I hit a classic “it must be Docker” moment. This post documents what was actually happening and the minimal, correct fix. The setup Symptom, “Local open, remote timeout” On the server: Everything looked correct: Docker was listening on 0.0.0.0:22222, and localhost could connect. But from outside, connections to port 22222 timed out. First principle, don’t… Continue reading
Production has a very specific kind of silence. It’s not the calm silence of a system that’s healthy. It’s the suspicious silence of a system that hasn’t complained yet. Nginx still serves pages. Your API still returns 200. The business dashboard looks green enough to lull everyone into optimism. But you can feel it, response… Continue reading
There are many ways to configure a firewall in Linux. Some people prefer ufw, others go straight to iptables or nftables. But in between those layers of complexity, there’s a small, quiet tool that often goes unnoticed: Ferm, For Easy Rule Making. The name says it all. I like Ferm because it doesn’t try to… Continue reading
Fail2ban monitors your service logs for repeated failures and blocks offending IPs using your firewall. This guide explains the concept and gives copy paste jails for SSH on 22, HTTP on 80 or 443, and MySQL or MariaDB on 3306. How Fail2ban works Key terms: Install Fail2ban Install rsyslog Fail2ban only works if it can… Continue reading
When working with Node.js, managing different versions efficiently is essential. Whether you’re running apps on servers or juggling multiple projects locally, a version manager simplifies your workflow. Two of the most popular tools for this job are n and nvm. Each has its strengths, and choosing the right one depends on your environment and use… Continue reading
When it comes to safeguarding your data, simplicity and reliability go a long way. In this post, we’ll walk through how you can set up automatic, secure backups from a Debian 12 server to Wasabi cloud storage using Restic, a powerful yet minimalistic tool. Getting Started: What You Need Before diving in, make sure you… Continue reading
If you’re used to working with Nginx on Debian 12, you’ve likely mastered the sites-available and sites-enabled directory structure to manage virtual hosts. Interestingly, Apache2 adopts the same concept , just with a few differences in how things are enabled and maintained. This article walks through setting up Apache2 and draws parallels to the Nginx… Continue reading
Sometimes you need a dedicated Linux user account—just for SSH tunneling. No password logins, no full shell access, just a secure way to access internal services like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or even web dashboards via SSH key authentication. In this article, we’ll walk through setting up a user called userexample on Debian 12, which can be… Continue reading
When setting up Debian 12 on Hyper-V, one common issue is that the static IP reverts to dynamic after a reboot. Despite configuring a static IP, the system continues to obtain a dynamic address via DHCP. After extensive troubleshooting, I found the solution to ensure Debian 12 retains its static IP permanently. Why Does the… Continue reading
With the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you can enjoy the power of Linux on your Windows 11 system. This guide will walk you through setting up WSL, running Debian 12, exporting it from a desktop computer, and importing it to a laptop with a custom name as the second Debian 12 instance. 1. Setting… Continue reading