Add storage upgrade post

Dockerfile

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM alpine as builder
+FROM alpine AS builder
 
 COPY ./website /home/website
 

website/config.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ title = "mr-vercetti"
 description = "mr.vercetti.cc - sup homie?"
 
 default_language = "en"
-generate_feed = true
+generate_feeds = true
 minify_html = true
 
 [markdown]

website/content/_index.md

@@ -6,41 +6,36 @@ template = "section.html"
 
 ## Hey there!
 
-I'm `mr-vercetti`, a regular nerdy guy from Europe. I created this website to be able
+I'm `mr-vercetti`, a regular nerdy guy from Poland. I created this website to be able
 to share my hobbies with others and not use bloated centralised social media platforms.
 I can do whatever I want here, without ads and other crap.
 
 This is my place in the World Wide Web. It's a very nice feeling to have
 one.
 
-## All right, but what will be posted here?
+## What will be posted here?
 
-I intend to write something from time to time about what turns me on, which is:
+I intend to write something from time to time about my interests, which are:
+- Computers, self-hosting, software
+- Internet culture
+- PC games
+- Movies
+- Film  photography
+- Music, audio setups, vinyl
+- Literature
 
-- Self-hosting
-- Tinkering with computers
-- Old PC hardware
-- My job
-- Playing classic video games
-- Watching classic movies and shows
-- Film and digital photography
-- Art in any other form (fashion, architecture, music, literature)
-- Weird stuff from the Internet
+## More about me
 
-## By the way, more about me...
-
-I love classic/retro/old stuff, but also appreciate the new. I spend a lot of
-my free time in front of the computer but that doesn't mean it's "productive".
+When it comes to pop culture, I love the classic stuff, but I also can appreciate the new.
+I spend a lot of my free time in front of the computer, but that doesn't mean it's "productive".
 I'm not a fan of forced productivity. Sometimes I just like to sit and install
-mods for GTA Vice City. I'm interested in new technologies and enjoy typing
-commands in the terminal, so I work as a DevOps Engineer.
+mods for GTA Vice City or tinker at my homelab.
 
-## My job and my own tech projects
+## My job and tech projects
 
-My job is quite an important part of my life because it connects with my passions
+My job is quite an important part of my life because it connects with my interests
 and gives me a lot of satisfaction. However, I'm not some kind of tech-guru, and
-I'm still learning a lot of the basics. Keep that in mind when you browse my
-[projects][gitea]!
+I'm still learning. Keep that in mind when you browse my [projects][gitea]!
 
 ## Contact me ✉️
 
@@ -48,12 +43,12 @@ Now that you know a bit about me, perhaps you'd like to make friends?
 Feel free to contact me via [email][email]. You can also find me on:
 
 - My self-hosted [Gitea][gitea] instance
+- My film photo [gallery][widmo]
 - [Github][github]
-- [Reddit][reddit]
 - [Linkedin][linkedin]
 
 [email]: mailto:mr@vercetti.cc
 [gitea]: https://git.vercetti.cc/mr-vercetti
 [github]: https://github.com/mr-vercetti
-[reddit]: https://www.reddit.com/user/mr-vercetti
+[widmo]: https://widmo.cc
 [linkedin]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-milewski-162b821b3/

website/content/posts/dr-freeman-and-his-friends/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
++++
+title = "Dr. Freeman and his friends"
+description = "Half-Life in coop"
+date = 2024-03-09
++++
+
+![Sven Co-op screenshot](svencoop.jpg)
+
+My first time playing Half-Life was quite recently, in 2019, when the pandemic began. Locked up at home, I thought I would start catching up on some gaming classics that I've never played. I started with the Half-Life series and immediately fell in love! The atmosphere, the soundtracks, the sounds and the whole aesthetics of this series are something truly unique. Add to that an interesting story and immersive, innovative gameplay and you get games that, many many years after release, surprises and are incredibly enjoyable.
+
+Well, ok, although there are some people who don't like them (lol, weirdos), everyone know why they are iconic. But perhaps not everyone knows that each one of them can be played in coop. Of course, there is no official support for this mode in any of them, but what are mods for? Yes, to satisfy our needs. And I didn't know that I had a need to play Half-Life in coop until I found the mods below while googling for games to play with my homies. Thank you PC modding community.
+
+| Game | Mod | Installation (client) |
+| ---- | --- | --------------------- |
+| [Black Mesa][black-mesa] | [SourceCoop][sourcecoop] | Only needs to be installed on the server
+| Half-Life 1 | [Sven Co-op][sven-coop] | Available on Steam as a separate game |
+| Half-Life 2 | [Synergy][synergy] | Available on Steam as a separate game |
+
+☝️ *Coop mods list* ☝️
+
+Of the three, I enjoyed playing Black Mesa with SourceCoop mod the most. The fact that the original Half-Life got such a good remake is already cool af (thanks [Crowbar Collective][crowbar-collective], you guys are crazy), even more so playing it with friends. I especially recommend it due to the fact that Sven Co-op has a lot of bugs and weird glitches that sometimes do not allow you to move on to the next location, or they are just annoying. It may be more convenient to simply play `BM + SourceCoop` instead of `HL1 + Sven Co-op`, unless you care very much about the original experience.
+
+Yeah, but after all, playing any of these mods is fun, even better than classic singleplayer experience. The combination of FPS with physics engine-based puzzles and a narrative without cutscenes works very well in cooperative mode. These are some of the better coop campaigns I've ever played, no kidding. Nothing more satisfaying than fighting Xen aliens, smashing boxes and moving barrels all over the map with your gf, bf, fwb or anyone... Just not to be lonely... 🤔 If you haven't tried it yet, get your buddies together and do it.
+
+### But how? 🛠️
+
+![HL2 pic](hl2.jpg)
+
+You will most likely be forced to host your own server, as there are not many (if any) public ones to play on. As for Synergy and Sven Co-op, it's rather simple, just create server from main game menu and invite your friends. By doing so, you will create a server that runs only when your game is running. In my case it worked fine in Synergy, but in Sven Co-op the server crashed every few minutes. Things can also go wrong with the SourceCoop server setup, as it is more complicated and runs as a separate application, you can see the guide for it [here][sourcecoop-docs]. 
+
+Due to the problems I mentioned and the and the fact that I wanted to simplify deployment of these servers a bit, I decided that I would create [Docker][docker] images for them. I only skipped Synergy because hosting a server from within the game works well and is easy to use. With Docker solution, all you need to do is run a container with selected image according to the instructions in the repo and you're done. Each container is configurable through environment variables, so you can easily choose the parameters of the game, the map, the number of players and so on. They work as dedicated servers, running independently of your game so you can run them on any machine and leave them running for as long as you want. Don't be afraid if you haven't used Docker before, just [RTFM][docker-docs].
+
+Repositories: 
+- [HL1 Sven Co-op dedicated server in Docker][svencoop-docker-image]
+- [BM SourceCoop dedicated server in Docker][sourcecoop-docker-image]
+
+No matter how you run the server of a particular mod, remember to [forward the ports on your router][port-forwarding], otherwise no one will be able to access it. If you have any problems with the setup, feel free to contact me. 🤙🤙
+
+Till next time!
+
+![G-Man](gman.jpg)
+
+[sven-coop]: https://store.steampowered.com/app/225840/Sven_Coop/
+[synergy]: https://store.steampowered.com/app/17520/Synergy/
+[black-mesa]: https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/
+[crowbar-collective]: https://www.crowbarcollective.com/
+[sourcecoop]: https://github.com/ampreeT/SourceCoop
+[sourcecoop-docs]: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2200247356
+[docker]: https://docs.docker.com/get-started/overview/
+[docker-docs]: https://docs.docker.com/manuals/
+[sourcecoop-docker-image]: https://git.vercetti.cc/mr-vercetti/docker-blackmesa-coop-server
+[svencoop-docker-image]: https://git.vercetti.cc/mr-vercetti/docker-svencoop-server
+[port-forwarding]: https://www.noip.com/support/knowledgebase/general-port-forwarding-guide

website/content/posts/friendship-ended-with-instagram/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
++++
+title = "Friendship ended with Instagram"
+description = ""
+date = 2025-02-05
++++
+
+![Random pic of my choice](belmondo.jpg)
+
+The time has come. I set up a website for my film photography project.
+I'm into film photography for a few years now, but I only treat it as a side quest.
+When I don't feel like it I don't take pictures, sometimes even a few months. 
+Anyway, I've always wanted to have a place to show them. Previously, I mainly used Instagram,
+but for me this platform is already dead. The amount of ads and shitcontent there is terrifying.
+It took me some time to find the right solution, because I didn't want to build a website from
+scratch, but now it's online baby.
+
+Check it out [here][widmo].
+
+[widmo]: https://widmo.cc

website/content/posts/how-much-storage-is-enough/index.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
++++
+title = "How much storage is enough?"
+description = "Home server storage upgrade"
+date = 2025-03-12
++++
+
+![SSD drives](ssd-drives.jpg)
+
+Until now I only had 2TB of storage on my home server. That's not much, but it was enough to start with and it taught me to be picky about my data, which is a handy skill. Ofc, initially I planned to have more disk space, but I faced two problems - hard drives were too noisy for a machine that sits in my living room, and I was on a tight budget. I chose silence and limited space - SSD drives (1x 2TB for storage, 1x 2TB for parity). I tried my best, but after a while they filled up, mainly because more friends and family started using my media library that I share with them through Jellyfin. You know how it is. Everyone wants to have their favorite movie, and you are trying to be a good admin.
+
+Because of this growing demand, I recently decided to do an upgrade. I went with 2x [2TB WD RED SA500][wd-red-ssd] because of their good price and high TBW. I also asked my friend who has a 3D printer to print me this [SSD caddy mod][ssd-caddy-mod] for my server case. Thanks bro.
+
+![SSD caddy](ssd-caddy.jpg)
+
+This way, in a drive cage that normally fits two HDD drives, I could fit all four of my SSDs. It saved a lot of space, so there is still plenty for future expansion. Very clever and elegant solution.
+
+Three of the drives are combined into one storage space using [MergerFS][mergerfs], and the fourth one is a [SnapRAID][snapraid] parity drive. This gives me around 6TB of usable space. I hope this will be enough for some time...
+
+![Output from df command](df-cmd.jpg)
+
+[wd-red-ssd]: https://shop.sandisk.com/products/ssd/internal-ssd/wd-red-sata-2-5-ssd?sku=WDS200T2R0A-68CKB0
+[ssd-caddy-mod]: https://www.printables.com/model/342894-node-304-ssd-caddy
+[mergerfs]: https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs
+[snapraid]: https://www.snapraid.it/

website/content/posts/look-how-they-massacred-my-boy/index.md

@@ -4,40 +4,21 @@ description = "Modpack for original GTA Trilogy."
 date = 2022-12-19
 +++
 
-![Oh Misty! What they did to you?](gta-3-de.jpg)
+![GTA3 DE pic](gta-3-de.jpg)
 
-I have no idea why, but last year the Rockstar team, decided to play a hilarious joke
-on us and massacre the 3 iconic GTAs as hard as they could. They messed up the color palette,
-changed the characters faces to look like they were from The Simpsons, barely fixed any bugs,
-make the jokes more polite, and released this as a Definitive Edition for only (sic!) $59.99.
-What do you guys think? Funny? 💀
+I have no idea why, but last year the Rockstar team, decided to play a hilarious joke on us and massacre the 3 iconic GTAs as hard as they could. They messed up the color palette, changed the characters faces to look like they were from The Simpsons, barely fixed any bugs, make the jokes more polite, and released this as a Definitive Edition for only $59.99. What do you guys think? Funny? 💀
 
-Maybe a little bit. Also because the 3D Universe GTAs modding community is still alive (or was
-recently hehe, because [Rockstar doesn't seem to like it][re3-revc-taken-down]) and over the years has released
-many patches/fixes/mods that make it possible to play these amazing games without problems on
-new hardware and operating systems. You can just install a few of them and you have your own,
-better remaster. Eeeeeee... unless you are a console gamer, then you're at the mercy of Rockstar.
+Maybe a little bit. Also because the 3D Universe GTAs modding community is still alive ([Take-Two doesn't seem to like it][re3-revc-taken-down]) and over the years has released many patches/fixes/mods that make it possible to play these amazing games without problems on new hardware and operating systems. You can just install a few of them and you have your own, better remaster. Eeeeeee... unless you are a console gamer, then you're at the mercy of Rockstar.
 
-And yeah, I know that original trilogy had cartoonish graphics and didn't try to look super realistic,
-but it was all created with style that gave these games a unique vibe and didn't look like Fortnite.
-No offence, I also play it sometimes xD. I'm just a bit sad that it's so easy for game companies like
-Rockstar to destroy classics and lie to us that it's cool only to make some money.
+And yeah, I know that original trilogy had cartoonish graphics and didn't try to look super realistic, but it was all created with style that gave these games a unique vibe and didn't look like Fortnite. No offence, I also play it sometimes. I'm just a bit sad that it's so easy for game companies like Rockstar/Take-Two to destroy classics and lie to us that it's cool only to make some money.
 
 ### My go-to mods for original trilogy
 
 ![Screenshot from modded Vice City](gta-vc2.jpg)
 
-So, as I am a PC player who does not like to spend money on crap, and I often like to return to the
-original GTA trilogy, I have created a list of mods that I consider worthy of attention. This
-small modpack will allow you to feel the classic atmosphere again, but in better quality, and
-without bugs. All for free, thanks to the super cool modding community.
+So, as I am a PC player who does not like to spend money on crap, and I often like to return to the original GTA trilogy, I have created a list of mods that I consider worthy of attention. This small modpack will allow you to feel the classic atmosphere again, but in better quality, and without bugs. All for free.
 
-Installation process is quite simple and only requires placing the files in proper directories,
-everything is described in ReadMe files. Just keep in mind that some of these work best on 1.0 game
-version. So if you have a higher one you will probably have to downgrade it. To find out how to do it
-visit each game's page on [PCGamingWiki]. It is also important to lock the in-game FPS to a maximum of
-60, this can be done with [LimitAdjuster][limitadjuster] (one of the mods) or a external program like [RTSS][rtss].
-Otherwise, you can spot many bugs.
+Installation process is quite simple and only requires placing the files in proper directories, everything is described in ReadMe files. Just keep in mind that some of these work best on 1.0 game version. So if you have a higher one you will probably have to downgrade it. To find out how to do it visit each game's page on [PCGamingWiki]. It is also important to lock the in-game FPS to a maximum of 60, this can be done with [LimitAdjuster][limitadjuster] (one of the mods) or a external program like [RTSS][rtss]. Otherwise, you can spot many bugs.
 
 Enjoy!
 

website/content/posts/my-home-server-hardware/index.md

@@ -4,33 +4,20 @@ description = "Tough decisions about home server hardware."
 date = 2023-01-26
 +++
 
-![Cool stuff m8](hustler-neofetch.jpg)
+![Neofetch pic](hustler-neofetch.jpg)
 
-As I don't like to pay big tech companies for services that are stealing my data,
-some time ago I decided to change something in my life and set up a home server. I mainly wanted
-to create a solution to sync files from many devices, organize my movie collection as well as
-having my own instance of some password manager. I knew what software I need, but I wasn't
-sure about the hardware. And that's how I started spending more and more time on the
-[r/selfhosted][selfhosted] and [r/HomeServer][homeserver] subreddits. 
+As I don't like to pay big tech companies for services that are stealing my data, some time ago I decided to change something in my life and set up a home server. I mainly wanted to create a solution to sync files from many devices, organize my movie collection as well as having my own instance of some password manager. I knew what software I need, but I wasn't sure about the hardware. And that's how I started spending more and more time on the [r/selfhosted][selfhosted] and [r/HomeServer][homeserver] subreddits. 
 
-Oh man 💀, it was long hours of reading and making difficult decisions, after all,
-I did not have an infinite amount of money, but I also wanted it to be equipment that
-would last me a good couple of years and which will be easy upgradable. It was also
-important to me that the server be quiet, and small so it wouldn't draw attention in
-a home environment.
+Oh man 💀, it was long hours of reading and making difficult decisions, after all, I did not have an infinite amount of money, but I also wanted it to be equipment that would last me a good couple of years and which will be easy upgradable. It was also important to me that the server be quiet, and small so it wouldn't draw attention in a home environment.
 
-End of the day, I did it! I put together a server that has been running smoothly for a year now
-and runs services I need in about 30 [docker containers][docker-containers]. If you are interested in what services
-I selfhost and what software I use to manage the server, you can read about it [here][homeserver-repo].
+End of the day, I did it! I put together a server that has been running smoothly for a year now and runs services I need in about 30 [docker containers][docker-containers]. If you are interested in what services I selfhost and what software I use to manage the server, you can read about it [here][homeserver-repo].
 
 Ok, but what about my hardware choices? Let's get down to it.
 
 ### 🔥 CPU
 [Ryzen 3 2200G][cpu] 
 
-Since I didn't want to buy a separate graphics card, it had to be a processor with an integrated GPU
-which will handle video transcoding with Jellyfin. The whole server was to use the Proxmox platform,
-(I ended up with Ubuntu on bare-metal) so I wanted it to have at least 4 cores.
+Since I didn't want to buy a separate graphics card, it had to be a processor with an integrated GPU which will handle video transcoding with Jellyfin. The whole server was to use the Proxmox platform, (I ended up with Ubuntu on bare-metal) so I wanted it to have at least 4 cores.
 
 ### 💨 CPU cooler
 The only right choice, dead silent and beautiful [Noctua NH-L9a][cpu-cooler].
@@ -41,10 +28,7 @@ Average and budget friendly [AsRock A320M-ITX][mobo].
 ### 📝 RAM
 [Patriot Viper DDR4, 16 GB, 3200MHz, CL16][ram]
 
-Many people on Reddit say that the only option for server usage is RAM with ECC (Error Correction Code),
-to maximally protect the server from data loss. However, I did not opt for such because of the price and
-the fact that the likelihood of an accident in which data will be corrupted by a RAM error is very low,
-and I keep several backups offsite anyway.
+Many people on Reddit say that the only option for server usage is RAM with ECC (Error Correction Code), to maximally protect the server from data loss. However, I did not opt for such because of the price and the fact that the likelihood of an accident in which data will be corrupted by a RAM error is very low, and I keep several backups offsite anyway.
 
 ### 💾 OS drive
 Fast M.2 SSD with good price to value ratio - [Kingston A2000 250 GB][os-drive].
@@ -52,15 +36,13 @@ Fast M.2 SSD with good price to value ratio - [Kingston A2000 250 GB][os-drive].
 ### 💿💿 Storage drives
 2x [Sandisk Ultra 3D 2TB SSD][storage-drives]
 
-Well... I planned to use HDD drives, but found they were too noisy for the server which is located in my living room where I spend a lot of time, so I had to get SSDs. Note that the best option for
-server are SSDs with PLP (Power Loss Protection) but they are more expensive. 🤨
+Well... I planned to use HDD drives, but found they were too noisy for the server which is located in my living room where I spend a lot of time, so I had to get SSDs. Note that the best option for server are SSDs with PLP (Power Loss Protection) but they are more expensive. 🤨
 
 ### 🔌 PSU
 Reliable beast with passive mode - [Seasonic FOCUS GX-550][psu].
 
 ### 📦 Case
-Good looking, small and very popular among selfhosted community - [Fractal Design Node 304][case]
-(6x 3.5"/2.5" disk bays).
+Good looking, small and very popular among selfhosted community - [Fractal Design Node 304][case] (6x 3.5"/2.5" disk bays).
 
 ### 🔋 UPS
 Inexpensive but sufficient [CyberPower UT850EG-FR][ups]. In my case it's used only to shut down the server gracefully in the event of a power outage.

website/content/posts/thanks/index.md

@@ -4,15 +4,11 @@ description = "A few words of thanks"
 date = 2022-11-24
 +++
 
-This is my first post on this website, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people
-whose works have influenced me recently or who are simply cool.
+This is my first post on this website, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people whose works have influenced me recently or who are simply cool.
 
-- [Thomas Pain][thomas-pain] for his [manifesto][manifesto], after reading which I wanted
-to have my own website and which I fully agree with.
-- [Wolfgang][wolfgang] for his cool [yt channel][wolfgang-yt] thanks to which I have become familiar
- with many interesting issues and technologies (including [Zola][zola], on which this site is based).
-- [FIGBERT][figbert] for creating a veeery decent [d3c3nt Zola theme][d3c3nt], which this
-  site also uses.
+- [Thomas Pain][thomas-pain] for his [manifesto][manifesto], after reading which I wanted to have my own website and which I fully agree with.
+- [Wolfgang][wolfgang] for his cool [yt channel][wolfgang-yt] thanks to which I have become familiar with many interesting issues and technologies (including [Zola][zola], on which this site is based).
+- [FIGBERT][figbert] for creating a veeery decent [d3c3nt Zola theme][d3c3nt], which this site also uses.
 - [Silent][silent] for a whole bunch of excellent patches for old PC games.
 - [ThirteenAG][thirteenag] for all your magnificent [Widescreen Fixes][thirteenag-widescreen-fixes].