redhat also has a nice article]].
**** Docker Compose
Podman uses an equivalent... [[https://github.com/containers/podman-compose][podman-compose]], I appreciate them not being cute about it and going with a familiar setup. I can share the docker-compose file as is, since I'm using the .env file to store all secrets.
#+begin_src yaml
  version: "3.1"

services:
  valheim-mod-prod:
    image: ghcr.io/lloesche/valheim-server
    cap_add:
      - sys_nice
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - ./data:/opt/valheim
      - ./valheim_plus.cfg:/opt/valheim/plus/BepInEx/config/valheim_plus.cfg:ro
    ports:
      - "2456-2458:2456-2458/udp"
      - "9001:9001/tcp"
    env_file:
      - ./valheim.env
    restart: always
    stop_grace_period: 2m
    networks:
      - reverse_proxy

networks:
  reverse_proxy:
    name: reverse_proxy
    external: true
#+end_src
A couple things to point out:
- The Valheim Plus documentation will tell you to place the =valheim_plus.cfg= file in the =BepInEx= folder (after downloading the and unzipping the mod) but that made version controlling it a bit janky so I map it directly into the location inside the container where it's expected.
- Also note the ":ro" at the end, it's mounted internally as a read-only file. You will see messages in the log stating it's read-only, that's not an error and it works just fine. The game will download a fresh config from GitHub if there's no file present so it's best to make it read-only so it doesn't get overwritten accidentally.
- ~networks: reverse-proxy~ refers to Caddy that is proxying the requests coming to the Supervisor (running on port =9001=), which is a small web-app that allows control of the pieces of the tech stack.
#+begin_export hugo
  {{< figure src="supervisor.png" width= "600px" title="Supervisor Status web app" alt="Web app screenshot showing control options: Restart, Stop, Clear Log, Tail -f Stdout, Tail -f Stderr for the following services: crond, syslogd, valheim-backup, valheim-bootstrap, valheim-server, valheim-updater" align="center" >}}
#+end_export
**** Version Control
With this setup you only have to version control the three files mentioned before: =docker-compose.yaml=, =valheim.env= (don't share publicly), and =valheim_plus.cfg= (I also suggest creating a =README.md= with details of your specific setup and version controlling that too).
**** Syncthing
[[https://syncthing.net/][Syncthing]] is probably the odd-ball part here, it's basically the easiest way for me to create an "on-site backup" for my "off-site server" (VPS). This really isn't in scope but wanted to throw it out there as a cheaper place to backup those frequent and bulky (by cloud storage standards but light for home) backups that the container stack creates.
*** Takeaway
There are great tools out there to self-host things for fun and to be in control of your data (more on that in the future too). But being able to recreate, reproduce, with reliability requires a little planning and some documenting.

This blog doesn't have comments but happy to discuss further on [[https://phanpy.social/#/fosstodon.org/a/243697][Mastodon]].

** DONE To our own detriment                            :rant:foss:mastodon:
CLOSED: [2024-05-27 Mon 08:33]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240527_to-our-own-detriment
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/22b248b7
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240527_to-our-own-detriment/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
This post [[https://robindev.substack.com/p/cloudflare-took-down-our-website][alleging extortion from CloudFlare]]  is plausible/cautionary. Market monopolies/tech mono-cultures suck so it's tempting to just be outraged at CF.

#+hugo: more
However, we allow this when we cede control to third parties (not just cloud) without mitigation plans, by NOT:
- using open standards/formats
- separating concerns
- staffing expertise in-house/independent long-term partners
- balancing risk with cost

Let's have that bigger talk!

=Note=: Originally posted on [[https://fosstodon.org/@shom/112513200445089689][Mastodon]], any conversation will be there.

** DONE Enshittification protests beget more enshittification     :rant:foss:
CLOSED: [2024-05-07 Tue 21:42]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240507_enshittification-protests-beget-more-enshittification
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/b0ef9631
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240507_enshittification-protests-beget-more-enshittification/bad-luck-brian.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Like many others, I am frustrated by corporations that have ingested immense amounts of user generated content and are using/selling it to train LLMs[fn:2]. However, deleting the content now is counter productive, let's protest more effectively by building a better web.

#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="./bad-luck-brian.jpg" width= "500px" title="Bad Luck Brian answers important questions (via quickmeme.com)" alt="Bad luck Brian meme format with 'When does a narwhal bacon?' on top and '*Comment has been deleted*' at the bottom" align="center" >}}
#+end_export
*** Context and Concern
I'm seeing many influential people on the Fediverse urging others to go register their displeasure by deleting the knowledge they contributed via answers and comments. This is especially puzzling in the case of the current [[https://stackoverflow.co/company/press/archive/openai-partnership][Stack Overflow and OpenAI partnership]] announcement that has caused [[https://mastodon.social/tags/StackOverflow][blowback on Mastodon]][fn:1] because these folks are tech savvy and should understand that deleting their contribution from showing up on the front-end does not delete the data. It's a bit crazy making because I feel like I'm missing something here, am I?

Please don't advise people to delete their existing answers. Not contributing new answers and not logging in/deleting your account are great ways to register protest but deleting data is self-defeating. These companies already have the data backed up and will use it anyway, deleting answers only hurts humans who are searching for the answers through traditional searches. Removing the information by deleting it or issuing GDPR requests only locks up the knowledge and makes it exclusive to the "AI".

*** Potential Solutions
A dramatic analogy before we get to solutions... If a marauding force is razing your city and driving you away, you absolutely shouldn't come back to help them rebuild the city where you can't live anymore. But you also don't burn your books in the fire on the way out. You take your books with and build a better city with fortified libraries!

Just in case it's not clear, I'm not siding with the platforms here. Even if they have a legal right to the use the data as they see fit, they're violating trust with the community by going against its wishes. And in the case of Stack Overflow all contributions are [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/][CC-BY-SA]] so anyone can use the data provided they follow the attribution requirement[fn:3].

Instead of letting a good crisis go to waste, let's use this (as yet another) impetus to leave walled gardens and join community spaces. Instead of encouraging others to delete answers, direct them to [[https://forum.systemcrafters.net/][community forums]], write the answer on your own website and post a link to the platform ([[https://indieweb.org/POSSE][POSSE style]]), stop contributing further to closed platforms and liberate existing data by using export tools where available.

I hope we can learn these lessons from the on-going Enshittification and start taking back the web instead of furthering Enshittification by protesting it ineffectively.

=Discussion=: This site doesn't have comments but happy to chat via this [[https://fosstodon.org/@shom/112403736338407818][Mastodon post]].

*** Footnotes

[fn:3] Citing attribution would be difficult at best and while I'm not a lawyer I can't see how [[https://mastodon.social/@trisweb@m.trisweb.com/112402123151382239][their response]] could help legally.
[fn:2] Large Language Model, falls under the umbrella of the colloquial Artificial Intelligence (AI) terminology.
[fn:1] As of 2024-05-07, I don't want to single out individual posters.

** DONE In appreciation of podcasts                                   :rant:
CLOSED: [2024-04-30 Tue 23:54]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240430_in-appreciation-of-podcasts
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/cfab88dc
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240430_in-appreciation-of-podcasts/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've seen several posts and threads lately on the fediverse that take a rather pessimistic view of podcasts and advocate for written media instead. I guess here's my hot take about it because no one asked!

#+hugo: more
You know what? Transcripts would be great and having them integrated into the podcast app like synchronized lyrics, even better. Being able to quickly refer to the part that I didn't catch or copy a piece of information to save as a note, would be fantastic. I'm excited for all these types of features coming to podcast apps. Multi-track media, like video with subtitles is great for everyone and helps with accessibility.

However, there's a lot of "this could have been an email" energy in a lot of these conversations. And a lot of straight up hate about tech bro podcasts... it makes me question why these folks are listening to that content, I don't want to read the crap content I wouldn't want to listen to either. I'm sure there must be a lot of atrocious podcasts out there for people to have such strong opinions. Luckily I'm not familiar with them and even if I were, I would just move on instead of crapping on the medium as a whole. There's a lot of equivalence of audio and text and I would rather have text because that's easier to skim. Sure, no argument about the skimming part. But audio is a different (and richer) medium than text and good podcasts lean into the strengths of the medium; tone, tamber, pacing, ambiance, relative loudness, etc. I'm not just talking about radio drama, I'm also talking about news, conversational, and reporting podcasts.

There's no substitute for good content (I mean that in the definition of the word not content-creator sense) but audio is a great medium so I'm defending that in text form so it might actually reach folks that will not listen to a podcast about it. I would love for podcasts to have transcripts and make all media more accessible. But hey Podcasters, please keep making great podcasts with excellent audio mixing and production, I appreciate your craft!

** DONE Starting a webring in 2024                                     :foss:
CLOSED: [2024-04-17 Wed 21:56]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240417_starting-a-webring-in-2024
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/18a9a25f
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240417_starting-a-webring-in-2024/posse.jpeg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I'm happy to see that a lot of people, both regular and "content creators", are relying less solely on commercial social platforms. But discoverability is still an issue, maybe taking back the web requires using ancient tools like webrings.
#+hugo: more
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="./posse.jpeg" width= "400px" title="Publish on Own Site Syndicate Everywhere" alt="Hand drawn sketch of a hub and spoke arrangement with 'Your site' as the hub and other sites like Mastodon, Instagram, Github, etc. as spokes" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

The idea of [[https://indieweb.org/POSSE][POSSE]] is very appealing from a data sovereignty perspective but you're still relying on third-party platforms for discoverability. If only there was a way to discover others from each other... well there used to be: webrings. The basic premise was, you land on a site(D) and you were pointed to the previous(C) and next(E) sites in the ring. A random site button was also common.
#+begin_src sh :exports none :noeval
  echo "flowchart LR
  A((A))<-->B((B))
  B((B))<-->C((C))
  C((C))<-->D((D))
  D((D))<-->E((E))
  E((E))<-->A((A))" > flow1.mmd
  mmdc -s 5 -b transparent -t 'neutral' -i flow1.mmd -o flow1.png
#+end_src
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="flow1.png" width= "600px" title="Webring" alt="A flow chart showing five nodes, A through E, pointing to each other in a circle" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_export html
<style>
aside {
  padding-left: 0.5rem;
  margin-left: 40%;
  float: block-end;
  box-shadow: inset 5px 0 5px -5px #29627e;
  font-style: italic;
  font-size: medium;
  text-align: right;
  color: #29627e;
}
</style>
#+end_export
#+begin_aside
Diagrams generated with mermaid-cli but workflow is poor now, mermaid.js payload is too large (3MB) to use a shortcode and render on web and it doesn't work for RSS feeds. I might need to update/maintain ob-mermaid to get seamless results, that'll definitely be another post.
#+end_aside

An easier and older(?) concept is a "blog roll", where you just list the other sites you find cool/interesting on your site somewhere (typically in the side-navigation bar which was as common design pattern). However, the downside with blog rolls is that you have to maintain it manually and it could grow quite long. As a reader, it's hard to choose which site to visit; it's a real judging a book by it's cover dilemma.

The previous/next links in a webring kind of solve both those problems, especially if there is an index page that one can visit to see all the sites. But the biggest downside is that it typically requires an active server running "code" to route the traffic (because manually linking to sites would require constant upkeep) and if a site(C) ceases to exist or removes the previous/next links then it breaks the ring. The other issue is that if there's a popular site in the ring(B) then only the adjacent sites (A & C) benefit from the additional 👀.
#+begin_src sh :exports none :noeval
  echo "flowchart LR
  A((A))<-->B((B))
  B((B)) -- x --> C((C))
  C((C)) -- x --> D((D))
  D((D))<-->E((E))
  E((E))<-->A((A))
  style C fill:#a33
  style B fill:#3a3" > flow2.mmd
  mmdc -s 5 -b transparent -t 'neutral' -i flow2.mmd -o flow2.png
#+end_src
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="flow2.png" width= "600px" title="Broken webring" alt="Same ring as before by C is colored red and there are x on it's connections to A&C, B is colored green." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

So what are some mitigations we can apply to this webring model?
1. Don't run "code" on each site or a central server
2. Give sites an easy way to link previous/next sites (minimal technical ability required)
3. Make sure that all sites actually exist and link correctly to their adjacent positions
4. Change the order of the sites that link to each other to facilitate more discoverability
#+begin_src sh :exports none :noeval
  echo "flowchart LR
  C((C))<-->A((A))
  A((A))<-->E((E))
  E((E))<-->B((B))
  B((B))<-->D((D))
  D((D))<-->C((C))
  style B fill:#3a3" > flow3.mmd
  mmdc -s 5 -b transparent -t 'neutral' -i flow3.mmd -o flow3.png
#+end_src
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="flow3.png" width= "600px" title="Shuffled ring gives better exposure" alt="Same as first image but B is green and the order is CAEBD" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

Well, turns out that [[https://github.com/k3rs3d/ringfairy][Ringfairy]] actually address all of these:
1. It uses statically generated redirect pages for each node in the ring
2. Individual sites only need to insert three (previous/index/nextg) regular url links
3. It audits sites and excludes missing/malformed sites during build to preserve ring integrity
4. It can shuffle the site order each time it builds the ring

In my quest to just do things and learn from them instead of wishing it existed and with encouragement from the [[https://systemcrafters.net/community/][System Crafters Community]], I started [[https://craftering.systemcrafters.net/][Craftering]]. Of course this site is a part of the ring and you can explore others with the previous/next links in the footer. I can say for certain that my site is not (B) but it's been fun to bring others into the fold. We're collaborating via a [[https://codeberg.org/SystemCrafters/craftering][Codeberg]] repo and we've had a few people who made their first contribution to an open source repo and/or their first Pull Request(PR), it's rewarding to be a part of that milestone. A couple first times for me as well: this is first community project that I'm maintaining; and I've submitted [[https://github.com/k3rs3d/ringfairy/pull/3][my first Rust-lang PR]] to Ringfairy (more on that in a future post).
#+begin_src sh :exports none :noeval
  echo "flowchart LR
  a((C))<-->b((R))
  b((R))<-->c((A))
  c((A))<-->d((F))
  d((F))<-->e((T))
  e((T))<-->a((C))
  style a fill:#9ab
  style b fill:#abc
  style c fill:#bcd
  style d fill:#cde
  style e fill:#def" > flow4.mmd
  mmdc -s 5 -b transparent -t 'neutral' -i flow4.mmd -o flow4.png
#+end_src
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="flow4.png" width= "600px" title="Craftering be Crafting" alt="Same 5 nodes as first image but the letters spell CRAFT" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE 2024 Total Eclipse Prep                                         :fun:
CLOSED: [2024-04-07 Sun 20:40]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240407_2024-total-eclipse-prep
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/b702c920
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240407_2024-total-eclipse-prep/Solar-Eclipse.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="Solar-Eclipse.jpg" width= "500px" title="Partial eclipse from SFO 2017" alt="Fluffy white clouds with a pitch black band in the middle where a crescent sun is visible in the center of the band." align="center" >}}
#+end_export
The total eclipse is tomorrow, I've known about it since the last one [[https://photos.shom.dev/solar-eclipse/][I missed in 2017]], so of course I started preparing (earlier today). Here's some handy information for myself and it might help you too.

#+hugo: more
*** Why is this one special
Well the next total eclipse on the continental USA is in 2044 and not in driving distance for me. Besides that, there are other reasons as well, and this is the [[https://youtu.be/0fgbMTC30F8][best explanation with (good) animations]] that I've come across. I highly recommend it, it's approachable and kid friendly.
*** Path planning
I have created myself a list of pins on a map and identified roads that I can use if I need to shift my location based on the weather. Here are some resources:
- [[https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8#@38.07404145941957,-87.82470703125001,6][Path of eclipse]]: click on a city to find details about: when the eclipse starts, how long totality is, what's the total duration.
- [[https://radar.weather.gov/?settings=v1_eyJhZ2VuZGEiOnsiaWQiOiJuYXRpb25hbCIsImNlbnRlciI6Wy04OC4zNDgsNDAuNjEzXSwibG9jYXRpb24iOlstOTAuMzA5LDQyLjY0M10sInpvb20iOjYuNjY1MjAyNzM5NTk4MjIyLCJsYXllciI6ImNyZWZfcWNkIn0sImFuaW1hdGluZyI6ZmFsc2UsImJhc2UiOiJzdGFuZGFyZCIsImFydGNjIjpmYWxzZSwiY291bnR5IjpmYWxzZSwiY3dhIjpmYWxzZSwicmZjIjpmYWxzZSwic3RhdGUiOmZhbHNlLCJtZW51Ijp0cnVlLCJzaG9ydEZ1c2VkT25seSI6dHJ1ZSwib3BhY2l0eSI6eyJhbGVydHMiOjAuOCwibG9jYWwiOjAuNiwibG9jYWxTdGF0aW9ucyI6MC44LCJuYXRpb25hbCI6MC42fX0%3D][Radar view for Eclipse path]]: it's the same view area as the map above, so I plan to move about based on weather.
- [[https://maps.app.goo.gl/4ASJvH9rHhuobYBg8][My path targets]]: potential target locations based on weather.
- Edit: More hot tips! Download a local copy of the map area on Google maps so you can find alternate routes during peak traffic congestion when the internet by the main roads also crawling.
*** Safety Tips
*DO NOT* look at the sun unless you're actually on the line of totality and it's in the middle of the totality period. I'll very much be in doubt about whether I can guarantee both of those conditions are true, so I will not be looking directly at the sun.
**** Photography safety tips
- If you're looking at the sun with any optics (camera lens / binoculars) put the filter on the outside of the glass not on your eyes.
- Basically don't put on goggles and look through binoculars, it's essentially 'a magnifying glass to burn paper' situation. You want to cut the light before magnifying.
- Same deal with cell phones, put the googles on the phone camera and look through the screen.
- =Reminder to self=: photo effort is limited to 15 seconds for each minute, enjoy and look around.
**** Road safety tips
- Give yourself 150% time margin to get where you're going.
- If you pull off to the side of the road, don't stand next to your car. Other people will not be invested in the eclipse until it's happening and they'll rubber-neck.
- =Reminder to self=: Bring snacks, chair, and patience
**** This is NOT a comprehensive list.
- =Reminder to self=: hydrate and sunscreen.
*** Good luck and have a safe eclipse
If the weather is bad, just remind yourself that on any sunny day you can eclipse the sun with your head and create a magical and terrifying experience for small creatures.

** DONE Joy is free and comes in small packages                         :fun:
CLOSED: [2024-04-07 Sun 01:02]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240407_joy-is-free-and-comes-in-small-packages
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/820055e1
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240407_joy-is-free-and-comes-in-small-packages/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Two little neighborhood kids MADE my day!
I'm rolling in my small Subaru hatchback and these kids run to the edge of their yard and give me the trucker/train conductor honk fist pump hand signal! I tapped out a festive sequence of mini honks and everyone was happy. Joy is free and comes in small packages!

I shared this on [[https://fosstodon.org/@shom/112225988844681892][Mastodon]] but wanted to remember it, it was awesome!

#+hugo: more
** DONE When open source goes source available                   :foss:rant:
CLOSED: [2024-03-27 Wed 17:16]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240327_when-open-source-goes-source-available
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/cee0f88b
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240327_when-open-source-goes-source-available/redis.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Redis went from an open [[https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/21/redis-switches-licenses-acquires-speedb-to-go-beyond-its-core-in-memory-database/][source license to a source available license]]. This is [[https://www.elastic.co/blog/licensing-change][not a new pattern]] of trying to protect share-holder value against large cloud providers extracting value they didn't create. Corporate finance discussion aside (since that's a really sad can of worms), it's interesting to see what the FOSS community did about it.

#+hugo: more
I posted my thoughts on Mastodon:

#+begin_export html
  <blockquote lang="en" cite="https://fosstodon.org/@shom/112167859283706451">
  <p>It was wise of <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://fosstodon.org/@drewdevault" class="u-url mention">@<span>drewdevault</span></a></span> to host redict (redis fork) on <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://social.anoxinon.de/@Codeberg" class="u-url mention">@<span>Codeberg</span></a></span> to maintain workflow parity with github and avoid any perceived conflicts of interest¹.</p><p>I wondered why LGPL and not of AGPL², which is also explained nicely: &quot;but we want to make it as easy as possible for users to comply with the Redict license and we do not see any reason to discourage cloud providers from making use of Redict.&quot;</p><p>Hope other marquee projects follow suite. </p><p>¹<a href="https://fosstodon.org/@drewdevault/112167165399257154" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">fosstodon.org/@drewdevault/112</span><span class="invisible">167165399257154</span></a><br />² <a href="https://redict.io/posts/2024-03-22-redict-is-an-independent-fork/#why-lgpl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">redict.io/posts/2024-03-22-red</span><span class="invisible">ict-is-an-independent-fork/#why-lgpl</span></a></p>
  <blockquote lang="en" cite="https://fosstodon.org/@drewdevault/112167165399257154">
    <p>Why isn&#39;t Redict on GitHub?</p><p>Answered here:</p><p><a href="https://github.com/redis/redis/pull/13157#issuecomment-2022380438" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">github.com/redis/redis/pull/13</span><span class="invisible">157#issuecomment-2022380438</span></a></p>
    <footer>
       — Drew DeVault (@drewdevault) <a href="https://fosstodon.org/@drewdevault/112167165399257154"><time datetime="2024-03-27T10:25:16.565Z">3/27/2024, 5:25:16 AM</time></a>
    </footer>
  </blockquote>
  <footer>
     — shom 🐧📷🤿🏔️🪚 (@shom) <a href="https://fosstodon.org/@shom/112167859283706451"><time datetime="2024-03-27T13:21:44.408Z">3/27/2024, 8:21:44 AM</time></a>
  </footer>
</blockquote>
#+end_export

This lead to some interesting discussion and Drew DeVault chimed in with some interesting comments and [[https://discourse.writefreesoftware.org/t/what-is-your-current-go-to-license/60][posted a link]] to why he sometimes prefers the MPL license over a GPL license, it's worth the short read and I plan to think/write about it more.

So here's my semi-informed rant: AGPL might not always be the best license to police the poor behavior of corporate users. Licenses can only dictate what is legal, and just because it's legal doesn't mean it's ethical. But there-in also lies the problem: unethical entities will always look for the legal loophole or hope to not get caught, assuming laws are equitably enforced in the first place. Whether the community likes it or not a lot of commercial enterprises have contributed significant portions of the FOSS stack. Leaving the door open to contributions but finding better models to compensate developers is more fruitful use of time and effort than subjecting each other to purity tests.

** DONE Face lift
CLOSED: [2024-02-16 Fri 23:19]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240216_face-lift
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/6933cf4d
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240216_face-lift/shom-avatar-highres.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I created my online Avatar in the early 2000s using a Flash tool that someone made and I really wish I could remember more about it. It's been my online presence for over 20 years and it's almost like my real face. Fun fact: One of my co-worker's husband recognized me at a company social event solely from having seen my avatar on caller ID.

#+hugo: more
I've always wanted a higher resolution version and my friend just made one for me! He's getting started with a drawing application on his iPad and did such an excellent job and I'm delighted, thank you!!!

=BEFORE=
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="/posts/20240216_face-lift/shomavatar.png" title="OG Avatar" alt="cartoon face with big eyes, offset toothy grin, mole on right cheek, and black hair, pixelated" align="center" width="" >}}
#+end_export

=AFTER=
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="/posts/20240216_face-lift/shom-avatar-highres.png" title="High Resolution Avatar" alt="cartoon face with big eyes, offset toothy grin, mole on right cheek, and black hair" align="center" width="400px" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Alacritty Auto Theme Switcher                  :linux:foss:alacritty:
CLOSED: [2024-02-13 Tue 21:28]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240213_alacritty-auto-theme-switcher
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/201f1274
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240213_alacritty-auto-theme-switcher/header.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I like and use the Alacritty terminal emulator, but it does not automatically follow the system theme. The issue tracker discussion made it clear this feature won't be supported, fair enough. And after switching to =TOML= and [[/posts/20240124_alacritty-toml-and-partial-imports][discovering partial imports]], I knew I could scratch my own itch. Someone [[https://www.christianfosli.com/posts/2024-on-colorscheme-changed/][wrote a rust tool]] which was helpful as a guide but I wanted something with low dependency. So I made a =bash= script and a =systemd= service and it was fun(?) to learn more about =dbus=.

So, =alacritty-auto-theme= was born which automatically switches themes with manual override possible, repo on [[https://github.com/shombando/alacritty-auto-theme][Github]] and [[https://git.sr.ht/~shom/alacritty-auto-theme][Sourcehut]].

#+hugo: more
Originally this was a long blog post but I moved the breakdown on [[/start/writing-system-automation-script-and-service][how to make a small script and write a systemd service]] with it. That article is more instructional and is written for an audience that might be interested in tweaking their system but does not necessarily have a technical background so explaining what is happening and why is going to be the focus.

** DONE Firefox scrollbar size                                 :foss:firefox:
CLOSED: [2024-02-08 Thu 12:48]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240208_firefox-scrollbar-size
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/dee21477
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240208_firefox-scrollbar-size/config-screenshot.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I don't like seeing the scrollbar until I want to see it. I want to see it when:
- I'm scrolling with an indication of how big the page is
- I want to grab the scrollbar with the mouse to move it to specific location
When I want to grab the scrollbar, I want it to be a big target to hit, not something I'm chasing around trying to click accurately on a 4K monitor.
#+attr_html: :caption Firefox about:config settings :alt Firefox settings showing widget.non-native-theme.scrollbar.override set to 50
[[./config-screenshot.jpg]]

Firefox allows you to customize this by going to ~about:config~ and then modifying =widget.non-native-theme.scrollbar.override=, you can also change the style. It only shows up when you scroll and only becomes chonky when you mouse over it. You can control how chonky it is, to your liking. You can also change the style if you would like a non-native style.
#+attr_html: :caption Firefox with chonky scrollbar :alt Firefox is shown with a chonky scrollbar with the mouse hovering over it and a snippet of a previous blog post is visible showing relatibe position in viewport
[[./chonky-scrollbar.jpg]]

** DONE filmPoster with Gum Hugo photo post bliss?                :hugo:foss:
CLOSED: [2024-02-04 Sun 18:49]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240204_filmposter-with-gum-hugo-photo-post-bliss
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/a6b91110
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240204_filmposter-with-gum-hugo-photo-post-bliss/header.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I didn't have a good process to add film photos to my Hugo static site with consistent tags to serve as metadata for camera, film, developer, format, etc. so I cobbled together a small Bash script to collect some input and create a folder as a Hugo `page bundle` but it was a very manual process still and the tag template soon became tedious to maintain.

I discovered [[https://github.com/charmbracelet/gum][Gum]] and decided to play with it to see if it would improve my post creation experience and it has been pretty good during my brief testing.

That's what lead to the creation of [[https://github.com/shombando/filmPoster][filmPoster]]: A Gum powered interactive Bash script to create Hugo film photo posts.
#+begin_export html
<video controls width="800">
  <source src="./filmPosterDemo.webm" type="video/webm" />
  <track kind="subtitles" src="alt_video_en.vtt" srclang="en" />
</video>
#+end_export
#+begin_src org :exports none :tangle content/posts/20240204_filmposter-with-gum-hugo-photo-post-bliss/alt_video_en.vtt
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000
- Sorry, this is a poor solution to provide alt-text. Description of video follows:

2
00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:30.000
- Screencapture of a terminal window side by side with a browser window. The terminal is demonstrating an application that enters information about at photo like title, film, camera, etc. and then selects the file from a file picker. Once the process is completed the browser auto refreshes to show the new photo has been added to the grid and then the photo page is loaded showing the different tags via clicking a few tags it is demonstrated that they were generated and linked with other posts.
#+end_src
=Note:Alt-text provided as closed-caption=

** DONE How to get Started                                            :start:
CLOSED: [2024-02-02 Fri 02:37]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240202_how-to-get-started
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/8aae4e73
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240202_how-to-get-started/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Sometimes it's hard to get started with something new. Sure there are so many resources, almost too many resources, distilling just the essential information is difficult. Here I'm collecting the things I've learned over time, so if I were starting from scratch today, I could just jump in and get started.

These are not blog posts fixed in time so if something changes I hope to change the information inline without clarifying edits.

👆🏽 That's the new section I'm adding to the website. I have benefited immensely from people that have shared their knowledge so I want to capture and share things I've learned/am learning that's a bit more methodical than a drive by note just explaining a specific issue. I hope this also helps me write blog posts more freely because those are not guides and can be more 'footloose and care-free' (just like me saying that as an inside joke to myself).

I struggled with what to call the new section, since it's not really a step-by-step for every minute detail but it's also not skipping over the hurdles in trying to present a polished demo. It's just about getting started, but "getting started" doesn't fit with the single word menu structure so I asked a friend for some ideas:
- =Genesis=
- =Preamble=
- =Prologue=
That made me think of =Bootstrap= but ultimately I decided I'm really just going for jumping in to start something so a simple =Start= $XYZ made the most sense?

I did a lot of yak-shaving on this Hugo site, refactoring my org-mode file structure for ox-hugo, and finally my org-capture templates to make the process smoother. So much so, that I didn't get farther than the first paragraph of the first Start article/guide. However, I am pretty impressed with how flexible Hugo yet how simple Hugo is (and how well it's supported by ox-hugo). I keep replacing more pieces of the layout (now each section has it's own RSS feed) and edging closer to creating my own theme (if I do, I'll write a Start guide)!

** DONE Alacritty: TOML and partial imports                      :linux:foss:alacritty:
CLOSED: [2024-01-25 Thu 00:06]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240124_alacritty-toml-and-partial-imports
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/c72325dc
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240124_alacritty-toml-and-partial-imports/meme.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have written before about using [[/posts/20220514_from-fish-on-gnome-terminal-to-zsh-with-starship-on-alacritty][Alacritty]] as my terminal and I've configured it using YAML. I've been a general fan of YAML, I like the way the syntax looks and there aren't too many brackets of any kind, if it had a line terminator, that'd be great. The downside is that it is indent dependent. But for the most part I'm comfortable with YAML and wherever an option is provided for using YAML, I pick it over TOML.

However, as of version 13 Alacritty is deprecating YAML in favor of TOML (they're providing a ~alacritty migrate~ command that works very well). So I decided to just get with the program instead of delay adoption. This comes with the unexpected side benefit of being able to do imports of one configuration file into another. I discovered this because [[https://sunny.garden/@benmo/111814384857896783][@benmo]] got me wondering how to change the theme of the terminal while in a remote SSH session.

The solution that TOML enable is to create a new configuration file which imports the standard configuration and then just overwrites (and/or adds) to the existing configuration. So I just made a new config file called alacritty-remote.toml:
#+begin_src toml
import=["~/.config/alacritty/alacritty.toml"]

[colors.primary]
background = "0x333333"
foreground = "0xD8DEE9"
#+end_src

Then I created a function in zsh called ~remoteshh~ to start a new Alacritty shell window with this new config file:
#+begin_src sh
function sshremote() {
	  alacritty --config-file ~/.config/alacritty/alacritty-remote.toml -e ssh $1 & disown
}
#+end_src

Now when I connect to a remote server over SSH instead of typing ~ssh server~ I type ~sshremote server~ and I get window with a different background color (I'll probably theme is more later).

After I told my friend about this whole YAML to TOML saga, he made this...
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="meme.jpg" caption="I feel like we've both unlocked a new level of nerd." alt="Distracted boyfriend meme format with girl in red dress labeled TOML, boyfriend labeled SHOM, and girlfriend labeld YAML" showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE URL shortening for blog links natively in Hugo      :foss:hugo:emacs:
CLOSED: [2024-01-21 Sun 00:36]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240121_url-shortening-for-blog-links-natively-in-hugo
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/1ba87346
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240121_url-shortening-for-blog-links-natively-in-hugo/3D-strongest-link.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
This blog post can also be found at [[/s/1ba87346][1ba87346]]. This short URL is designed to make sharing online more compact without having to use an external URL shortening service. The permalink for this post is 62 characters (plus base URL, everything following discounts the base URL), while the short URL is 11 characters. Every post will predictably be 11 characters since I'm using CRC32 hash of the permalink to generate the short link. My base domain is 8 characters including the dot so a fully qualified link will be 27 characters, which is acceptable. All the while resolving to a fully informative URL (date + topic).

Hugo provides an [[https://gohugo.io/content-management/urls/#aliases][alias functionality]] to add one or more alias to every page through the front matter. There's no built-in automation around this and I also use [[https://ox-hugo.scripter.co/][ox-hugo]] to generate my Hugo files from a single org file so I decided to add the functionality to the org-capture template that I have already customized to generate Hugo slugs for posts.

Generating a CRC32 hash is really straight-forward in Ubuntu (my build OS due to Emacs version requirement, yes it's heavy for CI/CD), it's just ~crc32 file.txt~ so a naive implementation would be:
#+BEGIN_SRC sh
echo "20240121_url-shortening-for-blog-links-natively-in-hugo" > slug.txt
crc32 slug.txt

ad734a45
#+END_SRC
But I didn't want transient files being created so I found this [[https://stackoverflow.com/questions/44804668/how-to-calculate-crc32-checksum-from-a-string-on-linux-bash#49446525][super hacky and delightful way]] of doing it:
#+BEGIN_SRC sh
echo -n "20240121_url-shortening-for-blog-links-natively-in-hugo" | gzip -1 -c | tail -c8 | hexdump -n4 -e ' '"%08x"'
1ba87346%
#+END_SRC
#+begin_export html
<style>
aside {
  padding-left: 0.5rem;
  margin-left: 20%;
  float: block-end;
  box-shadow: inset 5px 0 5px -5px #29627e;
  font-style: italic;
  font-size: medium;
  text-align: right;
  color: #29627e;
}
</style>
#+end_export
#+begin_aside
The file CRC32 is different from just the string, which totally makes sense but threw me off. I think the CRC for just the text makes more sense but either method would mitigate collisions if you stick to the same method for all links.
#+end_aside
So I made that into a script and glued it up with my org-capture template for Hugo.
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
(concat ":EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/"
							  (shell-command-to-string
							   (concat "~/dev/shom.dev/crc32Janky.sh " fname)))
#+END_SRC

As I mentioned in my previous post, my oldest draft is on that topic but since that's never getting published, most of it is the capture template.
#+begin_details :trim-post nil
#+begin_summary
Here's the full configuration for ox-hugo (click arrow to expand):
#+end_summary
#+BEGIN_SRC elisp
(use-package ox-hugo
  :straight t
  :config
  ;; Org capture template for Hugo posts
  ;; https://ox-hugo.scripter.co/doc/org-capture-setup/
  (with-eval-after-load 'org-capture
	(defun org-hugo-new-subtree-post-capture-template ()
	  "Returns `org-capture' template string for new Hugo post.
See `org-capture-templates' for more information."
	  (let* ((title (read-from-minibuffer "Post Title: ")) ;Prompt to enter the post title
			 (fname (concat (format-time-string "%Y%m%d_") (org-hugo-slug title))))
		(mapconcat #'identity
				   `(
					 ,(concat "\n* DRAFT " title)
					 ":PROPERTIES:\n:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index"
					 ,(concat ":EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: " fname)
					 ,(concat ":EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases /s/"
							  (shell-command-to-string
							   (concat "~/dev/shom.dev/crc32Janky.sh " fname)))
					 ,(concat ":EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/" fname "/image.jpg")
					 ":EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:\n:END:"
					 "%?\n")          ;Place the cursor here finally
				   "\n")))

	(add-to-list 'org-capture-templates
				 '("h"                ;`org-capture' binding + h
				   "Hugo post"
				   entry
				   ;; It is assumed that below file is present in `org-directory'
				   ;; and that it has a "Blog Ideas" heading. It can even be a
				   ;; symlink pointing to the actual location of all-posts.org!
				   (file+olp "~/dev/shom.dev/content.org" "Content")
				   (function org-hugo-new-subtree-post-capture-template)
				   :prepend t))))
#+END_SRC
#+end_details
#+begin_export html
<br />
#+end_export

Now I need to make a nice fancy little sharing link and icon that is rendered on every page and go back and update the old posts. The downside of this approach is that it doesn't generate all shortened links on build only at capture, which is generally better for not breaking links.

I don't know much about theme-templating (have a few overrides and shortcodes) or using page data to create new elements so I'll appreciate pointers and help in making my aliases as nice share-links automatically rendered by Hugo.

#+begin_export html
<p class="attribution">Share card image: "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/86530412@N02/8253443979">3D Strongest Link</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/86530412@N02">ccPixs.com</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY 2.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;" alt="CC icon"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;" alt="By icon of a stick figure person"></img></a>. </p>
#+end_export
** DONE Tech debt for personal projects                           :foss:rant:
CLOSED: [2024-01-20 Sat 01:16]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20240119_tech-debt-for-personal-projects
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20240119_tech-debt-for-personal-projects/Deal-with-the-tech-debt_by_psd-on-Flickr_CCbySA.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
A great thing about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is that anyone can create a thing, share it with others, and anyone else can contribute and make it better. It's also great to solve a problem for yourself and just share it with the world just in case it helps someone else. I know I have benefited from both those modalities, so I have tried to share a few tools and knowledge on this blog and through my repos. So that's the ideal scenario, but there is a downside that I hadn't quite grasped before I fell into it... personal tech debt.

*** Scratch your own itch "software"
It's one thing to write a janky script to solve your problem but a whole different ball-game to share it with the world. This is after you've overcome the first hurdle: the notion that others would have done it better and smarter, fully embracing the benefits and vulnerability of working in the open. Sharing with the world means that you have to fix things properly and shimming a problem isn't always an option. Getting great input from others is awesome but also overwhelming because I don't want to just implement something without understanding what it is. The genesis of some of these "projects" was to "scratch your own itch" but once I put it out there, I have a strong desire to not put out crap, which means finding the time and motivation to learn nuances and do it right. Ultimately that means the project quickly becomes unmaintained.

*** A really-nice-post™
The same goes for writing blog posts, "ohhh, I had to read a bunch of old forum threads which are all just a little outdated but I figured it out so I'll make a really-nice-post™ to help others". Well, finding time and motivation to write that post is even scarcer. Now the itch has been scratched and unless it's a really-nice-post™ then there's really no point in writing it at all since the information is technically out there. Such a post has a high bar for quality, it must:
- Provide clear context and describe the problem
- Layout out potential solutions
- Describe the chosen solution
- Provide detailed steps
  - Code snippets in fences so they're rendered with highlighting
  - Screenshots where applicable
- Links and credit to all the sources
So it's not much of a surprise that such a post is just as well-intentioned as it is non-existent.

*** The three mes
There's a past-me, the now-me, and the future-me and they're almost never happy with each other. The now-me always expected more of past-me and has high ambition for future-me. Given that the only me that has agency now is now-me, I've decided to... rant. To be fair to past-me, the only reason I'm ranting now is because I finally updated [[https://github.com/shombando/keyoxidizer][Keyoxidizer]][^fn:1], hopefully future-me is happy that there was an update and this post was published (and hopefully, that there was a shift in attitude, but let's not jump ahead).

*** Keyoxidizer
I made Keyoxidizer to scratch my own itch, sharing it with the world was exciting as it looked like some people got some use out of it. GPG identity management isn't that straight forward and I was learning by doing. Sharing with the world paid-off because I got great feedback and a couple of contributions. But some of the feedback about best practices was a bit over my head. I understood enough to know that what I had implemented (RSA) was fine but neither modern nor performant. But I didn't understand the feedback enough to directly translate that to the GPG unattended key generation config format (it's not straight-forward, or so I thought because it's complicated)! Also I wanted to learn and make other improvements on handling this, like giving users choice of algo... so predictably it didn't get done. It fell into the really-nice-post™ black-hole.

Ultimately, what helped was to just narrow my focus on a specific implementation[^fn:2]. Something that I would have easily done in a work context, but doing it for a personal project is difficult because there are so many competing goals[^fn:3].

*** Personal tech-debt
So why did it take 700+ words to get to the titular point? Because I'm still fighting against past-me's desire to have a really-nice-post™[^fn:4] and future-me's concern that this is all rubbish anyway.

I have been doing an increasingly better job of keeping personal notes on hobbies, highlights from articles, archiving links and documents that have reference potential, etc.[^fn:5] for months. I'm trying to build on that habit to decrease my personal tech-debt. Capturing information when I think of it and do a quick search so I can come back to it more easily later. Biting off smaller chunks and getting it running; basically, everything I would do at work but for hobbies? I don't want to make my hobbies a chore but it is nice to see progress and completion. I'm still uncomfortable with the idea that my personal tech-debt can become someone's problem if I share what I'm doing and they decide to use it. But the alternative might be [[https://xkcd.com/979/][DenverCoder9]], so doing work out in the open and not producing a really-nice-post™ might be okay?

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="Deal-with-the-tech-debt_by_psd-on-Flickr_CCbySA.jpg" caption="Deal with the tech debt" alt="Pen drawing on a post-it note of a grim reaper with the text above reading DEAL WITH THE TECH DEBT" showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export
#+begin_export html
<p class="attribution">"<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/25996369@N07/8627787038">Deal with the tech debt</a>" by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/25996369@N07">dafyddbach</a> is licensed under <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse">CC BY-SA 2.0 <img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/cc.svg" alt="CC icon" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/by.svg" alt="By icon, stick figure person"style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img><img src="https://mirrors.creativecommons.org/presskit/icons/sa.svg" alt="SA icon" style="height: 1em; margin-right: 0.125em; display: inline;"></img></a>. </p>
#+end_export
[^fn:1]: Linking to Github mirror because [[https://codeberg.org/shom/keyoxidizer][Codeberg]] and [[https://git.sr.ht/~shom/keyoxidizer][Sourcehut]] have been dealing with DDoS attacks.
[^fn:2]: changing the ~Key-Type: EDDSA~ and specify the ~Key-Curve: ed25519~.
[^fn:3]: I want to learn, yak-shave, experiment, be present instead of being results oriented and enjoy the experience.
[^fn:4]: Fun fact - the oldest incomplete draft on this blog is from 2021-10-25 about org-capture template for Hugo, it wasn't nice enough to finish and post but would have helped a more recent past-me had I finished writing it.
[^fn:5]: I've been using [[https://logseq.com/][Logseq]] for it (org data format) but just using the `#` notation to create pages and links using the journal as a front-end for note capture.
** DONE Film Photography                   :film:
CLOSED: [2023-12-07 Thu 03:06]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20231207_film-photography
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20231207_film-photography/cameras.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
There's a new section on the website for [[/film][Film Photography]] that is being built by Hugo but independent of the blogging workflow. I'll create a new entry documenting how that is setup in a follow-up post.

I'm not sure if the film photos should be a on the main blog feed but without realizing it I have flooded the RSS feed, perhaps it should be on it's own feed (don't want to inconvenience the non-existent readership of this blog!). The other thing that might require some thinking/restructuring is whether to use categories to get a better handle on taxonomies. Hugo does not do hierarchical tags but posts tagged with ~camera~ and ~camera/canonQL17Giii~ will show up under the ~camera~ tag, which is nice but a drill down would be preferable (without extensive JavaScript magic). Categories could serve as the drill down but I don't know if that added convolution has any practical benefits.

For now, I'll just leave a family portrait of the range finders: Olympus 35 SP, Canon QL17 Giii, and Olympus 35RC.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="cameras.jpg" caption="Family photo" alt="Three range finder cameras all with silver tops and black bodies are lined up left to right, larger to smaller on a wooden table top with great walnut figure. The cameras left to right are: Olympus 35 SP, Canon QL17 Giii, and Olympus 35RC" showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE More eagles                                                  :camera:
CLOSED: [2023-02-05 Sun 17:28]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20230205_more-eagles
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20230205_more-eagles/Swoop.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:

I went back to look for eagles again and found that the lake/pond/ditch had frozen over but there were still a couple of eagles milling about and several black birds.

Lessons learned:
- 1/1600 of second still pretty slow for capturing even a big bird in flight.
- ISO 400 is pretty reliable on my camera and darktable matches the noise profile, doing a decent job of noise removal.
- Busy backgrounds are hard to work with but they aren't show stoppers.
- JPEG is a terrible image format and makes the photos look much worse.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="Flight.jpg" caption="Late afternoon flight" alt="A bald eagle is gliding against a backdrop of leafless trees. The eagle's wings are out stretched and the head is in almost profile view and well lit" showexif="true" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="Swoop.jpg" caption="Make way!" alt="A bald eagle is swooping down over a frozen body of water and has its wings out stretched and talons forward. Several blackbirds are scattering due to the arrival of the eagle captured in various poses of flight tyring to vacate the area." showexif="true" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Eagles in the "backyard"                                     :camera:
CLOSED: [2023-01-20 Fri 13:11]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20230120_eagles-in-the-backyard
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20230120_eagles-in-the-backyard/EagleInFlight.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Took some photos of bald eagles fairly close to my house, thanks to a tip from a friend. I never think to go exploring around home whereas I would have hiked miles on vacation to see wildlife. This is a great proof and reminder to see your "backyard" with fresh eyes.

Photos captured with a Sony A7C with a Sigma 100-400.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="EagleInFlight.jpg" caption="" alt="A bald eagle is flying low on a harvested field with brown straw and dirt, trees and yellow grass are in the background. It's winter so the trees don't have any foliage and their limbs are dark and light streaks. The eagle's wings are on a downstroke and it is flying towards two pigeons moving so fast that they're blurry." showexif="true" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="EagleAndCrow.jpg" caption="" alt="A juvenile eagle is perched on some fallen branches next to shallow water. A crow is flying away from the spot with it's wings spread midstroke, appears to have been chased away by the eagle who is 4 times as large." showexif="true" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="EaglesInTree.jpg" caption="" alt="A tree without any leaves in front of a similarly treeless forest has three bald eagles on it. The most clearly visible one is on the top with a gray sky as the backdrop with its head tilted such that one eye is looking towards the camera. The second eagle is on the bottom right with more trees as a backdrop facing to the right with its head turned away from the camera. The third eagle is on the bottom left against an even busier background, it's a juvenile quite dark and does not have the characteristic white head of an adult." showexif="true" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Trigger site rebuild to update copyright
CLOSED: [2023-01-01 Sun 00:37]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20230101_trigger-site-rebuild-to-update-copyright
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20230101_trigger-site-rebuild-to-update-copyright/image.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I just saw [[https://mspsocial.net/@vkc/109612388794875976][this post from VKC]] about updating the footer of your website, meaning the copyright section. It occurred to me that it's a manual process for my fully auto-generated blog, so I never think about the copyright info in the footer. Static sites do kind of have a shortcoming of sort.

I still have my photos on a WordPress blog and it automatically updates the copyright, which came up, very recently, in a conversation with a friend and yet I never thought about my Hugo site (this one). I wonder if I need a build pipeline that triggers at midnight UTC every year just to update the footer!? No.

I wanted to scribble this thought quickly to first, trigger a rebuild and secondly, to put a commitment to finally investigate the Creative Commons licenses and choose an appropriate license site-wide. I would like for any information/photo/art to be usable for non-commercial use with attribution and maintaining an equivalent license.
=======

** DONE Let's Encrypt with acme.sh behind CPanel           :linux:foss:
CLOSED: [2022-11-09 Wed 23:43]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20221109_let-s-encrypt-with-acme-dot-sh-behind-cpanel
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have access to webhosting through the generosity of a friend and his hosting provider used CPanel and offers paid SSL certificates but does allow for SSH access. So, the best and free way to get SSL certificates is getting certificates from [[https://letsencrypt.org/][Let's Encrypt]] using [[https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh][acme.sh]].

While I've had this setup for years and it works great, it's a real issue if it breaks because I do the sad thing of hitting up in the terminal history #somuchshame. So I'm documenting it for myself and anyone else that might find this useful.

1. Clone acme.sh from Github and cd into folder.
2. Issue the certificate with:

   ~./acme.sh --issue --webroot /home/USERNAME/public_html/ --domain example.org --deploy-hook cpanel_uapi~
3. Deploy the certificate if the deploy hook doesn't do its job properly

   ~./acme.sh --deploy --domain example.org --deploy-hook cpanel_uapi~
4. Setup the cron job so it will renew automatically

   ~./acme.sh --cron~

Another win for FOSS and SSH access on a Linux box.

In dire situations, you can actually go to CPanel and manually enter the certificate information that acme.sh generates. The acme.sh folder will contain a sub-directory named example.org (whatever your domain name is), inside that you'll need to map the contents of the following files to the following fields:

| File Name       | CPanel Field                             |
| example.org.cer | Certificate: (CRT)                       |
| example.org.key | Private Key (KEY)                        |
| ca.cer          | Certificate Authority Bundle: (CABUNDLE) |

=NOTE=: If you're having issues with the ZeroSSL.com CA that acme.sh now defaults to, you can edit =example.org.conf= and specify the api using:

~Le_API='https://acme-v02.api.letsencrypt.org/directory'~

=Editorial note=: The API isn't French, it's Le for Let's Encrypt... capitalizing acronyms in variable names is always contentious, snake case should makes it easier. But mixing usage seems like the worst of all choices. Le but not Api? Why not LE_API or le_api.

=Update=: [[https://fosstodon.org/@benoitj/109319882279718334][@benoitj makes another great point]], LE is not providing any additonal context, acme or api (regardless of capitalization) would make the variable name better.

** DONE FOSS Woodworking                                   :foss:woodworking:
CLOSED: [2022-10-19 Wed 01:50]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20221019_foss-woodworking
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20221019_foss-woodworking/3Dmodel.png
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I built a small table this weekend and realized that the thing I desperately need if I'm going to build more stuff is a workbench. There are a TON of workbench options to pick from, which is great. But, I didn't want to get into picking and choosing dimensions and features on the fly, that was asking for a disaster. So I decided to take the plunge and learn [[https://www.freecadweb.org/][FreeCAD]]. There are excellent YouTube videos targeted at [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfNBfdIpzDQ&list=PL9VmYdF0sBykAJiMAqIxzTTti3i-kvarx]["FreeCAD for Woodworkers"]] which was a delightful surprise. Being a novice at woodworking and CAD is not the best combination, but you gotta start somewhere.

I decided to start backwards by doing the build first and the design later. Just like I built a small table physically, it seemed like a good idea to model something simpler. I was able to learn enough FreeCAD in one evening to make this model:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="3Dmodel.png" caption="Simple table modeled in FreeCAD" alt="A 3D render of a small table with two boards joined lengthwise to make a top with rectangular legs and a bottom shelf with two smaller boards" showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

Had I made the model before the bottom shelf might have turned out better, just maybe, but something else would have provided "an opportunity for improvement"... there are many ways to get better, exciting!
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="PineTable.jpg" caption="Small pine table" alt="A small table made of light colored pinewood construction lumber with a table top and a bottom shelf made from similar colored thin boards. You can see several fastening screws and not everything is quite plumb but functional" showexif="false" >}}

I'm looking forward to learning more tricks in FreeCAD like creating/exporting cutlists, 3D renders with wood texture and lighting effects. The ecosystem is quite rich!
#+end_export

** DONE Fiddly Fig                                           :art:watercolor:
CLOSED: [2022-10-09 Sun 23:40]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20221009_fiddly-fig
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20221009_fiddly-fig/fiddlyfig.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Haven't done any water coloring in months and this fiddly fig wasn't the easiest one to start with. My friend had a book of botanical watercolors and the fiddly fig was one of the choices. Turns out I have a hard time drawing non standard leaves🍃 that overlap. I hadn't originally planned to sketch the outline but after I finished (messing up) coloring the leaves, it all looked like blobs in need of structure. The actual instructions were a bit confusing but after doing it poorly I now understand a better way to approach it: paint a lighter base layer of green, wet on dry, and then at the base of the leaf inject some darker green, wet on wet.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="fiddlyfig.jpg" caption="Fiddly fig water color" alt="Water color of a fiddly fig plant, deeper green thickish leafy leaves on a brown stem potted in a light brown vessel with the date noted as 20221009" showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

It was a fun way to spend an evening with friends and reminded me to paint more. Only the drawing/sketching is stressful the painting part is fun!

** DONE Fun with pipes                                                :linux:
CLOSED: [2022-09-19 Mon 19:15]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220919_fun-with-pipes
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20220919_fun-with-pipes/mindmap.png/
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:

Just came across this excellent post: [[https://unixsheikh.com/tutorials/poor-mans-mind-mapping-tool-with-just-the-terminal.html][Poor mans mind mapping tool with just the terminal]] from @fullstackthaumaturge (account no longer exists) toot on Fosstodon. The whole premise is that you can do a lot things with the UNIX philosophy of using files for everything and manipulating them with simple tools that do one thing but do it well. So if you wanted a mindmap then just ~touch~ files in a folder hierarchy and then print it out with ~tree~.

I found that amusing and thought, "well what if you don't want to clutter your file-system and wanted to zip up your mindmap?" Would you be able to get a nice ~tree~ output without unzipping the archive? Well turns out you can do just that by piping from ~zipinfo~ to ~tree~, which supports reading from a file (instead of reading a file-system) using the =--fromfile= argument.

So you end up with this command:
#+begin_src shell
  zipinfo -1 mindmap.zip | tree --fromfile $1 -C -r
#+end_src
and this output:
#+begin_src shell
.
`-- mindmap
    |-- top
    |-- first
    |   |-- second
    |   `-- first
    `-- 2
        |-- 2
        `-- 1

3 directories, 5 files
#+end_src
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="mindmap.png" caption="Pretty terminal output with colors from the '-C' flag" alt="Screenshot of the same output as the preceding code block above with terminal colors." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

I'm not suggesting anyone do this, but it's a fun example of UNIX principles and pipes.

** DONE Markdown anchor linking on Github                        :emacs:foss:
CLOSED: [2022-09-18 Sun 02:11]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220917_markdown-anchor-linking-on-github
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: /posts/20220917_markdown-anchor-linking-on-github/user-anchors-as-p.jpg
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've been using =org-transclusion= for an [[../20211230_inverse-literate-config-via-org-transclusion/]["inverse literate"]] Emacs config and tangling all the config chunks on save and exporting it as a markdown file. This has worked fairly well except for the fact that org-export creates =org-export= regenerates ids for all the headings which creates noise in the git commit history and also in-page anchors can't be reliably linked to a specific part of the document (independent of the git forge's markdown parsing implementation).

In order to remedy that without relying on a full-featured package without additional capabilities, I decided to adapt a snippet of [[https://github.com/alphapapa][@alphapapa]]'s [[https://github.com/alphapapa/unpackaged.el][unpackaged configuration]], which advices the export to create unique anchors that won't change between exports (unless the headings themselves have been changed). However, this is ended being the beginning of the solution and how I discovered GitHub renders markdown internal links to HTML is not consistent with how Sourcehut does it.

#+begin_details
#+begin_summary
I added the following snippet into my =config.org= file's ~after-save-hook~:
#+end_summary
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
  ;;usefulanchors_begin
;; From @alphapapa's unpackaged repo https://github.com/alphapapa/unpackaged.el#export-to-html-with-useful-anchors
(use-package ox
  :config
  (define-minor-mode unpackaged/org-export-html-with-useful-ids-mode
    "Attempt to export Org as HTML with useful link IDs.
Instead of random IDs like \"#orga1b2c3\", use heading titles,
made unique when necessary."
    :global t
    (if unpackaged/org-export-html-with-useful-ids-mode
        (advice-add #'org-export-get-reference :override #'unpackaged/org-export-get-reference)
      (advice-remove #'org-export-get-reference #'unpackaged/org-export-get-reference)))

  (defun unpackaged/org-export-get-reference (datum info)
    "Like `org-export-get-reference', except uses heading titles instead of random numbers."
    (let ((cache (plist-get info :internal-references)))
      (or (car (rassq datum cache))
          (let* ((crossrefs (plist-get info :crossrefs))
                 (cells (org-export-search-cells datum))
                 ;; Preserve any pre-existing association between
                 ;; a search cell and a reference, i.e., when some
                 ;; previously published document referenced a location
                 ;; within current file (see
                 ;; `org-publish-resolve-external-link').
                 ;;
                 ;; However, there is no guarantee that search cells are
                 ;; unique, e.g., there might be duplicate custom ID or
                 ;; two headings with the same title in the file.
                 ;;
                 ;; As a consequence, before re-using any reference to
                 ;; an element or object, we check that it doesn't refer
                 ;; to a previous element or object.
                 (new (or (cl-some
                           (lambda (cell)
                             (let ((stored (cdr (assoc cell crossrefs))))
                               (when stored
                                 (let ((old (org-export-format-reference stored)))
                                   (and (not (assoc old cache)) stored)))))
                           cells)
                          (when (org-element-property :raw-value datum)
                            ;; Heading with a title
                            (unpackaged/org-export-new-title-reference datum cache))
                          ;; NOTE: This probably breaks some Org Export
                          ;; feature, but if it does what I need, fine.
                          (org-export-format-reference
                           (org-export-new-reference cache))))
                 (reference-string new))
            ;; Cache contains both data already associated to
            ;; a reference and in-use internal references, so as to make
            ;; unique references.
            (dolist (cell cells) (push (cons cell new) cache))
            ;; Retain a direct association between reference string and
            ;; DATUM since (1) not every object or element can be given
            ;; a search cell (2) it permits quick lookup.
            (push (cons reference-string datum) cache)
            (plist-put info :internal-references cache)
            reference-string))))

  (defun unpackaged/org-export-new-title-reference (datum cache)
    "Return new reference for DATUM that is unique in CACHE."
    (cl-macrolet ((inc-suffixf (place)
                               `(progn
                                  (string-match (rx bos
                                                    (minimal-match (group (1+ anything)))
                                                    (optional "--" (group (1+ digit)))
                                                    eos)
                                                ,place)
                                  ;; HACK: `s1' instead of a gensym.
                                  (-let* (((s1 suffix) (list (match-string 1 ,place)
                                                             (match-string 2 ,place)))
                                          (suffix (if suffix
                                                      (string-to-number suffix)
                                                    0)))
                                    (setf ,place (format "%s--%s" s1 (cl-incf suffix)))))))
      (let* ((title (org-element-property :raw-value datum))
             (ref (replace-regexp-in-string "%.." "-" (url-hexify-string (substring-no-properties title)))) ;replace all encoded characters with dashes
             (parent (org-element-property :parent datum)))
        (while (--any (equal ref (car it))
                      cache)
          ;; Title not unique: make it so.
          (if parent
              ;; Append ancestor title.
              (setf title (concat (org-element-property :raw-value parent)
                                  "--" title)
                    ref (url-hexify-string (substring-no-properties title))
                    parent (org-element-property :parent parent))
            ;; No more ancestors: add and increment a number.
            (inc-suffixf ref)))
        ref))))
;;usefulanchors_end
#+end_src
#+end_details

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="github-not-linking-hexcoded.png" caption="GitHub's internal linking works but hex coded does not" alt="Screenshot of Readme.md file with source insepctor open in Firefox showing the actual header anchor is GitHub's internal linking and there's separate <p> with the user exported anchor from markdown." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export
=NOTE:= actual header anchor is GitHub's internal linking and there's separate <p> with the user exported anchor from markdown, just interesting.

Turns out that GitHub won't do anchors with any non-alphanumeric links even if they're properly hex-coded. I had to modify the function which creates the unique slugs because by default it hex encodes the url, which is the "correct/smart" thing to do and Sourcehut happily renders that. But GitHub generates its own slugs which removes all non-alphanumeric characters (which makes the slug less readable, I prefer more readable urls).
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
  (replace-regexp-in-string "%.." "-" (url-hexify-string (substring-no-properties title)))
#+end_src

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="user-anchors-as-p.png" caption="All non-alphanumeric replaced with dashes" alt="Similiar to other screenshot except anchor words are dash separated. Screenshot of Readme.md file with source insepctor open in Firefox showing the actual header anchor is GitHub's internal linking and there's separate <p> with the user exported anchor from markdown." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

Another excellent example of how [[/tags/foss][#foss]] enables these customizations by empowering the user.

** DONE Bonaire Art                                              :art:travel:
CLOSED: [2022-05-30 Mon 11:26]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220530_bonaire-art
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:EXPORT_HUGO_IMAGES: "/posts/20220530_bonaire-art/bonaire.jpg"
:END:
I was privileged to visit Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean last week. While the whole reason for the trip was scuba diving (the entire island is essentially a dive site, just walk out into ocean in any direction), I also enjoyed the downtown area and found the art very charming. Here are a few pieces that caught my eye:

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="bonaire.jpg" caption="Bonaire" alt="A sign painted on a wall reading Bonaire with a red heart painted between bon and aire. The red heart has the shape of the island inlayed in white." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

My favorite mural was definitely this whimsical scene of this mural of a guy vibin' with some chill goats and playing his ukulele. The island has a lot of wild/stray goats and they're definitely quite chill and the baby goats are super cute, kid you not! The [[https://dodiciartproject.com/][artist is Dodici]] and has a very unique style.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="goats.jpg" caption="Dodici's goats" alt="Street mural of a man wearing a straw hat, red shirt, blue shorts, reclining while playing a ukuele while three goats surround him chewing leaves with funky expressions." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

The island is also famous for its flamingos grazing in the salt flats. Bonaire is a sea-salt producing island and there are huge mounds of salt that are stacked before shipping, all of that area is a good hang for flamingos. I was lucky to get to see some flamingos up close while at the Washington Slagbaai National Park. But I think I saw a lot more flamingo art, which was also great.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="flamingos.jpg" caption="Colony of Flamingos" alt="Wall mural of a flock of flamingos standing and grazing in the salt flats. Only one of them is standing on one leg, the classic pose." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="saltmounds.jpg" caption="Flamingos take flight over the salt mounds" alt="Wall mural of four flamingos at different distances away from the observer take flight with the salt mounts in the background and the pink salt flats in the foreground." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

I enjoyed the simple style of this mermaid and the paint colors effectively capture all the hues of the waters around Bonaire.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="mermaid.jpg" caption="Mermaid" alt="Outline of a mermaid with the middle filled with shades of blue and green paint." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

Dushi means all the things in life that are good and sweet. The artist tag is @kayakorsou but I wasn't able to find an online presence.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="hummingbird.jpg" caption="Life is dushi in Bonaire" alt="Wall mural of an underwater scene with corals and fish with a mermaid floating and taking the scene in. On the right side there's a layer of stripes with a massive hummingbird seeming to hold up a sign reading 'dushi Bonaire @kaya korsou'" showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

We can't end without yet another cute flamingo!
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="flamingo.jpg" caption="Cute cartoony flamingo" alt="A flamingo painted on a wall with more of a cartoony style with big pretty eyes and the classic standing on one leg pose." showexif="false" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE From fish on Gnome Terminal to zsh with Starship on Alacritty :foss:linux:alacritty:
CLOSED: [2022-05-14 Sat 17:01]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220514_from-fish-on-gnome-terminal-to-zsh-with-starship-on-alacritty
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
*** Gnome Terminal and fish
I have been using the default Gnome Terminal with the [[https://fishshell.com/][fish shell]] for a long time and it has served me well. Since =fish= provides a lot of functionality out of the box (including meta information about git repos in the prompt), I have stuck with it for the convenience. However, there is ONE major downside to fish; it is not POSIX compliant.

*** Why ditch fish?
See what had happened was... Non-POSIX compliant wasn't a big problem until I found myself writing a couple helper functions with =fish= syntax. This was a proverbial red-flag since =fish= becomes a hard dependency for all my systems going forward. This coupled with the how =fish= saves aliases (as separate functions when you call ~funcsave aliasname~) which I always found a bit tedious led me to finally think about moving to =zsh=.

*** What would I miss most from fish and Gnome Terminal?
The baseline against which I'm making this list is default =bash= on Ubuntu based systems, which is what I've had the most exposure to. So compared to that experience:
- Right off the bat, I like =fish='s default prompt and never felt the need to customize it because it showed the current path and for git repos shows the current branch.
- Completions! The fish completions are great and the history sub-string search is excellent.
- Syntax highlighting of commands as you type so you can easily spot typos as they happen.
- As for Gnome Terminal, I wouldn't really miss anything assuming I could theme the terminal a bit. What I wouldn't miss is the lack of a configuration file that could be added to my other dotfiles.

While this list serves as the basis for the requirements of the new tool-chain, the top requirement was plain-text based configuration management, which can be placed under version control. The other very soft requirement was tools developed using [[https://www.rust-lang.org/][Rust]]. I've done a few "hello world" things in Rust and want to continue learning more and figured that using more Rust based tools is a good path to learning and contributing. With all that in mind, I landed on [[Prompt: starship]], [[Terminal: Alacritty]], and [[Shell: zsh]].

*** Prompt: starship
I decided to separate the prompt from the shell with [[https://starship.rs/][Starship]]. =starship= is highly customizable but it does everything I want from it out of the box; which is, cleanly and minimally replicate features of the =fish= prompt. There are a lot of "themes" and configurations which I'm sure I'd love to tweak and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbSehcT19u0][yak-shave]] someday, but I enjoy the out of box experience. To fully take advantage of the default configuration, you need a nerd font (a font that has been patched with icons that are often used to represent software tools/concepts/applications). I'm a fan of the JetBrains Mono and there is a [[https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts?tab=readme-ov-file#patched-fonts][patched nerd font variant]].

*** Terminal: Alacritty
I have seen =Alacritty= getting praised for being fast, functional, configurable, and it being cross-platform tool written in Rust was all I needed to land on it. Some of the speed tests are pretty impressive, the configuration is very straight forward, and there are tons of resources so I won't delve into things that have been covered very well everywhere.

One big advantage of Alacritty that I don't see touted often is a very keyboard focused workflow. I especially enjoy the vim-like visual mode (bound to =CTRL= + =SPACE= by default) which allows navigating within the buffer, searching the output, and making text selections and copying from anywhere in the buffer all with the familiar vim keybindings.

Here's my minimal =Alacritty= configuration:

#+begin_src yaml
  # Configuration for Alacritty, the GPU enhanced terminal emulator.
  window:
    # Window dimensions (changes require restart)
    padding:
      x: 10
      y: 5
    decorations: none
    opacity: 0.85

  # Font configuration
  font:
    size: 14.0
    normal:
      family: JetBrains Mono Nerd Font
      style: Regular

  # Colors (Nord)
  colors:
    # Default colors
    primary:
      background: '0x2E3440'
      foreground: '0xD8DEE9'

    # Normal colors
    normal:
      black:   '0x3B4252'
      red:     '0xBF616A'
      green:   '0xA3BE8C'
      yellow:  '0xEBCB8B'
      blue:    '0x81A1C1'
      magenta: '0xB48EAD'
      cyan:    '0x88C0D0'
      white:   '0xE5E9F0'

  cursor:
    style:
      shape: Beam
    vi_mode_style: Underline
    thickness: 0.25

  # Live config reload (changes require restart)
  live_config_reload: true

  key_bindings:
    - { key: N,              mods: Shift|Control,                action: SpawnNewInstance      }
    - { key: Space,          mods: Control, mode: ~Search,       action: ToggleViMode          }
    - { key: Return,         mods: Alt,                          action: ToggleFullScreen      }
#+end_src

*** Shell: zsh
This post is getting to be quite long and there's a lot to discuss with =zsh=. I'll hit the highlights here and do a more detailed write-up in the future when I've lived in it for a few weeks/months. I have seen lots of helpful posts on =zsh= and even =fish= to =zsh= migrations but all of the ones I came across use the [[https://ohmyz.sh/][Oh my zsh]] "framework". While =oh my zsh= is great, I wanted to stick to a smaller/leaner configuration that I could understand myself. The great thing is that since =oh my zsh= is a collection of scripts that marshaled, the underlying functionality is available as independent repos which I added as git submodules to my dotfiles repo and got a fairly streamlined experience on my laptop and phone (via Termux).

#+begin_src sh
# Minimal zsh configuration

# Personal functions
fpath=(~/.config/zsh/functions "${fpath[@]}")
autoload -Uz vi
autoload -Uz cat
autoload -Uz ls
autoload -Uz lst

# Aliases
alias gs="git status"
alias ga="git add --all"
alias gd="git diff"
alias gc="git commit -m"
alias gf="git fetch"
alias gF="git pull"
alias gp="git push"

# History
export HISTFILE=~/.config/.zsh_history
export HISTSIZE=100
export SAVEHIST=1000

# Command prompt using starship
eval "$(starship init zsh)"

# All zsh "plugins" are git submodules symlinked to ~/.config/zsh
# Sourced from: https://github.com/orgs/zsh-users/
source ~/.config/zsh/zsh-autosuggestions/zsh-autosuggestions.zsh
source ~/.config/zsh/zsh-ssh-agent/ssh-agent.zsh
source ~/.config/zsh/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh

# History substring matching like fish, load after syntax-highlighting
source ~/.config/zsh/zsh-history-substring-search/zsh-history-substring-search.zsh
#requires keybinds for up and down
bindkey '^[[A' history-substring-search-up
bindkey '^[[B' history-substring-search-down

#+end_src
*** Before and After
Yeah, I get it: just show the screenshots.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="fish-on-gnome-terminal.png" caption="fish shell running on the Gnome Terminal" alt="fish shell shown running in a Gnome Terminal window displaying the output of neofetch" >}}
#+end_export

#+begin_export hugo
{{<exif src="zsh-with-starship-on-alacritty.png" caption="zsh shell running on Alacritty with the starship prompt" alt="Alacritty screenshot with default startship prompt running zsh displaying the output of neofetch">}}
#+end_export

So far I'm pretty happy and comfortable with the new system. The thing I still miss from fish is expanding the commands and sub-commands of CLI apps. I'm sure there are zsh packages for that and I look forward to learning more. If you have [[mailto:fish-to-zsh@shom.dev][any suggestions]], I would love to learn from you.

** DONE QMK caps word                                        :foss:keyboard:
CLOSED: [2022-04-14 Thu 20:59]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20220414_qmk-caps-word
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:

I use a [[https://github.com/foostan/crkbd][Corne]] low profile keyboard running the [[https://qmk.fm/][QMK firmware]]. It is a 42 key layout and although it has a sixth column where a lot of folks put the traditional SHIFT and CTRL modifier keys, I've opted to go with the [[https://precondition.github.io/home-row-mods][home row mods]] so that I'm not stretching my fingers and negating some of the ergonomic advantages. The downside is that it is difficult to type full words/phrases in capital letters without switching which hand is holding the modifier. Also, it's not as convenient to  press the capslock button since it's on a layer and most things that I'm typing aren't very long in ALL CAPS, I don't do a lot of yelling online.

This is where the very interesting and awesome [[https://getreuer.info/posts/keyboards/caps-word/index.html#using-caps-word][Caps Word]] feature that I just discovered comes in handy. It temporarily sends out capital letters from the keyboard (importantly, it doesn't turn on CAPSLOCK since it might be mapped to something else. Here's how it works:
#+begin_quote
- Caps Word is activated by pressing the left and right shift keys at the same time.
- Caps Word automatically disables itself at the end of the word.
#+end_quote

I was able to set it up pretty easily on the keyboard, well, once I realized that I had ~MOD_LSFT~ on both halves accidentally and fixed it. It's going to take a bit of getting used to but awkwardly typing in ALL CAPS is a good reminder to use the proper feature.

** DONE Seahorse                                             :art:watercolor:
CLOSED: [2022-03-08 Tue 21:53]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220308_seahorse
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I still need to figure out how to get ox-hugo to process images that are within shortcodes. Might be a good opportunity to learn the code base a bit and maybe contribute.
#+begin_export html
<img src="20220308_seahorse.jpg" width= "600px" title="TITLE" alt="Watercolor painting of a seahorse in yellows browns and reds floating above slight green and pink vegetation" align="center">
#+end_export
=Note=: I did wrap this in a proper img tag to support alt-text but the rendered effect is the same as just putting a raw file in.

Here's the ~figure~ shortcode.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="20220308_seahorse.jpg" caption="Seahorse" alt="Watercolor painting of a seahorse in yellows browns and reds floating above slight green and pink vegetation" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Hugo photos with EXIF data                           :foss:hugo:exif:
CLOSED: [2022-01-29 Sat 01:42]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220128_hugo-photos-with-exif-data
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have been wanting to transition my photography site to Hugo as well but have not investigated how to utilize Hugo's image processing capabilities. Yesterday I came across [[https://fosstodon.org/@Wivik][Wivik's]] [[https://github.com/Wivik/hugo-shortcodes/tree/master/exif][helpful shortcodes]] that display EXIF information and presents the photo with a frame and a caption. I'm experimenting with it now and might modify it and eventually migrate my photography content.

I ran into =nil pointer evaluating resource.Resource.Resize= error when running the shortcode and tried out the built-in =figure= shortcode with the same path to verify that it wasn't an actual path issue. The answer lies in Hugo's use of *Page Bundles*, essentially standalone directory per post which /bundles/ the text and images in a single folder. Many thanks to [[https://snowgoons.ro/posts/2020-06-04-hugo-automated-image-processing/][Tim Walls' post explicitly helping future sufferers]] of the same error and DuckDuckGo for indexing the page keywords well.

I still have to smooth out the edges for making the page bundle play nice with the short-code within ox-hugo. Kudos to [[https://fosstodon.org/web/@kaushalmodi@mastodon.technology][Kaushal Modi]] for already [[https://ox-hugo.scripter.co/doc/hugo-bundle/][supporting page bundles elegantly]] in ox-hugo. But for this post, I can "cheat" because I need to show the old style rendering anyway for a comparison. By inserting the image directly, ox-hugo will copy the image to the right location so Hugo can do image processing on that page bundle.

The "old" method is just the original image linked directly with no captions or EXIF metadata:
#+begin_export html
<img src="20191016-Howe-Lake.jpg" width= "800px" alt="Howe Lake in Glacier National Park reflecting the yellow larch and pink alpine glow of sunset kissing the top of the snow-capped peaks on a perfectly still mirror surface " align="center">
#+end_export
=Note=: I did wrap this in a proper img tag to support alt-text but the rendered effect is the same as just putting a raw file in.

And the "new" method which uses the shortcode to resize the image to save bandwidth (the original image can be viewed at full resolution by clicking it... I'm not thrilled with the compression quality but it's decent) and also shows the EXIF metadata. I plan to do a bit more with the EXIF info but this is a great start thanks to the shortcode, the caption parameter I added (to provide descriptive alts for accessibility independent of the caption) and icons from the [[https://github.com/Remix-Design/remixicon][Remixicon project]] who provide high-quality FOSS icons.

=Update:= Shortcode appears to be working locally when testing with ~hugo server -D~ but failing on sourcehut ci/cd, I'll investigate with fresh eyes tomorrow.

#+begin_export hugo
{{<exif src="20191016-Howe-Lake.jpg" caption="Howe Lake at Glacier National Park" alt="Howe Lake in Glacier National Park reflecting the yellow larch and pink alpine glow of sunset kissing the top of the snow-capped peaks on a perfectly still mirror surface">}}
#+end_export
=Update 2:= Kaushal happened to see my toot and quickly provided a work-around, I'll sing his praises more preemptively so he can do troubleshooting for me without even asking :), more later.

** DONE Corne LP                                              :foss:keyboard:
CLOSED: [2022-01-16 Sun 14:48]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_HUGO_BUNDLE: 20220116_corne-lp
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: index
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I fell down the split ergo mechanical keyboard rabbit hole thanks to a dear friend who was kind enough to loan me his [[https://kowodo.github.io/HardwareTools/gergoPlex.html][Gergoplex]] (despite my incessant teasing about his hipster keyboard). The Gergoplex is on the deeper end of the rabbit-hole with only 36 keys and 12g switches but it demonstrated the value to me. I ended up getting a pre-built [[https://github.com/foostan/crkbd][Corne]] and added the lightest switches I could find at the time: [[https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1638][Gateron MX 35g switches]]. I've been pretty happy with the Corne (and it's 3x6 +3 layout) but I very much enjoyed the lower profile and light action of the Gergoplex and wanted to chase it...

So, I got a [[https://boardsource.xyz/store/5f2efc462902de7151495057][Corne LP]] kit but went with an acrylic case (the aluminum case looks really nice but it's quite rich) and got the 25g [[https://boardsource.xyz/store/5fff705f03db380da20f1014][Purpz]] Choc switches.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="20220126_corne-1.jpg" caption="Corne parts" alt="Split ergonomic keyboard parts, pcb, switches, keycaps" showexif="false">}}
#+end_export

It was fun to assemble the kit and the board looks great:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="20220126_corne-2.jpg" caption="Corne with purpz" alt="Split ergonomic keyboard with switches installed but no keycaps" showexif="false">}}
#+end_export

I didn't have any Choc keycaps so I had to wait a bit for the MK Ultra MBK Choc (vendor may be defunct) keycaps. I'm very impressed with the keycaps and the homing keys feel great. I'm a big fan of the look and feel and quite happy with the low profile and light touch which I was looking for.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< exif src="20220126_corne-3.jpg" caption="Fully assembled Corne" alt="Split ergonomic keyboard with black and white keys" showexif="false">}}
#+end_export

The keyboard worked "out of the box" but I was able to flash my custom [[https://qmk.fm/][QMK firmware]] and was able to get up and going with my keymap. Now, maybe I'll look into making the kit [[https://nicekeyboards.com/nice-nano/][wireless]]? It never ends.

** DONE OBS, virtual camera, guix                                 :foss:guix:linux:
CLOSED: [2022-01-11 Tue 16:47]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20220111_obs-virtual-camera-guix
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've used OBS as a virtual camera input for various reasons (to compose scenes, to control field of view, etc.). I was setting it up on my desktop (Pop_Os! 20.04 with Guix as the package manager) today because Microsoft Teams recognizes my El Gato CamLink 4K but won't show any video. Since I had successfully used virtual camera before I tried setting it up, but ran into some issues.

OBS needs the =v4l2loopback= driver in order to enable the virtual camera functionality.
#+begin_src bash
  guix install obs-studio v4l2loopback-linux-module
#+end_src
Installing OBS and the loopback driver worked but even after a restart OBS would not show the virtual camera option. I decided to see if it was a package/path issue and tried using =apt= but even after restart that didn't work, turns out apt's version of OBS is too old.
#+begin_src bash
  apt install -y obs v4l2loopback-dkms
#+end_src
=NOTE= package names are different

Ultimately, I had to get OBS from guix and the loopback from apt. This mismatch makes me uneasy since it goes directly against a declarative config, so I'm documenting the discrepancy for when it bites me in the future.

** DONE Found Nemo!                                          :art:watercolor:
CLOSED: [2022-01-09 Sun 21:05]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20220109_found-nemo
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
First painting with the new paint set. Good paper (140 lbs) and paint make a big difference.
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="../../20220109_foundnemo.jpg" width= "600px" title="Found Nemo in very clear water(color)" alt="Watercolor painting of a clowfish like Nemo on white paper with some grass tufts along the bottom" align="center" >}}
#+end_export


** DONE Water color paint key/legend                         :art:watercolor:
CLOSED: [2022-01-08 Sat 17:48]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20220108_water-color-paint-key-legend
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I got a new water color paint set. Turns out I like painting enough and I was encouraged by a friend with a generous gift of brushes and a marine life water color book. The same friend also clued me in to making a paint key/legend. Well, first I made a poor design decision on how to structure the key and then failed to follow the design (further indicating poor design). I also had to reconcile  my desire for perfection with lack of a ruler, lack of patience, and lack of necessity for the outcome to be perfect. So what I intended to be a relaxing afternoon activity turned out to be a bit frustrating. BUT, I'm glad I persevered and now I have this legend to guide me on what colors to pick when I paint. Now that it's done, it looks pretty to me, not surprising that I also love opera warming up cacophonous sound.

#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="../../20220108_paintkey.jpg" width= "600px" title="Watercolor swatch" alt="4x6 grid of water color swatches with the color drawn across and the name of the color written above in black ink." align="center" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Setting up Protonmail in Emacs :emacs:linux:
CLOSED: [2022-01-08 Sat 12:04]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20220108_setting-up-protonmail-in-emacs
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've used [[https://protonmail.com][Protonmail]] for several years and use the web interface for the most part and used Thunderbird on the desktop to keep offline copies of email. Since Protnmail takes care of the encryption it requires a [[https://protonmail.com/bridge/install][local bridge]] to provide a standard interface like IMAP. Essentially, it is running an IMAP server on the local machine that any compatible client can connect to. Technically, the bridge can be made accessible on a local network so many clients from many machines can connect to it. I might eventually set this up when I have had a chance to get a better handle on vlans and access control.

*** Installing packages
In order to use connect to the local IMAP bridge locally, I will be using =mbsync=. I'm using =guix= for package management, guix (and other package  managers) refer to =mbsync= as =isync=. The =mu= package also includes =mu4e= (at least in version 1.6+ and it's not recommended to mix/match versions).
#+begin_src sh
  guix install isync mu
#+end_src

*** Configuring mbsync
=mbsync= expects a configuration in =~/.mbsyncrc= (does anyone know how to move this to =~/.config=? I'm disheartened by all the home directory clutter). Ideally one would GPG encrypt the password but since Proton Bridge generates it locally and it's is available as clear text to the local machine anyway, I didn't bother. Instead I just put the password from the ProtonBridge application into a text file (ensure no extra characters exist like space or return) and cat that into the ~PassCmd~.
#+begin_src conf
  IMAPAccount proton
  Host 127.0.0.1
  User user@protonmail.com
  PassCmd "cat ~/.protonBridgePass"
  SSLType NONE
  CertificateFile /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt

  IMAPStore proton-remote
  Account proton

  MaildirStore proton-local
  Subfolders Verbatim
  Path ~/mail/proton
  Inbox ~/mail/proton/inbox

  Channel proton
  Far :proton-remote:
  Near :proton-local:
  Patterns *
  Create Both
  SyncState *
#+end_src
Running the sync command gave me an error that sent me on a goose chase:
#+begin_src sh
mbsync -a
#+end_src
=Socket error: secure connect to 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1:1143): error:1408F10B:SSL routines:ssl3_get_record:wrong version number=
The issue was the =SSLType NONE= is the proper config as shown above, I originally had it set to =IMAPS=. Once the sync starts it will take a long time depending upon how many emails you have.

*** Configuring mu4e
Configure the ~mu4e-maildir~ location to wherever you want to store the mail directory (remember mail in this folder is stored in clear-text). The ~mu4e-****-folder~ variables need to include the sub-directory in the relative path, in my case =proton=.

#+begin_src emacs-lisp
  (use-package mu4e
    :straight nil
    :defer 20 ; Wait until 20 seconds after startup
    :config

    (setq mu4e-change-filenames-when-moving t ; avoid sync conflicts
	  mu4e-update-interval (* 10 60) ; check mail 10 minutes
	  mu4e-compose-format-flowed t ; re-flow mail so it's not hard wrapped
	  mu4e-get-mail-command "mbsync -a"
	  mu4e-maildir "~/mail/proton")

    (setq mu4e-drafts-folder "/proton/Drafts"
	  mu4e-sent-folder   "/proton/Sent"
	  mu4e-refile-folder "/proton/All Mail"
	  mu4e-trash-folder  "/proton/Trash")

    (setq mu4e-maildir-shortcuts
	  '(("/proton/inbox"     . ?i)
	    ("/proton/Sent"      . ?s)
	    ("/proton/Trash"     . ?t)
	    ("/proton/Drafts"    . ?d)
	    ("/proton/All Mail"  . ?a)))

    (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
	  auth-sources '("~/.authinfo") ;need to use gpg version but only local smtp stored for now
	  smtpmail-smtp-server "127.0.0.1"
	  smtpmail-smtp-service 1025
	  smtpmail-stream-type  'ssl))
#+end_src

I'm also configuring ~smtpmail~ in the config section of =mu4e= just to keep mail config together, ~smtpmail~ is part of Emacs core. I'm adding SMTP authentication info to the un-encrypted ~.authinfo~ for the same reason as =.mbsyncrc= explanation above.

#+begin_src conf
machine 127.0.0.1 login user@protonmail.com password ProtonBridgeGeneratedPassword port 1025
#+end_src

*** Using org-mode to compose HTML emails
At this stage plain-text email will work just fine, in order to send email with formatting I'm using =org-msg= which lets you compose with org markup and sends it out as HTML (including in-lining images, tables, etc.)
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
  (use-package org-msg
    :straight t
    :after mu4e
    :config
    (setq mail-user-agent 'mu4e-user-agent)
    (require 'org-msg)
    (setq org-msg-options "html-postamble:nil H:5 num:nil ^:{} toc:nil author:nil email:nil \\n:t"
	  org-msg-startup "hidestars indent inlineimages"
	  org-msg-default-alternatives '((new		. (text html))
					 (reply-to-html	. (text html))
					 (reply-to-text	. (text)))
	  org-msg-convert-citation t)
    (org-msg-mode))
#+end_src

*** References
Here are a list of references I used to get everything setup and configured:
- https://systemcrafters.net/emacs-mail/
- [[https://cachestocaches.com/2017/3/complete-guide-email-emacs-using-mu-and/][https://cachestocaches.com/2017/3/complete-guide-email-emacs-using-mu-and/]]
- https://jherrlin.github.io/posts/emacs-mu4e/

** DONE "Inverse literate" config via org-transclusion                :emacs:
CLOSED: [2021-12-30 Thu 17:32]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211230_inverse-literate-config-via-org-transclusion
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I am very intrigued by the whole concept of literate programming. There is a lot of opinions and lots of valid points for and against comments, but ultimately it's always a good idea to understand intent. I wanted to create a literate config but did not want slow down startup with tangling.

I came across an interesting package today called [[https://github.com/nobiot/org-transclusion][org-transclusion]] by @nobiot. The package is very interesting, being able to bring in arbitrary lines of text from multiple documents into a single document (while those documents remain the source of truth) is quite powerful. The package also allows extracting sections based on tags (string match) which makes it a good contender to make an "inverse literate" configuration which I've been curious about ever since David Wilson did a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Vsh4qw-E4][System Crafters live stream]].

So I decided to give it a shot and got started with my custom configuration. I added some text comments to divide the configuration into sections:
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
;directory_begin
(setq user-emacs-directory "~/.emacs/.custom/")
;directory_end
#+end_src

Then I'm able to include it in an org file:
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
This line live in my org file, but the content below lives in my init.el file:
#+transclude: [[./init.el::;directory_begin]] :lines 2- :src emacs-lisp :end "directory_end"
#+end_src
Where =org-transclusion= looks for a file =./init.el= and searching for the begin string ~;directory_begin~ and includes everything until it encounters the end string ~;directory_end~ (both strings are arbitrary, I just picked that convention) but doesn't include the actual line containing "directory_end" as specified by the ~:line 2-~ parameter. All of that would produce:
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
This line live in my org file, but the content below lives in my init.el file:
(setq user-emacs-directory "~/.emacs/.custom/")
#+end_src
And in the future if I added anything in =init.el= between the ~;directory_begin~ and ~;directory_end~ comment lines, then it would get included in the org file.

Here's what all of this looks like [[https://git.sr.ht/~shom/.emacs.custom][in my actual configuration repo]] (I haven't finished writing up all the sections yet, but plan to soon™.

Overall, this has worked pretty well. The file =config.org= in my repo contains the "source" and =org-transclusion= directives and is rendered out to =README.md= (markdown is better supported for auto-rendering by more forges currently). I'll eventually automate this process, likely through a git-hook. However, the rendered output is never guaranteed to include all of my config, just the sections that have been manually commented, =init.el= and includes will remain the source of truth.

** DONE Doom Emacs config (deprecated) :emacs:
CLOSED: [2021-12-01 Wed 21:57]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211201_doom-emacs-config--deprecated
:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :aliases '(20211201_doom-emacs-config-deprecated)
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I was asked about my Doom config by [[https://fosstodon.org/@Runlevelrobot/107374760764898864][someone on fosstodon]] but it's not a clean repo where I'm not confident that I didn't accidentally commit private information in the past, so I wasn't sure how to share. But this is a good time to put a pin in the config and capture a snapshot here, for reference.

This is quite messy and mixes idioms at random as I learned more about configuration. I also used this config to transition over to my custom config so I disabled some Doom functionality as I went down that path, in short, I was using a lot more packages in =init.el= that the current state below.

*** init.el
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
(doom! :input
       ;;chinese
       ;;japanese

       :completion
       company           ; the ultimate code completion backend
       ;;helm              ; the *other* search engine for love and life
       ;;ido               ; the other *other* search engine...
       ;;ivy               ; a search engine for love and life

       :ui
       ;;deft              ; notational velocity for Emacs
       doom              ; what makes DOOM look the way it does
       doom-dashboard    ; a nifty splash screen for Emacs
       doom-quit         ; DOOM quit-message prompts when you quit Emacs
       ;;fill-column       ; a `fill-column' indicator
       hl-todo           ; highlight TODO/FIXME/NOTE/DEPRECATED/HACK/REVIEW
       ;;hydra
       indent-guides     ; highlighted indent columns
       modeline          ; snazzy, Atom-inspired modeline, plus API
       nav-flash         ; blink the current line after jumping
       ;;neotree           ; a project drawer, like NERDTree for vim
       ;;ophints           ; highlight the region an operation acts on
       (popup +defaults)   ; tame sudden yet inevitable temporary windows
       ;;pretty-code       ; ligatures or substitute text with pretty symbols
       ;tabs              ; an tab bar for Emacs
       ;;treemacs          ; a project drawer, like neotree but cooler
       unicode           ; extended unicode support for various languages
       vc-gutter         ; vcs diff in the fringe
       ;;vi-tilde-fringe   ; fringe tildes to mark beyond EOB
       ;;window-select     ; visually switch windows
       ;;workspaces        ; tab emulation, persistence & separate workspaces
       ;;zen               ; distraction-free coding or writing

       :editor
       (evil +everywhere); come to the dark side, we have cookies
       ;file-templates    ; auto-snippets for empty files
       fold              ; (nigh) universal code folding
       ;;(format +onsave)  ; automated prettiness
       ;;god               ; run Emacs commands without modifier keys
       ;;lispy             ; vim for lisp, for people who don't like vim
       ;;multiple-cursors  ; editing in many places at once
       ;;objed             ; text object editing for the innocent
       ;;parinfer          ; turn lisp into python, sort of
       ;;rotate-text       ; cycle region at point between text candidates
       snippets          ; my elves. They type so I don't have to
       ;;word-wrap         ; soft wrapping with language-aware indent

       :emacs
       (dired +icons)    ; making dired pretty [functional]
       electric          ; smarter, keyword-based electric-indent
       ;;ibuffer         ; interactive buffer management
       undo              ; persistent, smarter undo for your inevitable mistakes
       ;;vc              ; version-control and Emacs, sitting in a tree

       :term
       ;;eshell            ; the elisp shell that works everywhere
       ;;shell             ; simple shell REPL for Emacs
       ;;term              ; basic terminal emulator for Emacs
       vterm             ; the best terminal emulation in Emacs

       :checkers
       syntax              ; tasing you for every semicolon you forget
       spell             ; tasing you for misspelling mispelling
       ;;grammar           ; tasing grammar mistake every you make

       :tools
       ;;ansible
       ;;debugger          ; FIXME stepping through code, to help you add bugs
       ;;direnv
       ;;docker
       ;;editorconfig      ; let someone else argue about tabs vs spaces
       ;;ein               ; tame Jupyter notebooks with emacs
       (eval +overlay)     ; run code, run (also, repls)
       ;;gist              ; interacting with github gists
       lookup              ; navigate your code and its documentation
       lsp
       ;;macos             ; MacOS-specific commands
       (magit +forge)      ; a git porcelain for Emacs
       ;;make              ; run make tasks from Emacs
       ;;pass              ; password manager for nerds
       ;;pdf               ; pdf enhancements
       ;;prodigy           ; FIXME managing external services & code builders
       ;;rgb               ; creating color strings
       ;;terraform         ; infrastructure as code
       ;;tmux              ; an API for interacting with tmux
       ;;upload            ; map local to remote projects via ssh/ftp

       :lang
       ;;agda              ; types of types of types of types...
       ;;assembly          ; assembly for fun or debugging
       ;;cc                ; C/C++/Obj-C madness
       ;;clojure           ; java with a lisp
       ;;common-lisp       ; if you've seen one lisp, you've seen them all
       ;;coq               ; proofs-as-programs
       ;;crystal           ; ruby at the speed of c
       ;;csharp            ; unity, .NET, and mono shenanigans
       data              ; config/data formats
       ;;(dart +flutter)   ; paint ui and not much else
       ;;elixir            ; erlang done right
       ;;elm               ; care for a cup of TEA?
       emacs-lisp        ; drown in parentheses
       ;;erlang            ; an elegant language for a more civilized age
       ;;ess               ; emacs speaks statistics
       ;;faust             ; dsp, but you get to keep your soul
       ;;fsharp           ; ML stands for Microsoft's Language
       ;;fstar             ; (dependent) types and (monadic) effects and Z3
       ;;(go +lsp)         ; the hipster dialect
       ;;(haskell +dante)  ; a language that's lazier than I am
       ;;hy                ; readability of scheme w/ speed of python
       ;;idris             ;
       ;;(java +meghanada) ; the poster child for carpal tunnel syndrome
       ;;javascript        ; all(hope(abandon(ye(who(enter(here))))))
       ;;julia             ; a better, faster MATLAB
       ;;kotlin            ; a better, slicker Java(Script)
       ;;latex             ; writing papers in Emacs has never been so fun
       ;;lean
       ;;factor
       ;;ledger            ; an accounting system in Emacs
       ;;lua               ; one-based indices? one-based indices
       markdown          ; writing docs for people to ignore
       ;;nim               ; python + lisp at the speed of c
       ;;nix               ; I hereby declare "nix geht mehr!"
       ;;ocaml             ; an objective camel
       org ;;(org +roam)              ; organize your plain life in plain text
       ;;perl              ; write code no one else can comprehend
       ;;php               ; perl's insecure younger brother
       ;;plantuml          ; diagrams for confusing people more
       ;;purescript        ; javascript, but functional
       ;;python            ; beautiful is better than ugly
       ;;qt                ; the 'cutest' gui framework ever
       ;;racket            ; a DSL for DSLs
       ;;rest              ; Emacs as a REST client
       ;;rst               ; ReST in peace
       ;;(ruby +rails)     ; 1.step {|i| p "Ruby is #{i.even? ? 'love' : 'life'}"}
       rust              ; Fe2O3.unwrap().unwrap().unwrap().unwrap()
       ;;scala             ; java, but good
       ;;scheme            ; a fully conniving family of lisps
       (sh +lsp +fish)     ; she sells {ba,z,fi}sh shells on the C xor
       ;;sml
       ;;solidity          ; do you need a blockchain? No.
       ;;swift             ; who asked for emoji variables?
       ;;terra             ; Earth and Moon in alignment for performance.
       ;;web               ; the tubes

       :email
       ;;(mu4e +gmail)
       ;;notmuch
       ;;(wanderlust +gmail)

       :app
       ;;calendar
       ;;irc               ; how neckbeards socialize
       ;;(rss +org)        ; emacs as an RSS reader
       ;;twitter           ; twitter client https://twitter.com/vnought
       everywhere

       :config
       ;;literate
       (default +bindings +smartparens))
#+end_src

*** packages.el
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
;; Useful for position M-x (execute-extended-command) window on screen
(package! ivy-posframe)

;; Simpleclip allows access to system clipboard in a reasonable manner
(package! simpleclip)

;; Use org-journal with org-roam to follow Roam Research workflow
(package! org-journal)

;; Use org-roam-server to visualize org-roam links
(package! org-roam-server)

;; single dired buffer and icons
(package! all-the-icons-dired)
(package! dired-single)

(package! fish-completion
  :recipe (:host gitlab :repo "ambrevar/emacs-fish-completion"))

(package! emacas-0x0
  :recipe (:host gitlab :repo "willvaughn/emacs-0x0"))

(package! org-present)
(package! org-appear)

(package! ox-gemtext
  :recipe (:host nil :repo "https://codeberg.org/woozong/ox-gemtext"))

(package! gemini-mode)
(package! org-preview-html)

(package! ox-hugo)
(package! yaml-mode)
(package! ox-gemini)

(package! org-books)

(package! deadgrep)

(package! vertico)
(package! orderless)
(package! marginalia)
(package! embark)

(package! ace-window)

(package! org-bars
  :recipe (:host github :repo "tonyaldon/org-bars"))

(package! consult)

(package! vertico-posframe)

#+end_src

*** config.el
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
(setq doom-theme 'doom-one)

(setq doom-font (font-spec :family "JetBrains Mono" :size 14)
      doom-big-font (font-spec :family "JetBrains Mono" :size 32))

(setq display-line-numbers-type t)

;; CUA type customizations and conveniences=====================================
;; Simpleclip to access system clipboard
(require 'simpleclip)
(setq simpleclip-mode 1)

(map! :gin "C-S-x" #'simpleclip-cut ;Was: C-x chord
      :gin "C-S-c" #'simpleclip-copy ;Was: C-x chord
      :gin "C-S-v" #'clipboard-yank ;freezing on Ubuntu: 'simpleclip-paste ;Was: C-x chord
      :gin "C-z" #'undo ; Was: enable Emacs state
      :gin "C-S-z" #'redo ;Was: C-x chor
      ;; :gin "C-<tab>" #'switch-to-next-buffer ;Was: aya-create snippet
      ;; :gin "C-S-<tab>" #'previous-multiframe-window ;Was: C-x chord
      :gin "C-w" #'kill-buffer ;Was: evil-window-map
      :gin "C-a" #'mark-whole-buffer ;Was: doom/backward-to-bol-or-indent
      )

;; Escape smart-parens after done typing inside
(map! :i "M-;" #'sp-up-sexp) ;Was: comment-dwim

;; Save. Was: isearch-forward
(map! "C-s" #'save-buffer)
;; Save as. Was: nil
(map! "C-S-s" #'write-file)

;; Ctrl shift P like sublime for commands
(map! "C-S-p" #'execute-extended-command)

;; Popup which-key fast
(after! which-key
  (setq which-key-idle-delay 0.1))

;; Org mode related=============================================================
(setq org-directory "~/org/")
(setq org-agenda-files '("~/org/todo.org"))

;; Org files that are refile targets
(setq org-refile-targets (quote (("notes.org" :maxlevel . 1)
                                 ("projects.org" :level . 1)
                                 ("doomNotes.org" :level . 1)
                                 )))

;; Allow text selection by holding down shift key
(setq org-support-shift-select t)

;; Mark when task was completed
(setq org-log-done 'time)

;; Toggle narrow/widen subtree. Was: append-next-kill
(map! "C-M-w" #'org-toggle-narrow-to-subtree)

;; Render modified text only not modifier characters
(setq org-pretty-entities-include-sub-superscripts t)

;; Show images in the org buffers
(setq org-startup-with-inline-images t)

;; Org-roam
(setq org-roam-mode 0)
(setq org-roam-directory "~/org/roam/")
(setq org-roam-buffer "Org-roam Sidebar")
(setq org-roam-buffer-width 0.15)
;;(setq org-roam-buffer-no-delete-other-windows t)
(setq org-roam-link-title-format "∞%s")

;; Org-journal roam integration
;; From @ianjones on doom emacs discord: https://www.ianjones.us/blog/2020-05-05-doom-emacs/#fleeting-notes
(use-package org-journal
      :custom
      (org-journal-dir "~/org/roam/journal/")
      (org-journal-date-prefix "#+TITLE: ")
      (org-journal-file-format "%Y-%m-%d.org")
      (org-journal-date-format "%A, %B %d %Y"))
(setq org-journal-enable-agenda-integration t)
(map! "C-c C-5" #'org-journal-search) ;;was overriding org schedule

(setq org-roam-dailies-capture-templates
      '(("d" "daily" plain #'org-roam-capture--get-point ""
         :immediate-finish t
         :file-name "%<journal/%Y-%m-%d>"
         :head "#+TITLE: %<%Y %B %d, %A>\nTAGS: [[file:dailies.org][∞Dailies]]\n\n*")))

(setq org-roam-capture-templates '(
                                   ("d" "default"
                                    plain
                                    #'org-roam-capture--get-point "%?"
                                    :file-name "%<%Y%m%d>-${slug}"
                                    :head "#+TITLE: ${title}\n"
                                    :unnarrowed t)
                                   ("p" "personal"
                                    plain
                                    #'org-roam-capture--get-point "%?"
                                    :file-name "personal/%<%Y%m%d>-${slug}"
                                    :head "#+TITLE: ${title}\n"
                                    :unnarrowed t)))
;; org-roam-server=====================================
(if (eq system-type 'gnu/linux)
    (use-package org-roam-server
      :ensure t
      :config
      (setq org-roam-server-host "127.0.0.1"
            org-roam-server-port 8008
            org-roam-server-authenticate nil
            org-roam-server-export-inline-images t
            org-roam-server-serve-files nil
            org-roam-server-served-file-extensions '("pdf" "mp4" "ogv")
            org-roam-server-network-poll t
            org-roam-server-network-arrows nil
            org-roam-server-network-label-truncate t
            org-roam-server-network-label-truncate-length 60
            org-roam-server-network-label-wrap-length 20))
  )
;; Posframe customization to position popup=====================================
(require 'ivy-posframe)
;; display at `ivy-posframe-style'
(setq ivy-posframe-display-functions-alist
      '((t . ivy-posframe-display)))
(setq ivy-posframe-display-functions-alist
      '((t . ivy-posframe-display-at-frame-center)))
(ivy-posframe-mode t)

;; Use aspell for spell-checking================================================
(setq-default ispell-program-name "aspell")

;; Speed up frame by loading heavy things when daemon starts
(when (daemonp)
  (require 'org)
  (require 'org-roam)
  (require 'ispell)
  (ispell-start-process))

;; dired config from system builder's emacs from scratch #1
(use-package dired
    :ensure nil
    :commands (dired dired-jump)
    :bind (("C-x C-j" . dired-jump))
    :custom ((dired-listing-switches "-agho --group-directories-first"))
    :config
    (evil-collection-define-key 'normal 'dired-mode-map
      "h" 'dired-single-up-directory
      "l" 'dired-single-buffer))

(use-package dired-single
  :ensure t
  :init
  (require 'dired-single))

(use-package all-the-icons-dired
    :hook (dired-mode . all-the-icons-dired-mode))

;; Magit forge configuration==================================================
(setq auth-sources '("~/.authinfo"))

;; eshell configuration ======================================================
(when (and (executable-find "fish")
           (require 'fish-completion nil t))
  (global-fish-completion-mode))

;; vterm configuration========================================================
(use-package vterm
  :commands vterm
  :config
  (setq term-prompt-regexp "^[^#$%>\n]*[#$%>] *")
  (setq vterm-shell "fish")
  (setq vterm-max-scrollback 10000))

;; org-present configuration from https://github.com/daviwil/dotfiles=========
(defun dw/org-present-prepare-slide ()
  (org-overview)
  (org-show-entry)
  ;(org-show-children)
  )

(defun dw/org-present-hook ()
  (setq-local face-remapping-alist '((default (:height 1.5) variable-pitch)
                                     (header-line (:height 4.5) variable-pitch)
                                     (org-document-title (:height 1.75) org-document-title)
                                     (org-code (:height 1.55) org-code)
                                     (org-verbatim (:height 1.55) org-verbatim)
                                     (org-block (:height 1.25) org-block)
                                     (org-block-begin-line (:height 0.7) org-block)))
  (setq header-line-format " ")
  (org-appear-mode -1)
  (org-display-inline-images)
  (display-line-numbers-mode)
  (dw/org-present-prepare-slide))

(defun dw/org-present-quit-hook ()
  (setq-local face-remapping-alist '((default variable-pitch default)))
  (setq header-line-format nil)
  (org-present-small)
  (org-remove-inline-images)
  (org-appear-mode 1)
  (display-line-numbers-mode))

(defun dw/org-present-prev ()
  (interactive)
  (org-present-prev)
  (dw/org-present-prepare-slide))

(defun dw/org-present-next ()
  (interactive)
  (org-present-next)
  (dw/org-present-prepare-slide))

(use-package org-present
  :after simple
  :after org
  :bind (:map org-present-mode-keymap
         ("C-j" . dw/org-present-next)
         ("C-k" . dw/org-present-prev))
  :hook ((org-present-mode . dw/org-present-hook)
         (org-present-mode-quit . dw/org-present-quit-hook)))

;; Gemini=====================================================================
(require 'ox-gemtext)
(add-hook 'find-file-hook
          (lambda ()
            (when (string= (file-name-extension buffer-file-name) "gmi")
              (gemini-mode +1))))
;; ox-hugo====================================================================
(require 'ox-hugo)
(require 'ox-gemini)

;; Org capture template for Hugo posts
;; https://ox-hugo.scripter.co/doc/org-capture-setup/
(with-eval-after-load 'org-capture
  (defun org-hugo-new-subtree-post-capture-template ()
    "Returns `org-capture' template string for new Hugo post.
See `org-capture-templates' for more information."
    (let* ((title (read-from-minibuffer "Post Title: ")) ;Prompt to enter the post title
           (fname (concat (format-time-string "%Y%m%d_") (org-hugo-slug title))))
      (mapconcat #'identity
                 `(
                   ,(concat "\n* DRAFT " title)
                   ":PROPERTIES:"
                   ,(concat ":EXPORT_FILE_NAME: " fname)
                   ":EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:\n:END:"
                   "%?\n")          ;Place the cursor here finally
                 "\n")))

  (add-to-list 'org-capture-templates
               '("h"                ;`org-capture' binding + h
                 "Hugo post"
                 entry
                 ;; It is assumed that below file is present in `org-directory'
                 ;; and that it has a "Blog Ideas" heading. It can even be a
                 ;; symlink pointing to the actual location of all-posts.org!
                 (file+olp "~/dev/shom.dev/content.org" "Content")
                 (function org-hugo-new-subtree-post-capture-template)
                 :prepend t)))

;; Embark config==============================================================
(use-package embark
  :ensure t
  :bind
  (("C-;" . embark-act)
   ("C-M-;" . embark-dwim)
   ("C-h B" . embark-bindings))

  :init
  (setq prefix-help-command #'embark-prefix-help-command))


;; Org-books==================================================================
(setq org-books-file "~/org/roam/personal/books.org")

;; Vertico ===================================================================
;; Enable vertico
(use-package vertico
  :ensure t
  :init
  (vertico-mode)

  ;; Optionally enable cycling for `vertico-next', `vertico-previous',
  ;; `vertico-next-group' and `vertico-previous-group'.
  (setq vertico-cycle t))

;; Optionally use the `orderless' completion style. See
;; `+orderless-dispatch' in the Consult wiki for an advanced Orderless style
;; dispatcher. Additionally enable `partial-completion' for file path
;; expansion. `partial-completion' is important for wildcard support.
;; Multiple files can be opened at once with `find-file' if you enter a
;; wildcard. You may also give the `initials' completion style a try.
(use-package orderless
  :ensure t
  :custom (completion-styles '(orderless)))
(orderless-define-completion-style orderless+initialism
  (orderless-matching-styles '(orderless-initialism
                               orderless-literal
                               orderless-regexp)))
(setq completion-category-overrides
      '((command (styles orderless+initialism))
        (symbol (styles orderless+initialism))
        (variable (styles orderless+initialism))))

;; Persist history over Emacs restarts. Vertico sorts by history position.
(use-package savehist
  :init
  (savehist-mode))

(use-package marginalia
  :after vertico
  :ensure t
  :custom
  (marginalia-annotators '(marginalia-annotators-heavy marginalia-annotators-light nil))
  :init
  (marginalia-mode))

(use-package consult
  :after vertico)
(map! :gin "C-<tab>" #'consult-buffer
      :gin "C-f" #'consult-ripgrep
      :given "C-i" #'consult-imenu)

;; Window and decoration =====================================================
(set-fringe-mode '(15 . 10))

(use-package ace-window
  :ensure t
  :init
  (global-set-key (kbd "M-q") 'ace-window)
  (setq aw-dispatch-always t)
  (custom-set-faces!
    '(aw-leading-char-face
      :foreground "white" :background "red"
      :weight bold :height 2.5 :box (:line-width 10 :color "red"))))


;; Org-bars configuration ====================================================
(use-package org-bars
  :after org
  :ensure t
  :init
 (defun org-no-ellipsis-in-headlines ()
 "Remove use of ellipsis in headlines.
See `buffer-invisibility-spec'."
  (remove-from-invisibility-spec '(outline . t))
  (add-to-invisibility-spec 'outline))
 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook #'org-bars-mode)
 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'org-no-ellipsis-in-headlines))

;; ===========================================================================
(after! tramp
  (setq tramp-inline-compress-start-size 1000)
  (setq tramp-copy-size-limit 10000)
  (setq tramp-verbose 1)
  (setq tramp-default-method "scp")
  (setq tramp-use-ssh-controlmaster-options t)
  (setq tramp-verbose 1))

;; ===========================================================================
(use-package vertico-posframe
  :after vertico
  :ensure t
  :init
  (vertico-posframe-mode 1))

#+end_src

** DONE Highland Chewie                                      :art:watercolor:
CLOSED: [2021-11-29 Mon 22:52]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211129_highland-chewie
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I picked up a water color kit for $2 with a brush and eight colors to try something new. I followed along with a [[https://www.instagram.com/paigepayne_creations/channel/][tutorial]] to paint a highland cow and my painting wasn't that great, but it was fun. Afterwards it felt a little like Chewbacca, so l added a bandolier. Here's +Highland Chewie+ Chewvaca:

#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="../../20211129_HighlandChewie.jpg" width= "800px" title="Highland Chewie loyal ally" alt="Watercolor drawing of a highland coo with characteristic shaggy fur and pointy horns with a bandolier across its body" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Emacs which-key prefix labels :emacs:
CLOSED: [2021-11-22 Mon 00:26]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211122_emacs-which-key-prefix-labels
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've been using =evil-mode= for my Emacs configuration and [[https://github.com/cofi/evil-leader][evil-leader]] makes the key-mapping very straight-forward with the =set-key=. I wanted a few functions to be grouped together. =SPC= is bound as a leader key and there are a few frequent functions bound to single keys, the rest are grouped under other leaders.

However, the secondary leaders show up as =x → +prefix= and it would nice to give the grouping a name. A lot of suggestions make use of the [[https://github.com/noctuid/general.el][General.el]] but at this time I didn't need anything beyond giving the grouping a name. I was not immediately able to find a way to create an empty keymap to put commands under (I did not know that's what I needed to do), like this: ~"e" '("eval" . (keymap))~

#+begin_src emacs-lisp
  (evil-leader/set-key
  "." 'find-file
  "," 'consult-buffer
  "'" 'execute-extended-command

  "e" '("eval" . (keymap))
  "eb" '("buffer" . eval-buffer)
  "er" '("region" . eval-region)

  "g" '("magit" . (keymap))
  "gc" '("commit" . magit-commit)
  "gf" '("fetch" . magit-fetch)
  "gg" '("status" . magit-status)

  "q" '("quit" . (keymap))
  "qb" '("buffer" . kill-this-buffer)
  "qq" '("save&quit" . save-buffers-kill-terminal)

  "h" '("help" . (keymap))
  "hf" '("function" . describe-function)
  "hk" '("key" . describe-key)
  "hv" '("variable" . describe-variable)

  "w" '("window" . (keymap))
  "wd" '("delete" . delete-window)
  "wo" '("delete other" . delete-other-windows)
  "ww" '("ace-window" . aw-show-dispatch-help))
#+end_src

** DONE Emacs custom configuration :emacs:
CLOSED: [2021-11-21 Sun 17:35]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211121_emacs-custom-configuration
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:

I crafted a custom configuration for Emacs and have been using it for the past few weeks. This is something I didn't really see myself doing when I started using Emacs, it seemed "very advanced". This was my journey from a noob to a different kind of noob!

*** Doom
I started my Emacs journey with [[https://github.com/hlissner/doom-emacs/][Doom]] and was learning things along the way. This was a great way to get started by borrowing configuration snippets and blindly copying and pasting, which got me up and running quickly. I did find the vastness of Doom intimidating and knew that I wasn't using all the functionality and wasn't really discovering it given the jam packed key-maps.
*** Vanilla Chocolate Swirl
Around the time when I was understanding how to copy paste configs more, there was some community discussion around making Emacs more inviting to new users. As a new user, I felt qualified to collect my thoughts. In an attempt to help new user on-boarding, I even created a [[https://github.com/shombando/EmacsVanillaChocolateSwirl][literate config]] that others found useful enough to contribute to. I understood things a lot better through that exercise and felt comfortable enough to try packages by myself.
*** Back to Doom
Actually, I never left Doom while doing the above exercise. I did not want to invest the time necessary to learn to make my own config. Also, having all the keybindings already setup and showing up nicely in ~which-key~ was great. This is also before =native-comp= was merged into Emacs 28 master branch so I was having issues with compatibility. The final push was that using Doom with all its modules was not performant on a Windows machine that I don't manage but have to use.
*** Custom Config
[[../20211201_doom-emacs-config-deprecated][During this time]], I kept disabling more and more Doom modules and replacing some of them with other options. There seems to be a lot of excitement about light-weight packages like =vertico=, =consult=, etc. that are more single task focused which I started integrating. I started using =orderless=, =embark= and =ace-window= as well and with those, I felt I had enough to use a custom config and be productive. I'm using [[https://github.com/plexus/chemacs2][Chemacs2]] to have both my Doom config and my [[https://git.sr.ht/~shom/.emacs.custom][custom config]] installed but have been exclusively using the config.

I'll make a few short posts with some of the things I learned in this process with some code snippets as examples.

** DONE Sony A7c initial customization :camera:
CLOSED: [2021-10-27 Wed 00:52]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211026_sony-a7c-initial-customization
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I have been using the Sony A7ii for a long while. It was my first full-frame and mirrorless camera. The A7ii is a great camera and in a lot of ways I have been very spoiled by it. However, when the A7iii came out with fairly significant improvements I resisted the urge to upgrade and decided to wait for the A7iv.

The A7iv was released last week and in many regards is a "perfect" camera. It has made a lot of improvements in an already excellent line-up and is perhaps justifiably is also priced 25% more than it's predecessor. However, most of the advancements were made in the video department (save for the new 33MP sensor) and that is not the feature set I use. Also, given the shortage of electronic parts it is unclear when pre-orders would get into the hands of users. Ultimately, after waiting for an agonizing 3.5 years after the release of the A7iii, I decided not to buy the A7iv.

Instead, I opted for the A7c which was released in 2020 and is essentially an A7iii in a smaller body. It loses the dual SD cards, 2 custom buttons, and a joystick but gains a fully articulating LCD monitor, compactness, and a range-finder look and feel. I decided to get it with the compact (but quite excellent) 28-60 f/4-5.6 kit lens and make this is my "only" camera for both landscape and underwater photography (with a Seafrog case I intend to get).

All of this preface to get to my main point. I have customized a lot of functions of the A7ii that I no longer remember the "how" or the "why" behind those changes. Here are the main changes I made and replicated on the A7c before the first shoot.

Image from first shoot:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="../../Shom_20211026_McDonaldLake_00015.jpg" width= "800px" title="Lake McDonald" alt="A serene still lake photo with glacial rocks in the foreground and mountains with snowy peaks in the background with sunset hue cloud cover." align="center" >}}
#+end_export


*** Back-button auto-focus
Decoupling auto-focus from the shutter action allows me to focus on a subject and wait for the right moment to click the shutter without worrying about refocusing/losing focus. This is accomplished in two pieces, first the shutter and auto-focus is decoupled and then the auto-focus function is then remapped to a button on the back of the camera.
**** Decouple auto-focus from shutter
The current Sony terminology for decoupling auto-focus from shutter is =AF w/ shutter=. In the A7C it is found in ~Menu - Camera 1 - AF2~ (Page 5).

It is also a good idea to turn off =Pre-AF Off= which moves the focus point based on the scene changes even before auto-focus is actuated (to improve speed).

~NOTE:~ Shutter half-press is not customizable on the A7c (unlike A7ii)
**** Remap auto-focus to another button
I'm choosing to use the default =AF-On= button on the back of the camera for now. But it can be customized to any of the other buttons in ~Menu - Camera 2 - Custom Operation1 - Custom Key~ (Page 9).
*** DRO/Auto HDR
The LCD panel on the camera shows the JPEG preview of the image regardless of whether you're shooting RAW. The Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO) boosts the shadows and that's what shows up in the LCD, which in turn means that the RAW is underexposed. The =DRO/Auto HDR= setting can be turned off in ~Menu - Camera 1 - Color/WB/Img.Processing1~ (Page 11).

This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Z7l1-h71E][video from Nick Page]] describes the issue and suggests this fix.
*** Long Exposure NR
By default the camera attempts to do Noise Reduction (NR) when doing long-exposure. While this does create a lower noise image it comes at the expense of "timing out" for the same length of time the original exposure was. This makes sense since the camera takes a "dark" image with the shutter closed as a noise reference and subtracts it from the original exposure to remove that noise. However, this is a major hindrance for doing multiple longer exposure shots especially as the light is fading. Turning the  =Long Exposure NR= feature off is necessary for those scenarios. The option is found in ~Menu - Camera 1 - Quality/Image Size2~ (Page 2).

~NOTE:~ There's a related setting for =High ISO NR=.

~NOTE:~ If attempting proper astrophotography then multiple dark frames are needed anyway for proper post processing.I'll

These are the main features that would have "bit" me if I didn't change them before trying to use the camera. If there are others, I will note them here after they bite me.

** DONE org-bars view for outlining/folding :emacs:
CLOSED: [2021-10-23 Sat 23:37]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211023_org-bars-view-for-outlining-folding
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I came across this new [[https://github.com/tonyaldon/org-bars][org-bars]] package that shows folding indicators and lines to indicate the groupings. In a forum discussion I also discovered that there's another package [[https://github.com/legalnonsense/org-visual-outline][org-visual-outline]] but it actually requires configuring two packages so I didn't try it.

However, based on the discussion in the comments it seems that ~org-bars~ supports narrowing of the buffer (and it works great) which visual-outline does not. I discovered a visual bug and filed a [[https://github.com/tonyaldon/org-bars/issues/2][report]], so hopefully it's an easy fix but it's not a breaking issue.

Here's the configuration I'm using based on the recommendations in the documentation.
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
;; Org-bars configuration ====================================================
(use-package org-bars
  :after org
  :ensure t
  :custom
 (defun org-no-ellipsis-in-headlines ()
 "Remove use of ellipsis in headlines.
See `buffer-invisibility-spec'."
  (remove-from-invisibility-spec '(outline . t))
  (add-to-invisibility-spec 'outline))
 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook #'org-bars-mode)
 (add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'org-no-ellipsis-in-headlines))
#+end_src

Here's a screenshot of my Hugo content buffer showing ~org-bars~:
#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="../../20211023_org-bars.png" width= "800px" title="Org-bars screeshot" alt="Screenshot of this post inside an Emacs buffers with org-bars drawing vertical lines between each hierarchical node" align="center" >}}
#+end_export

** DONE Wine and CrossOver to use Lightroom on Linux :foss:linux:
CLOSED: [2021-10-16 Sat 00:07]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211016_wine-and-crossover-lightroom
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
=2026 Update:=
This continues to be one of the most visited posts on my site, mostly by bots but here's an update for humans. I have been using Darktable full time for over 5 years now, I do not miss Lightroom. I think these [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiWBZ3FOMo8&list=PLtEQQgn1V_PcrulNvoon21Pf8AuUVf5HL][Darktable tutorials]] are the best way to get started and using Filmic and RGB primaries are really the only two modules you need. Happy to chat about it more, come find me on the [[https://gts.shom.dev][Fediverse/Mastodon]].

---

I have been using [[https://www.darktable.org/][Darktable]] and transitioning away from Adobe's Lightroom. However, I have almost a decade of edits and experience with Lightroom so doing a cold-turkey switch is proving to be challenging. So I decided to investigate if I could "natively" run Lightroom (without a VM) so I decided to give =wine= a try.

I use =guix= as a package manager on Pop!_OS and guix has =wine= but it did a while to build and install. I needed to download a Lightroom Classic executable but like a lot of software it's an installer that does the downloading and installing. However, Adobe won't allow you to download a Windows installer on Linux, so I had to use [[https://gitlab.com/ntninja/user-agent-switcher][User-Agent Switcher]] on Firefox to Windows to even get the installer... this is part of the frustration of software you lease.

=wine= will ask to install mono installer, which is does by itself and then the same thing with Gecko installer. Overall a pretty smooth process but the Adobe installer failed miserably with a less than helpful error.
#+begin_src shell
Crash Annotation GraphicsCriticalError: |[0][GFX1]: Potential driver version mismatch ignored due to missing DLLs 0.0.0.0 and 0.0.0.0 (t=18.9854
) [GFX1]: Potential driver version mismatch ignored due to missing DLLs 0.0.0.0 and 0.0.0.0
#+end_src

At this point I didn't have high hopes for avoiding the Windows VM route but  wanted to give a quick try to [[https://www.codeweavers.com/crossover][CrossOver]]. I tried one of their supported applications (Notepad++) and that worked great. They also support "unlisted application" but pointing the Adobe installer led to a lot of nothing, the logs were not very helpful either. At this point I decided to abandon this path and go the VM route to make progress on my actual photo editing goals. However, Steam's [[https://protonge.com/][Proton]](updated to link to Proton-GE) could be a option to investigate in the future. Are there any other good solutions?

** DONE Fully automated deployment :emacs:foss:
CLOSED: [2021-10-05 Tue 05:53]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20211005_fully-automated-deployment
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Up until the last commit, the site was being written in Org Mode, exported using ox-hugo, and Hugo was invoked manually to generate the html all locally. The generated =public= folder was what was being pushed to SourceHut for the deployment. This will be first post which will only commit the actual content in org format only and the full CI/CD will happen on SourceHut.

*** Using org-publish
I'll be following along with the System Crafters' [[https://systemcrafters.net/publishing-websites-with-org-mode/][Publishing Website with Org Mode]] to take full advantage of ~org-publish~ and configure multiple outputs (WWW and Gemini). As of the now the following configuration is invoking the correct export function through org-publish but ox-hugo isn't finding the Hugo sub-trees.
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
(message "\n==== Exporting Hugo markdown ====")
(setq org-publish-project-alist
      (list
       (list "org-site:main"
             :recursive nil
             :base-directory "./"
             :publishing-function '(org-hugo-export-wim-to-md :all-subtrees nil :visible-only nil)
             :publishing-directory "./public"
             ;; :with-author nil           ;; Don't include author name
             ;; :with-creator t            ;; Include Emacs and Org versions in footer
             ;; :with-toc t                ;; Include a table of contents
             ;; :section-numbers nil       ;; Don't include section numbers
             :time-stamp-file nil)))    ;; Don't include time stamp in file

;; Generate the site output
(org-publish-all t)

(message "\n==== Export complete ====")
#+end_src

=RESULTS=
#+begin_src bash
Publishing file /home/shom/dev/shom.dev/content.org using `org-hugo-export-wim-to-md'
[ox-hugo] No valid Hugo post subtrees were found
#+end_src

*** Using hugo-export directly
In order to check sanity and solve the issue, I exported directly with ~org-hugo-export-wim-to-md~ which is straightforward since I've opted for a single org-content file and it worked as expected. So this is the configuration that is currently building the site:
#+begin_src emacs-lisp
(message "\n==== Exporting Hugo markdown ====")
(with-current-buffer (find-file "./content.org")
  (org-hugo-export-wim-to-md :all-subtrees nil :visible-only nil))

(message "\n==== Export complete ====")
#+end_src

I would like to get the ~org-publish~ route sorted out so I can publish to the Hugo site and the Gemini capsule with a single commit.

** DONE Static-site :emacs:gemini:
CLOSED: [2021-09-10 Fri 20:29]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20210910_static-site
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
=This entry and all previous ones are taken verbatim from the gemini capsule.=
*** Establishing a web presence
The gemini capsule has been an interesting experiment. In order to be the change I want to see, I will be creating a personal website/blog and the articles will appear both as html and gemtext. All entries prior to this have been made with Android+Termux+emacs. Going forward, the entries won't strictly be made from Termux.

*** Static site using org-mode
Org-mode has good html export capabilities and using it with SimpleCss [1] provides a pretty decent standalone webpage. However, creating a site that will auto-generate navigation and headers/footers is a bit more involved.

*** Hugo / Ox-gemtext
One option is to write the content in org format, use ox-hugo [2] for content export to enable Hugo for the site generation and use a gemtext exporter for gemini. ox-gemtext [3] does not handle gemtext markup for links properly and the generated TOC and section choices are not quite to my liking. Might need to investigate another option. Better to get started than find a perfect solution.

[1] https://simplecss.org
[2] https://ox-hugo.scripter.co
[3] https://codeberg.org/woozong/ox-gemtext

** DONE Framework :framework:
CLOSED: [2021-09-01 Wed 19:25]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20210901_framework-first-impressions
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I've decided to cross post any of my content type toots from Mastodon (Fosstodon instance) here. I'm not sure if there's a good way to "tag" something aside from filenames so I can generate a toot vs post section? I'll include that info in the filename and I can investigate automation later.

*** First impression
I just received my frame.work (i5) DIY edition laptop. I haven't installed the RAM and NVMe yet (they need to come out from another machine first) but I'm pretty impressed with the build quality so far. The laptop feels solid and the expansion cards fit flush and tight. I'm excited about the 3:2 display, #modular design, and user #replaceable everything.
If folks are interested I can share my experience as I get it up and running.
 #framework
[[https://fosstodon.org/@shom/106849498535302510][🦣 fosstodon toot]]

*** Quick review
Since there was a decent bit of interest, here's a #framework #laptop update.

**** 1/X:
I opened up the case with the provided multi-tool (T6/phillips reversible bit with a spudger at the other end). The screws on the case are captive, which is great no worries about losing one. 1 of the 5 screws wasn't perfectly aligned but posed no issues, build is solid. The spudger allows the keyboard to be lifted (top view under keyboard shown). The QR codes link to documentation (which has a lot of photos).
**** 2/X:
The top plate is secured in place with magnets (gluing isn't the answer!) and feels very secure and still easy to remove with spudger. Only a single ribbon cable connects the top to the main board and it has plenty of play so working with it was comfortable and easy to detach and reattach.
Installing the components, RAM (which I had) and wifi-card (which I bought from frame.work) was very easy. I'd even say easier than desktop since everything is open and flat. I'll install the NVMe later.
**** 3/X:
They supplied an advisory to put some insulating tape under the touchpad cable to prevent a potential short (similar issue to pre-2012 Macbook SATA cable, could potentially rub over time and short). I appreciated the note and put down some electrical tape, photo attached, it was #righttorepair working in the manufacturer favor. The advisory sheet also had a couple stickers on it, which was cool.
All other hardware looks good and fits well. I'm not a huge fan of the keyboard, a bit mushy.
**** 4/4:
I have it configured with 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB-A, and 1 microSD card reader. Booting up went fine, I installed #pop_os from flash drive to microSD v90, suprisingly fast.
The BIOS (needed to disable secure boot) splash screen doesn't show FN key legend for boot device (F12) / BIOS (? I mashed a lot of FN keys), so that would be a nice touch to add.
Having WiFi issues, will investigate later. But everything else feels snappy and display looks good (3:2 ratio!!).
Happy to answer questions!

[[https://fosstodon.org/@shom/106854632055933583][🦣 fosstodon toot]]

** DONE Video Editing :foss:
CLOSED: [2021-08-08 Sun 16:00]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20210808_video-editing
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
I'm not a video person, I've made an occasional slideshow but even that has been over a decade ago. Recently, I needed to edit a video of an event and splice in the live recording with some pre-recorded segments and stitch it all together with some simple transitions. I didn't know what the "standard" FOSS offering was when it came to video editing. For photography I would go to Dark Table, GIMP for images, but what for video? I knew that Blender was an option but I wanted something with less steep of a learning curve even if that meant it was less featured. Luckily, there are several articles listing and comparing options, Shotcut and KDEnlive seemed to be the two worth investigating.

*** Shotcut
I started with Shotcut because it seemed like the lighther of the two packages. There were ample and good tutorials on YouTube that weren't too out of date, which got me up and running fairly quickly. Though I'm not a video person, I'm familiar with multi track editing and transforms, I just needed to know where the tools were and what they were called.

The interface was fairly intuitive after watching a short tutorial to get familiarized. It did slow down, choke, and crash a few times when working with my 3.5 hour long source video. The timeline zooming in and out (to make precise cuts) were a bit painful until I could cut everything into clips. I quickly learned their keyframe driven actions and also learned how to make a picture-in-picture transform. With all manipulations being filters, configuring transitions was also pretty easy.

However, the problem was stability. It crashed a few more times and then wouldn't preview the transitions at all unless I removed them and re-did them. Finally, it had lots of issues exporting (a big one was it having path issues that likely was more of a guix package manager complication).

*** KDEnlive
I turned to KDEnlive after it was recommended by the System Crafters community [1]. The workflow was very familiar between the two programs. Both of them support rearranging panels to customize the UI, that also helped in coming up to speed. The filters/transforms work a bit differently but there are again plenty of YouTube tutorials. KDEnlive has a lot more functionality it seems but it doesn't force you to use any of it to accomplish your task. It was also noticeably more stable (no crashes even with a 2.25 hour video render) and snappy (the timeline editing and zooming was never laggy or froze up the UI).

All in all, I would say both are good but I personally had a better experience with KDEnlive, even though I much preferred the key framing UI of Shotcut. The stability issues of Shotcut could very well be specific to my machine and environment, so I'm not writing it off and might revisit it. KDEnlive produced a quality video where the editing seems passably professional, which is a testament to the tool and not my skill. It's amazing to have such high quality FOSS software, thank you devs!


[1] [[https://systemcrafters.net/community/][https://systemcrafters.net/community/]]

** DONE Termux + Emacs :emacs:
CLOSED: [2021-08-07 Sat 15:59]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20210807_termux-emacs
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
One of the biggest advantages of Android is that it runs on Linux and Termux [1] is a very capable terminal emulator. Until pine phone (which I own for playing around on) type devices reach daily driver maturity (to use with job related corporate apps etc.) Termux is my only realistic option to run Linux terminal apps on the phone.

This is where being able to use Emacs as a TUI application on Termux is great. I actually run a slightly tweaked version of my desktop config which relies of doom-emacs [1]. I don't do anything complex but the editing experience is as comfortable as most other phone app. The editing experience is helped by evil bindings which are more key-sequence driven rather than key-combo driven. Although modifier keys are supported by Termux and a two row soft keyboard is fully customizable, evil bindings are easier. My config for the softkeys is shown here:

#+begin_src
extra-keys = [ \
    ['ESC','|','/','HOME','UP','END','~','DEL'], \
    ['TAB','CTRL','ALT','LEFT','DOWN','RIGHT',':','<'] \
]
#+end_src

Also swiping over the soft keyboard reveals a text entry field which is a standard Android text field so text auto correct, gesture typing, and other keyboard features work as expected and is a lot more convenient for typing.

In fact this whole gemini capsule and all entries (so far) were created using Termux + Emacs including setting up the CI/CD for sr.ht.

While I use this setup for capturing notes in org mode, for tasks management I use Orgzly. That's another topic but in an even smaller nutshell, the biggest benefit is system notifications.

[1] https://termux.com
[2] https://github.com/hlissner/doom-emacs.

** DONE Latte Art :coffee:
CLOSED: [2021-08-02 Mon 19:11]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20210802_latte-art
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
Getting into home espresso has been fun, it's a rabbit hole like most fun things. And with rabbit holes it's best to decide how far you're willing to fall in before really starting down that hole. For me, it was an used Rancilio Silvia modded with a temperature PID controller and a refurbished Baratza Vario. At this level it's definitely possible to get good espresso and latte art if one tries, gets lucky, and practices... it's a good balance. Making one or maximum of two drinks most days is nearly not enough practice especially considering missed practice due to travel. But today was a lucky day, I got the best pour I've managed and it's exciting to see what's possible at the lower/est end of prosumer equipment.
#+ATTR_ORG: :width 1200

#+begin_export hugo
{{< figure src="../../20210802_LatteArt.jpg" width= "800px" title="Latte Art" alt="A cup of latte with layered heart design sitting on a figured walnut table top" align="center" >}}
#+end_export


** DONE Gemini Capsule :gemini:
CLOSED: [2021-08-02 Mon 19:00]
:PROPERTIES:
:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: 20210802_gemini-capsule
:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU:
:END:
With a certain nostalgia for the early web ever present, a Gemini site (gemite? edit: I've learned it's called a capsule 💊🚀) is a good spiritual successor. Albeit much fewer under construction gifs and red text on black background...

=gemini://gem.shom.dev=