This tutorial provides instructions for installing Redis on a CentOS 7 server and using its built-in security features, in coordination with some other security configurations, to keep it from bein... Read more This tutorial provides instructions for installing Redis on a CentOS 7 server and using its built-in security features, in coordination with some other security configurations, to keep it from being accessed by unauthorized users. Show less

An exhaustive and documented Docker configuration for developing Ruby and Rails applications

My daughter got me a new guitar stand I have set up in the living room. This lets me see my guitars more easily, which I enjoy. Inspired by that, I wanted to make my own stand to support two guitar... Read more My daughter got me a new guitar stand I have set up in the living room. This lets me see my guitars more easily, which I enjoy. Inspired by that, I wanted to make my own stand to support two guitars in the office area of my bedroom.Build 🔗I used a piece of hickory wood that’s been waiting to be put to good use for this project. Armed with an idea of the visual look I wanted, I drew the shape I wanted to end up with. I used my pull saw to make the initial cuts, with the hickory secured in a vice.With my vertical lines cut, I need to connect them horizontally. I drilled a hole with a forstner bit in the corners with a wide enough diameter to use a jigsaw to connect the lines.I cleaned up those surfaces with sandpaper wrapping a wood block smaller than the cavities I created. They were too small for my orbital sander to reach in.With this I had my side structures built. But I needed two sides, and this was one block of wood. I cut the structure in half for two equal sides. I used my tablesaw for this.To connect the sides together, I cut 1 inch square stretchers for the front and back. I cut dados in the sides of the same width as the stretchers. I attached the sides to the stretchers with wood glue, the stretchers nestled in the dado joints.I took no pictures of this of course.Finish 🔗With that dry, I attached rubber pads along all the areas a guitar might touch. I also put some on the bottom for feet. I finished with polycrylic, because that’s what I have hanging around.You can see I built a single-guitar prototype out of cheaper scrap wood. That is less sturdy because there’s not the heft to hold a guitar, so it’s very prone to falling over. The prototype served its purpose in the development phase though. And it works now as a secondary low-profile stand I can use as long as I have a place where the neck of the guitar can rest.Display 🔗I enjoyed building this project and it’s been working as intended.I did need to make some adjustments to the front stand. It was too deep to accommodate some guitars. The knob layouts would hit against the cavity that holds them. I cut down the depth by chopping off some of the top and now we’re in business.You may recognize the guitars if you read my last post. I recently did some work on them. Show less

It’s 2026. Everything’s awful. The only news you hear is bad news. I figured I’d spend a few hours trying to make some things sound a little better. So I installed new pickups in some of my guitars... Read more It’s 2026. Everything’s awful. The only news you hear is bad news. I figured I’d spend a few hours trying to make some things sound a little better. So I installed new pickups in some of my guitars.Single Coils 🔗I recently came into a Squier Affinity strat. I would confidently describe the stock instrument as “fine”. Particularly for an entry-level guitar. It’s not even Classic Vibe level! The body is thinner, but that makes it interestingly light. The neck profile isn’t to my liking, but the fretwork is better than I’ve seen on much more expensive guitars. The tuning machines aren’t great, but I like the vintage style.All that aside, I got it for one reason.It’s a really good starting point for a tribute to the Ghost Strat. I’m not going to add the stickers (though replicas exist). I’m also not using Billy’s custom set of DiMarzio rail pickups. Of course, he now plays Reverends with custom Railhammer humbuckers.The stock pickups I’d also describe as “fine”. But, it’s not what I want.I went with the Lace Sensor Ultimate Triple Set (red/silver/blue). That’s not only because I was going for a Siamese Dream era sound. Even though this is heavily influenced by a specific instrument, I want this to be a versatile player. And lastly, I just wanted to try Lace Sensors.Disaster immediately struck. I had a white switch tip to replace the stock black one, matching the Ghost Strat. This is essential to the tone, much like the color of the guitar. Unfortunately, I had a US-sized switch tip. The Squier is built overseas, and those use different size switches. I knew that, and yet I still wasn’t prepared. I did get a new switch tip, and now we’re safely using a white tip.Step one of installing new pickups is removing the current pickups. For a strat-style guitar, that means unscrewing the pickguard. The pickups screw into the guard. After doing that, I could see that the guitar is routed to support a full humbucker in both the bridge and the neck. I guess that’s good to know.The stock pickups had no markings I could see. Before I removed them, I took a Sharpie and labeled which pickup goes to which location. That way if I want to reinstall them or use them for something else, I know where to put them.I then removed the stock pickups and screwed the Lace sensor pickups into the pickguard. I labeled those wires to help me know which wires went to which pickups.After that, I heated up my soldering iron and it was a paint-by-numbers situation. I followed the wiring diagram from Lace.As a side note, I have a set of helping hands, but I always end up frustrated with using it. I find I can never get it in just the right place or applying just the right amount of tension. Me being bad at accepting a helping hand is maybe a metaphor for my life. But I don’t have the time to ponder life’s great mysteries, I have terrible soldering to do!I could have, and should have, cut down the lead wires to have a cleaner install. However, that makes me incredibly nervous. I fear that I’ll cut them to size, screw up my soldering, need to strip back more wire, and then not be able to reach. Could I have cut them down a little? Yes. But instead, I did nothing.Next comes the ever-important tap test. I need to know if any of this works. I plugged the output jack in to a portable amp and cranked the volume. As I moved the pickup selector switch to each position, I tap on each of the pickup magnets with a screwdriver. I make sure that the pickups that should make noise in each position make noise. And the ones that should not make noise don’t make noise.I had to go back in and resolder the middle pickup, as my solder joint to the switch wasn’t making a connection. Another tap test demonstrated I was ready to move on. I reinstalled the pickguard then set the height of the pickups per Lace’s instructions. Job done.Humbuckers 🔗I have another guitar that’s been around for a while. The guitar itself I enjoy (especially for the price). But I’ve not liked the pickups. They sound really muddy easily when I’d prefer clarity. I’ve played with pickup height and various other changes to my rig to accommodate it. I just haven’t gotten along with the sound of the electrical signal coming out of the instrument.I aimed to rectify that with a set of Tonerider Alnico 2 Classic humbuckers.I also replaced the wiring harness. What was in there before had some sort of quick-connect system. That meant I need to take out the existing pots. Those are threaded through the body. So I needed to pop the knobs off, which I do by weaving a towel underneath and pulling up.After unscrewing the nuts under the knobs, I flipped the guitar over. I removed the cavity cover and started removing the existing electronics.With that done, I flipped the guitar back over to unscrew the pickups from the body. I started with the back and then turned back over so that I could disconnect the pickups from the pots. Then when I unscrewed the pickups, I could snake the wire out from the internal routes.I installed the new switch first, as those wires have the longest distance to travel through the same routes as the pickups. Following that, I put the new volume and tone pots in the proper location. I secured them lightly with a nut on the top of the body of the guitar. Then I screwed the neck pickup into the pickup rings and routed the wires through the body. I did the same for the bridge.The it was back to soldering poorly, again following the diagram from the manufacturer. I set this up to use 50’s wiring, for an easier volume roll-off.Here’s the mess hiding in the body cavity post-soldering.I had more work to do before cleaning up and declaring victory. Another tap test.Note that I also replaced the output jack, so that’s why that’s hanging out of the back cavity. No use installing it where it belongs until I knew it worked. That was where I started for the reassembly. From there I closed up the back cavity and flipped the guitar over to secure all the pickup screws and pots.I once again used the pickup manufacturer’s suggestion for the height of the pickups. That’s where they remain now.Verdict 🔗I like the Lace Sensors, but I’m surprised by them. I think most of this is honestly just ignorance on my part. I’ve never played them before. I’ve only heard people playing them. I thought they’d be quieter than they are. I also don’t like the in-between positions. But I do find myself using the middle pickup on its own (gasp) for some clean tones. Not even funk, which I can’t play, and seems to be all anyone does when they demonstrate a strat middle pickup. The bridge crushes as expected, and the neck works (to me) as a strat neck pickup.The Tonerider humbuckers are really great. I find them to be very expressive and responsive. They don’t get unexpectedly muddy under gain. They clean up great, which is important to me. I like playing with some gain and being able to roll back my volume on my guitar. That way I have a crunch sound and can get a nice-enough clean without having to change any other settings in my rig.Ultimately, I’m still bad at playing guitar and somehow worse at soldering. But I still enjoyed the process, and I’m enjoying playing them. So, I’m making bad noise alongside all the bad news. But I’m ok with making noise poorly with some poorly-soldered joints. Because it’s my bad noise, using my bad solder joints. Show less

Over and over again, agents like Claude Code exhibit relentless productivity, exhaustive research, and mind-bending speed. But there's one thing they constitutionally lack: innovative solutions in ... Read more Over and over again, agents like Claude Code exhibit relentless productivity, exhaustive research, and mind-bending speed. But there's one thing they constitutionally lack: innovative solutions in the face of apparent obstacles. Humans who lack that gear are absolutely fucked. Show less

A VP of Engineering wrote in to say my latest essay, "is fantastic and terrifying and absolutely necessary for us to be having conversations about." And that most people still, "have no idea what w... Read more A VP of Engineering wrote in to say my latest essay, "is fantastic and terrifying and absolutely necessary for us to be having conversations about." And that most people still, "have no idea what we're actually on the precipice of." https://justin.searls.co/posts/brace-for-the-fuckening/ Show less

at(1) is a one-off job scheduler that's been hiding in plain sight on Unix systems. Yes, it knows when teatime is.

A step-by-step guide to adding Sign in with Apple to a Rails 8 app using Devise and OmniAuth, including a native mobile JWT flow for Hotwire Native iOS apps. Get cost-effective cloud... Read more A step-by-step guide to adding Sign in with Apple to a Rails 8 app using Devise and OmniAuth, including a native mobile JWT flow for Hotwire Native iOS apps. Get cost-effective cloud computing designed with the needs of developers in mind and save 50-70% compared to Big Tech. American Cloud ensures migration is a breeze with experienced white-glove service. Unlike Big Tech, we don't trap customers in. Your freedom to choose will never be infringed. Learn more about American Cloud → Show less