Technology
Technology is a challenging field because it is always changing. I share my experiences working with technology here, as it may help others find answers to the problems or issues that they face.
.NET / .NET Core CheatSheet
Cheatsheets have useful commands to do tasks that you may forget. This cheatsheet consisits of commands that I use when buidling .NET Core applications using Visual Studio...
1 minute read
Holiday Landscape Light Script for Falcon Pi Player
I use Falcon PI Player for my holiday lighting. After adding flood lights to the light show this past year, I wanted to use the landscape or flood lights year round for...
4 minute read | posted on 2024-04-19 | updated on 2024-04-24
Lessons from Live Stream on Tech Thursdays
I completed another live stream this past week where I talked about tech. One thing that I have noticed is that there are some questions that get regularly asked. One...
1 minute read | posted on 2024-02-25
Building a SAAS, Light Show Guard
I run a Christmas Light Show at my house each year. One of the things that I implemented this past year was to create a website that allows users to select the song that...
2 minute read | posted on 2024-02-07
Scammers and Marketers Can Help Your Business
Today I received a call from a guy. I do not recall what company that he was calling from nor his name, but I did take the time the listen to what he was offering because...
2 minute read | posted on 2023-12-07
Learning about Command and Query Handlers
Background I created the Light Show Extender application as a project to add functionality to my Christmas Light Show. The problem that I have is one that is similar to...
1 minute read | posted on 2023-11-15
Content Creation Workflow
The automation that I created to help me create videos works well. The problem though, is that how I built it makes it somewhat difficult to maintain. One thought that I...
1 minute read | posted on 2023-10-24
Rebuilding My Home Network
Background I have been having issues with my home network. Running a TP-Link router with DD-WRT installed, for reasons unknown to me, the WiFi would randomly stop working....
3 minute read | posted on 2023-07-20
Automating HDHomeRun Updates
One thing about the HDHomeRun that I do not loike is when there is an update available for the device, that it does not notify you. Instead, I have to periodically go to...
1 minute read | posted on 2023-06-18
Check For Power Outage, Shell Script
I havea computer that runs 24/7. It is connected to a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) so that it does go offline when there are momentary power outages. One problem...
1 minute read | posted on 2023-06-03
Getting Free Icons
Background I received an email that referenced one of my existing posts. I have received similar requests in the past, but this time I decided to do something different....
3 minute read | posted on 2023-04-20
Voicing My Blog Posts
Background On occasion I enjoy writing out my thoughts here on the blog, but one thing that I wanted to consider try doing is to use voice typing to be able to improve my...
2 minute read | posted on 2023-03-22
Enums with String Values in C#
I have been working on getting through completing a phase of the Video Processor Application, I ran into an issue. I wanted to have a enum with string values. Those of you...
1 minute read | posted on 2023-01-30
Thoughts on "Stop Using “extends” in PHP"
I was browsing and reading up about PHP. It has been some time since I have done a PHP based project after I stopped running the websites that I managed on Drupal, so I...
2 minute read | posted on 2022-12-06
My Docker Containers
At one point, I ran virtual machines for various services or installed them directly to the media computer that runs 24/7. I have gotten away from virtual machines because...
3 minute read | posted on 2022-11-01 | updated on 2023-05-23
Disable Wayland Graphics on Ubuntu
I recently upgraded to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS system. Overall the upgrade went smooth, but there was one thing that was off. That was the monitor setup. The computer that I have...
2 minute read | posted on 2022-10-18
Put Your Documentation In Source Code
As I research various technologies and ways of doing things, one thing that I found is that people are putting their project documentation in with their source code. Now...
4 minute read | posted on 2022-10-14
Using Microsoft Outlook as Intended
Having worked in IT for a number of years, one thing that is fairly common is having to use Microsoft Outlook for calendar and email. One thing that most do not realize,...
11 minute read | posted on 2022-10-03
Compress All Files with XZ Compression
Problem I wanted to compress all of the tar files in the directories for video processor application. Given the number of files, I did not want to do this one by one....
1 minute read | posted on 2022-10-02 | updated on 2023-01-17
Drupal Version Upgrades
Background A lady reached out to me recently requesting help with the Drupal-based website that she was working on. She needed to upgrade it from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9. I...
3 minute read | posted on 2022-09-30
Understanding Domain Driven Design
When I have some free time, I look into the other ways to build software. By doing this, it helps me to expacd my existing knowledge and understand newer and better ways...
5 minute read | posted on 2022-09-28
Find Length of Shell (Bash) Variable
I was building an automation and needed to find the length of the variable. After doing some research, I found that you can do that easily with the commands below. $...
1 minute read | posted on 2022-09-17
Batch Processing Videos with FFMPEG
As you may or may not know, I run couple of YouTube channels. One of the channels I post dash cam video of trips and bad driving. The other channel I post #"...
3 minute read | posted on 2022-09-16
Automating Toastmasters Meeting Recordings
During the summer, I was nominated and eventually elected to be the Public Relations chair for the Toastmasters club that I am a member of. One of the duties that the role...
3 minute read | posted on 2022-08-30 | updated on 2022-10-03
YouTube Embed and PageSpeed Rating
SEO company calls, says my business website is slow and needs to be improved. I know where this going because I've had similar calls in the past, but I got time today so I...
4 minute read | posted on 2022-08-28
Roe V. Wade and Your Digital Footprint
Roe v Wade was overturned on Friday. That means that those to want to have an abortion will have to travel to states that allow it. That also means that in the states that...
6 minute read | posted on 2022-06-27
Finding Thanksgiving Date in C#
I was looking for a way to determine the day of Thanksgiving for the current year. Looked online, but did not find a solution that worked. Thus had to come up with my own...
1 minute read | posted on 2022-06-19
Loading Configuration in .NET 6 Worker Service
I was updating the Falcon Pi Twitter project from .NET 5 to .NET 6. As part of this upgrade, I created new projects so that I could use the templates that were designed...
3 minute read | posted on 2022-06-12
Scoped or Transient Service with Hosted Service
I created an API application that allows a temperature sensor on the network. By doing this, this allows Home Assistant to access the data and control the air conditioning...
1 minute read | posted on 2022-04-24
Great Resignation Thoughts, IT Perspective
The Great Resignation. It is a term that has become more popular with the number of people that are quitting their jobs because of the shift in the work culture. Break...
6 minute read | posted on 2022-04-20
Apply For That Job
Couple of weeks ago, an individual that is in one of the Black Tech groups that I am in on Facebook, made a post. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of the exact text of...
6 minute read | posted on 2022-04-16
Tech Interview Tips
Having sat on both sides of the interview desk, there are certain things that I have learned and have created this resource to share those details. They are in no...
8 minute read | posted on 2022-04-11 | updated on 2022-09-20
Getting Into Tech - Questions and Answers
Since first learning how to code in 2002, holding various part- and full-time paid positions since 2008, a follower of #BlackTechTwitter on Twitter, and participating in a...
32 minute read | posted on 2022-04-08 | updated on 2022-10-12
Automate YouTube Video Creation
Background As some of you may know, I run two YouTube channels. One is Robinson Handy and Technology Services, which I talk about tech, do it yourself repairs and builds,...
7 minute read | posted on 2022-04-07
AT&T Prepaid, Can't Use Data Even With Data Plan
All was good for the day. Was able to access the internet via my phone. Then all of a sudden I was not able to. Still able make and receive calls and texts, but no...
2 minute read | posted on 2022-04-01
Git Cheatsheet
Cheatsheet of commands to use when working with git. This is a quick reference for the commands that are most commonly used when working with Git. A description of what...
4 minute read | updated on 2022-03-04
Adding GitHub Actions to Blog
Background As you may know, I use MkDocs to generate the static pages for my website. This means that the posts that I write are written in Markdown and then I have to run...
5 minute read | posted on 2022-02-26
No Blog Comments Here
Those have have followed this blog over the years, or have viewed it using the WayBack Machine, know that at one point that I did have commenting turn on for my blog when...
3 minute read | posted on 2022-02-25
Got a 3D Printer. Now what?
An individual that know from the community reached out to me and said that he wanted to donate a 3D printer that he had to my NSBE chapter. This was unexpected and I had...
4 minute read | posted on 2022-02-24
Cleaning Nuget Packages
Problem I noticed that the disk space on my development computer had significantly decreased. After running df -h . via the terminal, I found that there were a lot of...
1 minute read | posted on 2022.02.11 | updated on 2023-01-17
Breaking Into Tech (A Perspective)
Yesterday I attended a session about breaking into tech. This is a topic that I frequently see asked on Black Tech Twitter and various tech Facebook groups that I'm in....
3 minute read | posted on 2022-02-02
Fan Control Script for OpenWRT
The LinkSys WRT1900AC router comes with a built in fan. I wanted to find a way to be able to control the fan so that it would run based when certain temperature thresholds...
1 minute read | posted on 2022-01-21 | updated on 2023-02-14
Calendar Versioning Works
I have been working on several size projects. One of those projects, related to the Christmas Light Show called Falcon Pi Twitter, has custom built software that runs it....
4 minute read | posted on 2021-12-12
Web and Software Development Resources
Whether you are a seasoned programmer or beginner, these resources will help you with challenges that you may face when working on websites or software. .NET (.NET Core)...
2 minute read | posted on 2021-11-26 | updated on 2022-09-30
Linux Resources
Wanting to get a Linux certification, but do not have any experience with it? The resources below will get you on the way to learning Linux and what all it has to offer....
1 minute read | posted on 2021-11-26 | updated on 2022-09-30
Find SQL Server Stored Procedure or Function by Contents
Find SQL Server Stored Procedure or Function By Contents Problem I was working making changes to a table function that is in a SQL Server database. This update was being...
1 minute read | posted on 2021-11-26
Black In Tech 2021
Groups or content targeted for or created by Black people in the IT industry. Some of the resources apply to mutliple areas of tech, while others are specific. Some groups...
3 minute read | posted on 2021-11-26 | updated on 2022-09-30
JQuery Validator with Parameter
I recently had some work that required me to extend the functionality of the JQuery Validator. The plugin does not have a build in method that will do date comparisons, so...
1 minute read | posted on 2021-08-12
Remove Duplicate Files on Linux
Problem I was cleaning files on the system. Wanted to get rid of files that were duplicated as I had two computers that had gotten out of sync with each other. Solution...
1 minute read | posted on 2021-07-21 | updated on 2023-01-17
Importance of QR Code Placement
As the world continues to adapt to be touchless and contactless, I have noticed a trend that in theory seems like it should work, but it actually, has some flaws. More and...
2 minute read | posted on 2021-07-01 | updated on 2021-07-02
Why Do Coding Challenges?
What is a coding challenge? A coding challenge strives to test ones ability to be able to solve a problem using a defined set of criteria. Often times, coding challenges...
3 minute read | posted on 2021-06-25
Creating MkDocs Template, Part 3
In this video, I close out the video series about creating a templte for a MkDocs website. For more information about the template, check out the video. Video Transcript...
18 minute read | posted on 2021-06-22
Automatically Commit Files with Script
Problem While having backups are important, the problem that I had was that I would not remember to do the backups on a regular basis. The Christmas light show has lots of...
1 minute read | posted on 2021-06-21 | updated on 2023-01-17
Automatically Transfer Files via SSH
Problem I have files that I load from my dash camera and phone. I have an application that will assemble those files into a tarball that would then be processed into a...
1 minute read | posted on 2021-06-17 | updated on 2023-01-17
Creating a MkDocs Template, Part 1
Video Coding Repository mkdocs-template Repository thealmostengineer.com theme
1 minute read | posted on 2021-06-08 | updated on 2021-06-12
Refusing to Allow an OAuth App To Create or Update Workflow
Problem I recently attempted to push some commits up to GitHub. One of the recent commits included a newly created GitHub Actions Workflow file. For those of you who are...
3 minute read | posted on 2021-06-05
Removing Linux Kernels
Problem I noticed that I could not connect to one of my virutal machines (VM). I have a script that checks to see if the machines were offline and if so it will start...
6 minute read | posted on 2021-05-10 | updated on 2023-01-17
Get A Tech Job with No Experience
Background In a Facebook group that I am a member of, someone asked the following: Web Developer's How are you all preparing for interviews? I have no actual web...
9 minute read | posted on 2021-05-06
Coding Challenge Generate Random Passwords
Video Links Mentioned Coding Challenge Repository Transcript (Unedited) what's going on good people this video i'm going to continue building out a coding challenge that i...
31 minute read | posted on 2021-05-04
Calculating Read Time with Static Blog
Video
1 minute read | posted on 2021-04-06
Git Local Branch Cleanup
After you create a number of branches with git, it becomes outdated and a maintenance issue since local branches are not synchronized with branches on the server or...
2 minute read | posted on 2021-04-01
Coding Challenge Create Hangman Game
Video Links Mentioned Coding Challenge Repository Transcript (Unedited) what's going on good people this video will be a coding challenge video the challenge is actually a...
35 minute read | posted on 2021-03-30
How to Use the Facebook Sharing Debugger and Open Graph Tags
Video
1 minute read | posted on 2021-03-23
OBS Hotkeys with Number Pad
Video
1 minute read | posted on 2021-03-16
Increase Your Page Speed Score
Video
1 minute read | posted on 2021-03-09
Commit Without Files
I was recently looking into whether it was possible to write commit messages without actually commiting files. Come to find out, it is possible. You're probably thinking,...
3 minute read | posted on 2021-03-04
Coding Challenge Fizz Buzz with .NET Core
Video Links Mentioned Coding Challenge Repository Transcript (Unedited) what's going on good people so this video will be another coding challenge this coding challenge...
8 minute read | posted on 2021-03-02
Website Coding Day 7, Engineers Week 2021
Video Links https://github.com/almostengr/nsbe-mp.org Transcript (Unedited) continuing with the next step in the process what i'm going to be working on is to do the...
25 minute read | posted on 2021-02-27
Website Coding Day 6, Engineers Week 2021
Video Links https://github.com/almostengr/nsbe-mp.org Transcript (Unedited) i have the contact form created and the only way to access it is to click down here at the...
37 minute read | posted on 2021-02-26
Website Coding Day 5, Engineers Week 2021
Video Links https://github.com/almostengr/nsbe-mp.org Transcript (Unedited) welcome back i am continuing the process of the update on the website and i know you're...
48 minute read | posted on 2021-02-25
Website Project for Engineers Week 2021
During late 2020, I updated my NSBE chapter's website. During that update, I recorded a lot of the coding work that I had to update the website. In honor of Engineers Week...
1 minute read | posted on 2021-02-23
Google Black Publishers Summit
As a content creator and blogger, I attended the Black Publishers Summit offered by Google. Below are the notes that I took from the sessions that I attended. Opening...
5 minute read | posted on 2020-12-08 | updated on 2022-04-14
Control GPIO with .NET Core on Raspberry Pi
Background I wanted to convert the Python code for the Traffic Pi over to .NET Core with C#. These are the steps that I followed to get it set up on the Raspberry Pi 3...
1 minute read | posted on 2020-10-25 | updated on 2020-10-25
FFMPEG for Image Slideshow
Background I needed to create a YouTube channel trailer for another channel that I manage for an organization. The channel already existed for some time, there was not...
4 minute read | posted on 2020-10-10 | updated on 2020-10-10
How to Update My Static Website?
If you have a static website, here is how to make those updates. Before making updates, please be familiar with the Markdown language. You can reference the Markdown...
1 minute read | posted on 2020-10-04 | updated on 2020-12-19
Github as Content Management System (CMS)
Background Some time ago, I wrote about me converting my website from a database-driven Content Management System (CMS) website to a static website that uses a Static Site...
4 minute read | posted on 2020-09-22 | updated on 2020-09-22
Git: Change Master Branch to Main Branch
Background The racial interactions that have taken place in the United States during 2020 have prompted a number of changes to take place. Calls for police reform, better...
1 minute read | posted on 2020-09-15 | updated on 2021-03-10
Prune Branches In Visual Studio
Background Majority of my experience with Git has been via the command line. As you may know, Git was created by the same person that created Linux, Linus Torvalds. Thus...
3 minute read | posted on 2020-09-12 | updated on 2020-09-12
Uninstall Java from Ubuntu
Background Due to a change in job, I will be doing more coding in C# and .NET Core instead of Java. That being said, you probably will not be seeing any more Java...
1 minute read | posted on 2020-09-08 | updated on 2020-09-16
Select List of Times (10-minute increments)
Background I needed a select list of times that was done in 10 minute increments. Previously, I had used a Kendo time picker. This meant that the selection was able to be...
36 minute read | posted on 2020-08-25 | updated on 2020-09-02
HP Wireless Printer Problems
Background I had a job for a chair assembly for a customer. The only problem was that the customer had not received the chair. It was scheduled to be delivered on the same...
5 minute read | posted on 2020-08-19 | updated on 2020-08-19
College Programming Course Files on GitHub
Background As I was cleaning off files on my computer recently, I found files that I had from college. Some of these files were from the classes that I took. Some are from...
9 minute read | posted on 2020-08-16 | updated on 2020-08-16
CiviCRM Cron Job Script with Wordpress
To make CiviCRM work in Wordpress, you need to have cronjobs scheduled on your system to run to certain intervals. Otherwise you have to manually run these task which will...
8 minute read | posted on 2020-08-13 | updated on 2020-08-16
CiviCRM Configuration Checklist
In this video, I talk about the configuration options that are available in CiviCRM and discuss each of them. The configuration of the system is one of the first things...
13 minute read | posted on 2020-08-11 | updated on 2020-08-16
Reverse Sort for MkDocs
Background MkDocs doesn't have much information about how to do modify or create templates on its websites. As a result, I had to search around on the internet to figure...
2 minute read | posted on 2020-07-15 | updated on 2020-07-15
Drupal 7 to Wordpress 5 Database Migration
Video Links https://wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WP-WP-MigratingfromDrupalToWordPress-05-PUB.pdf...
4 minute read | posted on 2020-07-07 | updated on 2021-06-13
Generate Timelapse with FFMPEG
I run multiple YouTube channels. One of which is the dash cam channel where I post videos of my travels. #!/bin/bash ############################################### ##...
1 minute read | posted on 2020-04-30
SLC.NET Presents: Steve Smith (ardalis) - Clean Architecture with ASP.NET Core
Below are the notes that I took from this online presentation with Steve Smith. This presentation was done very early into the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to learn...
6 minute read | posted on 2020-04-09 | updated on 2021-05-25
Coding Session with Java and Selenium Webdriver
Coding Session with Java and Selenium Webdriver This coming Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 6 PM Central Time, I will be hosting a live coding session to build Selenium...
1 minute read
Linux Training Session, April 2020
MARCH 20, 2020 23:14 UPDATE Due to the concerns and gathering restrictions that have been put in place by the local government due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), this...
1 minute read
Linux Training Session Notes, March 2020
Linux Training Session Notes, March 2020 Background Information As mentioned in the training session, I am providing the output from the terminal from the commands that...
68 minute read | posted on 2020-03-01 | updated on 2020-07-15
Linux Training Session
Linux Training Session UPDATED MARCH 6, 2020 Notes from this training session are now available. ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FEBRUARY 29, 2020 On March 1, 2020, I will be hosting...
1 minute read
Lacing Up My Bootstrap
Background As some of you may know, I started a new job late 2019. Part of that new job meant learning technologies that was far different than what I was used to. This...
8 minute read | posted on 2021-06-03
Previous and Current Blog Posting Process
Background Recently, I switching from using Drupal 7 to MkDocs for blogging. Here are some of the main reasons for making the switch: Drupal 7 has been replaced with...
6 minute read | posted on 2020-02-06 | updated on 2020-07-15
Developer Uses Page
Developer Uses Page Background Recently, I was browsing GitHub to see how others had done their blogs and personal websites to brand themselves. In the process, I came...
3 minute read | posted on 2020-02-01 | updated on 2020-07-15
Google Search Console Reports 500 Errors
Google Search Console Reports 500 Errors Summary After converted my website from Drupal 7 to a static website, I received an email from Google that their Search Console...
3 minute read | posted on 2020-01-21 | updated on 2020-07-15
7 Lessons Learned as Production Support or Help Desk Agent
Background I worked for 7 years in Production Support role. When I explained the type of work that I did, I often related it to calling customer service when your internet...
16 minute read | posted on 2020-01-10 | updated on 2022-04-14
Blog Conversion Steps
Blog Conversion Steps If you read my previous post, you found out why I chose to migrate away from a CMS (Content Management System). The conversion that I did for my...
9 minute read | posted on 2019-12-24 | updated on 2020-07-15
Switched Blog from Drupal to MkDocs
I enjoy working with and building websites and web-based tools. However, like any piece of software, it has to be regularly worked on in order to stay up to date. Thus I...
4 minute read | posted on 2019-12-21 | updated on 2021-05-06
Blog Reverse Sort with Mkdocs
Blog Reverse Sort with Mkdocs The current implementation of Mkdocs, is that if you do not provide a navigation path in the mkdocs.yml file, that it will build the website...
1 minute read | posted on 2019-12-20 | updated on 2020-07-15
Automate Unattended Upgrades on Ubuntu
Automate Unattended Upgrades on Ubuntu Summary I cover how to set up your Ubuntu system to automatically update itself so that you have less maintenance to perform. Video...
8 minute read | posted on 2019-11-05 | updated on 2020-07-15
Copying Infested Code
Background As some of you may know, my current role consists of me building and maintaining automations. The thing about writing code is that at some point, maintenance...
5 minute read | posted on 2019-09-05 | updated on 2022-09-30
Markdown My Words
Markdown My Words Background When it comes to blogging, each blogger has his or her preferences in regards to the CMS (Content Management System) to use and his or her...
2 minute read | posted on 2019-07-23 | updated on 2020-07-15
When Deploying Before Testing
When Deploying Before Testing As you may know, on July 3, 2019, Facebook, Instagram, Down Detector, and a number of other websites were partially or fully unavailable....
4 minute read | posted on 2019-07-04 | updated on 2020-07-15
7 Reasons I Can Do That Without The App
7 Reasons I Can Do That Without The App These days, everybody wants you to download their app. However, before installing an app, I ask myself whether I really do need the...
9 minute read | posted on 2019-06-16 | updated on 2020-07-15
Drupal 8 Tutorial Series
Drupal 8 Tutorial Series Over the next several weeks, I will be releasing a series of videos about how to install and set up a Drupal 8 website. Drupal is one of the most...
1 minute read | posted on 2019-06-11 | updated on 2020-07-15
Automatically Publish Content with Custom Module
Automatically Publish Content with Custom Module If you want to run a blog, one of the best time saving techniques is writing your content ahead of time and then it is...
2 minute read | posted on 2019-05-09 | updated on 2020-07-15
How to Install Google Chrome on Ubuntu 18.04
How to Install Google Chrome on Ubuntu 18.04 Video
1 minute read | posted on 2019-05-07 | updated on 2020-07-15
Set up Gecko Driver on Ubuntu
Set up Gecko Driver on Ubuntu Selenium WebDriver can be used to automate routine tasks and to perform regression tests. Currently I build automations using Selenium...
3 minute read | posted on 2019-04-05 | updated on 2020-07-15
Selenium WebDriver Photo Uploader for Drupal 7
Selenium WebDriver Photo Uploader for Drupal 7 Summary Custom built automation to upload photos from the local computer to a Drupal 7-based website using Selenium...
1 minute read | posted on 2019-03-06 | updated on 2020-07-15
Use Gparted to Partition USB Drive
Use Gparted to Partition USB Drive Summary This tutorial shows you how to format or partition a USB thumb drive using Gparted on your Linux. Video
1 minute read | posted on 2019-03-15 | updated on 2020-07-15
Drupal 8 Tutorial Series
Drupal 8 Tutorial Series Throughout the month of March 2019, I will be releasing a series of videos on Drupal 8. Drupal 8 is the latest version of this Content Management...
1 minute read | posted on 2019-02-27 | updated on 2019-05-05
Set Timezone on Ubuntu 18.04 Server
Set Timezone on Ubuntu 18.04 Server Summary This video tutorial shows you how to set the timezone on an Ubuntu Server. The server used in this video is an Ubuntu 18.04...
1 minute read | posted on 2019-01-29 | updated on 2020-07-15
Archive Project in Kdenlive
Summary This tutorial shows you how to archive your video project within Kdenlive. Most of the time, when creating a video project, videographers will pull all of the...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-11-10 | updated on 2020-07-15
Upgrade Ubuntu Script
Summary This video shows how to upgrade Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server Edition to Ubuntu 18.04 LTS Server Edition. This video does not have any verbal commentary as the purpose...
2 minute read | posted on 2018-09-22 | updated on 2023-02-14
Power On Wemo Switch After Power Failure with Home Assistant
Power On Wemo Switch After Power Failure with Home Assistant Summary This tutorial shows you how to power on a Wemo switch after a power failure. When a power failure...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-08-28 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install HDHRViewer Plug-in for Live TV on Plex Media Server
Summary In this tutorial, you'll see how to install the HDHR Viewer plugin in Plex Media Server. This plugin allows you to watch content cable or OTA (over the air)...
3 minute read | posted on 2018-08-14 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Seven Square on Ubuntu
Install Seven Square on Ubuntu Summary This tutorial shows how to install Seven Square on your Ubuntu machine. Seven Square allows you to view your Android device on your...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-07-04 | updated on 2020-07-15
Music Library Cleanup with fdupes
Summary Show you how to remove duplicates from your music library collection on a Linux / Ubuntu computer. The software used in this tutorial is called fdupes. Video...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-07-07 | updated on 2021-06-13
Configure HDHomeRun Connect with Kodi on Ubuntu
Configure HDHomeRun Connect with Kodi on Ubuntu Summary This tutorial shows how configure the HDHomeRun Connect to work with Kodi on Ubuntu. For more information about the...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-06-26 | updated on 2020-07-15
Replace Optical Drive in PC
Replace Optical Drive in PC Background This tutorial shows you how to replace a DVD-ROM drive in with a Blu-Ray drive in a computer. This step by step tutorial covers...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-06-19 | updated on 2020-07-15
Setup MyQ with Home Assistant
Setup MyQ with Home Assistant Background This tutorial shows you how to set up MyQ to work with Home Assistant. The opener that is connected to in this tutorial is of the...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-06-12 | updated on 2020-07-15
Configure Simplisafe with Home Assistant
Configure Simplisafe with Home Assistant Background This tutorial shows how to setup Simplisafe with Home Assistant. Walkthrough of adding the lines in the configuration...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-06-05 | updated on 2020-07-15
Configure DD WRT with Home Assistant
Configure DD WRT with Home Assistant This tutorial explains how to set up DD WRT router with home assistant. Using this setup, Home Assistant can react when certain...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-05-29 | updated on 2020-07-15
Belkin Wemo Switch Unboxing
Belkin Wemo Switch Unboxing Background This video is the unboxing of the Belkin Wemo Switch. This unboxing is of the full size Belkin Wemo. It shows the size of the Belkin...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-05-29 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Drush on Ubuntu 16.04
Background This tutorial shows how to install Drush on your Ubuntu server. Drush allows for you to make changes to variables, perform actions, create and edit nodes, and...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-05-22 | updated on 2021-06-13
Configure etckeeper with Gitlab
Background This tutorial shows how to configure etckeeper and GitLab to manage configuration files stored in the /etc directory on your Ubuntu desktop or server. Video...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-05-15 | updated on 2021-06-13
Redirect to Home Assistant using Apache
This video tutorial provides steps on how to set up your Home Assistant server to redirect to the appropriate port number so that you don't have to manually enter it when...
2 minute read | posted on 2018-05-08 | updated on 2023-02-14
Upgrade Home Assistant
Upgrade Home Assistant Background This tutorial describes how to update Home Assistant that is running in a Python virtual environment. Video Commands Used The commands...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-05-01 | updated on 2020-07-15
install Kodi on Ubuntu
install Kodi on Ubuntu This video shows you how to install Kodi (formerly XBMC) on your Ubuntu device.
1 minute read | posted on 2018-05-01 | updated on 2020-07-15
Setup HP Network Printer on Ubuntu 16.04
Setup HP Network Printer on Ubuntu 16.04 Background This tutorial shows how to set up an HP printer on Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop. The HP LIP can be installed from the Ubuntu...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-04-24 | updated on 2020-07-15
Setup SSH Key Authentication
Background This tutorial shows how to set up SSH authentication between two Linux servers. This allows for a connection between servers to be done without the use of a...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-04-17 | updated on 2023-01-17
Uninstall Plex Media Server from Ubuntu 16.04
Uninstall Plex Media Server from Ubuntu 16.04 Background This tutorial shows how to uninstall Plex Media Server from Ubuntu 16.04 using the command line. Video If you have...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-04-10 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Plex on Ubuntu 16.04 Server or Desktop
Install Plex on Ubuntu 16.04 Server or Desktop This tutorial shows how to install Plex Media Server on Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop or Server. If you have comments or questions...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-04-04 | updated on 2020-07-15
Kanban Board in Drupal 7
Kanban Board in Drupal 7 This tutorial shows how to set up a Kanban board using Drupal 7 and contributed modules. No coding is required. Kanban is a project management...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-03-27 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Postfix to Use Gmail as SMTP server on Ubuntu 16.04
Install Postfix to Use Gmail as SMTP server on Ubuntu 16.04 This tutorial shows how to install Postfix as a SMTP server on Ubuntu 16.04 Server and Desktop versions.
1 minute read | posted on 2018-03-13 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Home Assistant on Ubuntu 16.04 VM
Install Home Assistant on Ubuntu 16.04 VM This tutorial shows how to install Home Assistant on an Ubuntu 16.04 Virtual Machine using the steps provided on the Home...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-03-13 | updated on 2020-07-15
Setup Ubuntu 16.04 on VirtualBox
Setup Ubuntu 16.04 on VirtualBox This video shows Ubuntu 16.04 being installed on a VirtualBox virtual machine. This video does not provide detailed instructions. This...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-03-06 | updated on 2019-03-09
Install VirtualBox on Ubuntu 16.04
Install VirtualBox on Ubuntu 16.04 Background This tutorial shows how to install Oracle VirtualBox on Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop. Video If you have any questions about this...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-02-27 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Webmin on Ubuntu 16.04
Background Webmin is a great web-based, system administration tool for Ubuntu-based desktop or servers. Since Webmin is web-based, you don't have to be familiar with the...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-02-20 | updated on 2021-06-13
Use Twitter and Rules for FarmOS Notifications
Use Twitter and Rules for FarmOS Notifications Intro This tutorial allows you to use Twitter for notifications. Using the Rules module, FarmOS can send notifications for...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-02-13 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install MySQL Server on Ubuntu 16.04
Background This video tutorial shows you how to install MySQL on an Ubuntu 16.04. The installation is really simple and requires just a few commands to be entered. This...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-02-07 | updated on 2021-06-13
RaspiTraffic Demo, US Signaling
RaspiTraffic Demo, US Signaling Demonstration showing a real traffic light being controlled by a Raspberry Pi. The signaling performed in this diagram follows the US...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-01-23 | updated on 2020-07-15
Raspberry Pi First Run and Installing Updates
Raspberry Pi First Run and Installing Updates Background If you don't have a Raspberry Pi, this will show you what the first run of one looks like after you have flashed...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-01-16 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install Samba on Ubuntu 16.04
Video Commands Install Samba on your Ubuntu desktop or server. If you have Windows and Linux based computers on your network, having Samba installed makes transferring...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-01-16 | updated on 2021-06-13
FarmOS NWS 2.0
FarmOS NWS 2.0 The purpose of this project is to allow FarmOS to use data from the National Weather Service (NWS) to allow it to make better decisions as well as to log...
1 minute read | posted on 2018-01-14 | updated on 2020-07-15
Command Line Internet Speed Test
Problem I wanted to be able to run speed tests to make sure that I was getting the internet speeds that I was paying for. While a speedtest can be done from the web...
1 minute read | posted on 2017-12-16 | updated on 2023-01-17
Enable and Setup UFW on Ubuntu
UFW or Uncomplicated FireWall, comes with Ubuntu and some other Linux distributions. This video shows how to install and configure it on your system. Video The Script...
1 minute read | posted on 2017-11-14 | updated on 2023-02-14
Build Web Application without Coding Using Drupal 7
Build Web Application without Coding Using Drupal 7 Presentation Information This presentation describes how to create a web-based application using Drupal 7 without doing...
15 minute read
Update Repository Script
Needed a script that would automatically pull the latest version of the repository into a folder. This script was created in an effort to automate the deployments for my...
1 minute read | posted on 2017-09-10 | updated on 2023-02-14
Linux rm Argument list too long
Linux rm Argument list too long A problem that occasionally occurs is that when attempting to remove files in Unix or Linux system is that when you attempt to remove files...
2 minute read | posted on 2017-04-03 | updated on 2020-07-15
Setup SSH on OpenWRT
Setup SSH on OpenWRT This video shows how to set up SSH on OpenWRT version Chaos Calmer. Router used was TP-Link TL-WD4300.
1 minute read | posted on 2016-11-19 | updated on 2020-07-15
Find Lines Longer than Specified Length
Find Lines Longer than Specified Length When editing data files, sometimes you need to find the lines that are longer or shorter than a certain length to make corrections....
1 minute read | posted on 2016-09-28 | updated on 2020-07-15
Install OpenWRT on Linksys WRT1900AC v1
Install OpenWRT on Linksys WRT1900AC v1 Video explains how to install OpenWRT on Linksys WRT1900AC Version 1.
1 minute read | posted on 2016-07-14 | updated on 2020-07-15
Clean Linux Log Directory Script
Problem The more you use your Linux based system, the more files will be created. One thing that I noticed with mine is that the log directory would continue to grow. When...
2 minute read | posted on 2016-05-29 | updated on 2023-06-03
SSH Connection Test Script
As a way to see if servers are online and can be reached for file transfers, I decided to create the script to do just that. The Script #!/bin/bash...
1 minute read | posted on 2016-05-09 | updated on 2023-02-14
Automating Ubuntu 14.04 Automatic Updates
Automating Ubuntu 14.04 Automatic Updates sudo dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades If you receive an error stating that unattended-upgrades package cannot be found, then...
1 minute read | posted on 2016-03-10 | updated on 2020-07-15
Automatic Ubuntu Update Script
Problem I have several Ubuntu (Linux) computers and systems that run on my home network. Now while I could manually perform updates on each of these, what I decided to do...
1 minute read | posted on 2016-02-28 | updated on 2023-06-03
Run Drupal Cron via Bash with Drush
Run Drupal Cron via Bash with Drush date DRUPALHOME=/path/to/drupal/site cd $DRUPALHOME drush cron date
1 minute read | posted on 2016-02-04 | updated on 2020-07-15
Automate Drupal Update with Drush via Shell Script
Automate Drupal Update with Drush via Shell Script date cd $HOME/bin . config.sh cd $DRUPALHOME # turn on maintenance mode drush variable-set --exact maintenance_mode 1...
1 minute read | posted on 2016-02-04 | updated on 2020-07-15
HDMI Sound on Ubuntu with Shuttle DS61
HDMI Sound on Ubuntu with Shuttle DS61 If you have issues getting the sound to work using Ubuntu via HDMI, perform the following steps in order: Confirm that the volume on...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-11-21 | updated on 2020-07-15
Sample Interview Question Unix/Linux Experience
Sample Interview Question Unix/Linux Experience This is a sample interview question that has been given to those that are interviewing for an IT Consultant role. This...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-10-30 | updated on 2020-07-15
Sample Interview Question SQL/Database Experience
Sample Interview Question SQL/Database Experience This is a sample question for interviewees that state that they have SQL and Database experience. Problem: Join the two...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-10-30 | updated on 2020-07-15
Find lines that contain greater than specified number of characters in Unix
When working with files in Unix or Linux, sometimes you need to find the files that are greater than a specified number of characters. Unix or Linux systems are often used...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-10-30 | updated on 2022-04-14
How to disable foreign key constraints in MySQL
How to disable foreign key constraints in MySQL Why would you want to disable a foreign key constraint? Well there are some scenarios... such as when you are refreshing...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-10-21 | updated on 2020-07-15
Green Screen with Flash videos in Windows 10
Green Screen with Flash videos in Windows 10 Great!!! You've upgrade to Windows 10. No issues thus far. Then you go to one of your favorite websites to watch some videos....
1 minute read | posted on 2015-10-07 | updated on 2020-07-15
Test Internet Script
I wanted to have a script to ensure that the internet connection was up and running. One way to do this quickly was to create a script that could perform a speed test to...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-10-01 | updated on 2023-02-14
Oracle Holidays without Stored Procedure with 2 Week Notification
A client had a need for notifying others of upcoming holidays in some automated reports. Instead of manually adding these holidays to the reports as they were approaching,...
4 minute read | posted on 2015-09-04 | updated on 2022-09-30
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization If you search for your company’s website, is it the first result that shows up? If not, then your business’s website needs to undergo Search...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-06-28 | updated on 2020-07-15
Installing Drupal 7 on 1 and 1 Web Hosting
Installing Drupal 7 on 1 and 1 Web Hosting Unless you use the "click to build" tool that is provided by 1 and 1, Drupal 7 requires some knowledge to set up on their...
3 minute read | posted on 2015-06-28 | updated on 2020-07-15
How To Synchronize Files Between Two or More Windows Computers
How To Synchronize Files Between Two or More Windows Computers Do you have two or more computers running Windows? If you do, do you hate having to backup or keep files...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-06-28 | updated on 2020-07-15
Don't Use "Click Here" in Links
Don't Use "Click Here" in Links We have all seen it on a website. You read a sentence related to what you are doing and then it says to "click here" to do something. This...
1 minute read | posted on 2015-06-28 | updated on 2020-07-15
Java Swap Values
Java Swap Values This program swaps the values of two inputs and then prints them back out to the console. package com.thealmostengineer.swapvalues; import...
1 minute read | posted on 2014-02-08 | updated on 2020-07-15
Java Count Up and Down
Java Count Up and Down package com.thealmostengineer.countupdown; /** * * @author almostengr * @file Counts up and down to the specified provided number. */ public class...
1 minute read | posted on 2014-02-08 | updated on 2020-07-15
Automatically creating new menu items Drupal 7
Automatically creating new menu items Drupal 7 Menu breadcrumbs Drupal breadcrumbs implementation is a never-ending source of frustration for many website developers. A...
3 minute read | posted on 2012-06-21 | updated on 2020-07-15
Installing Drupal 7 on 1and1 Servers
Installing Drupal 7 on 1and1 Servers You will need a 1and1 hosted package that supports PHP 5.2+ and MySQL 5.xx to run Drupal 7 Download Drupal 7.xx Uncompress Drupal...
1 minute read | posted on 2012-05-19 | updated on 2020-07-15
Use Session Variables in Grails Domain Class
Use Session Variables in Grails Domain Class If you have tried using a session variable in the domain class of your Grails project, you clearly know that this will not...
1 minute read | posted on 2012-03-06 | updated on 2020-07-15
Setup LDAP on Ubuntu 10.04
Setup LDAP on Ubuntu 10.04 I attempted to set up and LDAP server on Ubuntu, but apparently I skipped a step or missed part of the instructions because I could not get it...
2 minute read | posted on 2012-02-09 | updated on 2020-07-15
Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server Recently managed to setup an Ubuntu 10.04 server for my business Black Box Innovation Technologies. It uses LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) for our hosted...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-12-12 | updated on 2020-07-15
Migrate Drupal Installation from Desktop to Server
Well it is very easy to migrate drupal site which you have in your computer using WAMP. Just need to follow the following steps. You will have to upload all the files of...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-08-12 | updated on 2023-01-21
Image Rotator
Image Rotator I created a image scrolling script for a website. Below is the Javascript and HTML code to use it. Please leave the credits to me var indexBannersNum = 0;...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-07-12 | updated on 2020-07-15
Grails - Recreate Controller and Views for Updated Domain Class
Grails - Recreate Controller and Views for Updated Domain Class I did some work with Grails (version 1.3.7) and Groovy today. I use SpringSource ToolSuite as my IDE. If...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-07-07 | updated on 2020-07-15
Select List of US States
Occasionally I post code snippets on the blog so that I can use them in my code in the future. One of the many snippets is a list of the states in the United States. The...
6 minute read | posted on 2011-06-29 | updated on 2022-08-30
Above The Scroll - Web Design
Above The Scroll - Web Design "Above the Scroll" in the web design world is similar to "above the fold" in the newspaper world. You want the most eye-catching content to...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-05-25 | updated on 2020-07-15
Rename A File - VB.Net
Rename A File - VB.Net ' Change "c:\test.txt" to the path and filename for the file that ' you want to rename. My.Computer.FileSystem.RenameFile("C:\Test.txt",...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-05-19
How to keep a form from losing focus - VB.Net
How to keep a form from losing focus - VB.Net If you want to keep a form from losing focus (i.e. options/preferences form) in your VB.Net program you can use the code...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-05-18 | updated on 2020-07-15
ASP.Net Application Errors
ASP.Net Application Errors I've been working with an ASP.Net application. After publishing the application and moving it to the server, initially I would get an error...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-05-16 | updated on 2020-07-15
Oracle PLSQL Commands
Oracle PLSQL Commands If you are unfamiliar with Oracle DB and/or PL/SQL Commands, you can go to http://www.techonthenet.com and look up a variety of commands to complete...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-05-10
BIRT Reporting
BIRT Reporting If doing a BIRT report and you get a "+ There is no report design object available." error, then you have a version incompatibility. Chances are, there...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-03-30 | updated on 2020-07-15
Free Software for Web Development
Free Software for Web Development Here is a list of some of the free, some which are open-source, software that I use for web development. An internet search will provide...
1 minute read | posted on 2011-03-07 | updated on 2020-07-15
Every Developer Needs A Blog
So after watching a video with Scott Hanselman speaking to a group of Microsoft developers, I decided that I would create a blog for code that I have developed and...
1 minute read | posted on 2010-07-22 | updated on 2023-01-17
Technology
Technology is a challenging field because it is always changing. I share my experiences working with technology here, as it may help others find answers to the problems or...
1 minute read