Nextcloud Server Snafu

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My Nextcloud Server DiedI’m clearly still in the learning stages of my Linux journey.  And perhaps I jumped the gun when I put all my private files on my own Nextcloud server that I constructed with a Mini PC.  It worked so perfectly until I decided to change up my backup solution 😳

Normally I let my sync work as a sync should.  However, rather than downloading backups from my cloud, I backup the primary PC instead.  I have done this for years without issue.  If the backup fails, I have the cloud to rescue me.

This time I decided to place an automated backup on my cloud and perhaps my primary computer as well.

That didn’t go to plan…  At all 😱

The server stopped responding.  Afterward it wouldn’t even boot into the Ubuntu Server OS.  I am sure I could’ve fixed it with a ton of research and tried to restore everything.  But I looked at it as an opportunity to fix things I messed up on the first time around.  While it worked perfectly, it had things installed that didn’t need to be and perhaps could’ve opened up doors to nefarious intents of others.  So I will rebuild from fresh.

See, I started doing the backup when the backup got hung up on files being actively used.  I didn’t research anything like if Linux uses something similar to shadow copies or LVM would have been helpful.  I didn’t even think of it.  Just tried to backup a large set of files that were actively being used.  Not smart.

I am thankful I may have lost a password or two, but no files.  Nothing that can’t be recovered.  But I’m going to have to rebuild my Nextcloud server.

Though I think I will enable LVM on the next build.  I will go back to backing up the primary PC monthly like I’ve been doing for years.

I sometimes forget that, “If it ain’t broke.  Don’t fix it.”.  🤷‍♂️

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Bored With WoW Already

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Bored With WoW AlreadyNot that long ago I installed World of Warcraft on my computer.  Just to show it runs like a dream on Linux as I streamed on Twitch.  After the show, I found myself falling into my old habits of hunting for achievements and mounts.  On chance I got the Solar Spirehawk flying mount from Rukhmar in Spires of Arak.

Anyone who knows me I love flying mounts.  I get to explore the world and find things I never saw while on the ground.

But that is all short lived.  The reason I left WoW 3 years ago have recently become apparent.  For many reasons.  Blizzard really loves to make it hard to love WoW.  I’ve spent years.  Literal years.  Grinding the same raids, dungeons and world bosses over and over trying to drop rare mounts.  Mainly flying mounts.  I have over 300 mounts.  Half of which fly.  I love to fly.

But Blizzard decided once they allowed flying to make it hard to get.  I was OK when they required max level and wanted a large sum of in-game gold for the privilege.  Then the pathfinder achievement requirement happened.  Now you must grind achievements just to pay for the privilege to fly.  I relented to that.  Now they release Dragonflight.  So…  Now you have to use special mounts and play like a mini-game to get around in this new expansion.  Making all the mounts I collected completely useless.  And some idiotic new race of dragon-human abomination.  Turns out Lizard People (Dracthyr) are something people want.  No thanks.  I’ll keep my Argonians.  So since I hate the new expansion, I’m back to grinding Ice Crown.  Again.  Bored out of my mind.

Now I remember why I walked away.  Old WoW is fun to visit.  But staying is out of the damned question.  Long live The Elder Scrolls Online!

p.s.  Fuck Pandas!

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My Own Nextcloud Server

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NextcloudFor the past few years I’ve been a huge fan of Dropbox.  I used it to backup and sync my computers and iPhone.  A bit over a year ago, I stopped using a password manager in Brave and opted to use Dropbox for that too.

Though as you know, I like my privacy.  I have encryption, VPN and other securities to keep my life as private as I choose.  I just never could get around the fact that anything I have on the cloud could be captured or misused by the companies I do business with.  Hence I don’t use anything Google at all.  They have openly admitted to reading emails to better target ads to users.  I’ve hosted my own email for years.  I now use Linux instead of Windows or Mac.  I use an iPhone rather than an Android and I have encryption and more on each.

But all my personal files are in the cloud.  And I pay for that privilege.  Or am I paying to have someone else to have access to my files?  In today’s fucked up world, I’m skeptical that my privacy is just an illusion.

With that in mind, I built my own Nextcloud server.  Fool proof?  Probably not.  But I have control.  I can watch if someone else is trying to peek now.  Or if anything is calling home.

Nextcloud is opensource and works damn near identical to Dropbox.  It even has it’s own password manager feature.  Now I can keep all my passwords and personal files at home.  Still perfectly sync’d across all my devices and accessible.  Encrypted on all ends so no one sees my data but me.  Well, more assuredly that if I had them in the cloud.  I will have to move my servers to a different building once I get my own house.  So if the house burns down I won’t lose everything.  Plus I keep a flash drive on me with the most important files if that scenario does happen.  Plus in two years, my not paying Dropbox will have paid for my new server.

I bought a high performance mini PC from Ace Magician, upgraded it’s storage to 2tb and installed Ubuntu Server.  Cheap keyboard and mouse and it’s headless.  Took a few weeks to get things tweaked as this is my first Linux Server.  It’s looking good though.

I highly recommend this if you want the same things in life I do.  What’s mine is mine.  Sharing isn’t always caring.  It’s getting big tech paid using your personal info.  I’m not down with that.  Especially if they get rich and I get nothing.  Plus, the more you know about someone, the more control you can have over them.  I control what I share and what others see.

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Done Streaming

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Done StreamingI tried it, it was OK.  But since the summer slam at work, I just don’t have the desire to return to streaming games on Twitch.  Never was one to watch others play games.  I preferred to play them myself and learn as I go.

I’m always told I’m very funny and should do stand-up comedy.  Maybe they are right, but I know I do my best work when I am able to bounce off someone else or use a situation that has presented itself.  Which is why my coworkers and customers love me.  However by myself, I’m not super funny.  I don’t plan my material in general.  Instead, I’m quick on the draw.  So I won’t be returning to stream.

I certainly don’t have the genetics to just look good enough to have people throw money at me while I really don’t do anything of substance.  And let’s face it, I wouldn’t look good in skimpy outfits 😘

So no more streaming.  At least not by myself.  I have the equipment.  I have the know-how.  So I’ll be open to being a guest on someone else’s stream.  Or joining someone else and starting a stream that way.  I do like helping, spreading the word and playing games.  Especially if I can help others to give my world a try.  (Linux, ESO, WoW, etc…)

My profile will remain present on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/theodas

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Second Official Raid

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Illidan Stormrage

Illidan Stormrage

Fourteen years…  That’s how long I’ve had my World of Warcraft account.  One year on the UK servers, until my friends moved on with real life.  Then I moved to the US servers.  There were also a few breaks in between.  Such as my 3 year break until a few months ago.  In that whole time I’ve only tried to join a full on 4 times.

Once for Ice Crown (which I grind every week still trying to get Invincible’s Reins) when it was hard to do.  But we didn’t have time to finish it.  I never made it back to the second half.

Once for a special 10th Anniversary Molten Core to get the Core Hound Mount.  Which I managed to complete after several frustrating hours with a PUG (Pickup Group).

Once for Black Temple a few years ago, but was quickly disbanded because elite gamers treat games like a job and hate under performers.  (wish my employers would disband some of my coworkers for not working that hard)

Finally on August 16, 2023 I got to do the Timewalking version of Black Temple.  On the first try I got a better than decent group of good people.  Which in turn I got the achievement of I’ll Hold These For You Until You Get Out for the Warglaives of Azzinoth I dropped on my Demon Hunter years ago.

If you are unfamiliar of what those are, they are the weapons you see Illidan holding in the picture above.

Now if only I could drop that damned mount from ICC.  It’s so boring running that thing 10 times a week on all my toons.  (once per toon of course)

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