OPNSense with remote logging

My OPNSense has been crashing - maybe due to heat?

The OPNSense box logs to RAM, as I want to avoid disk usage as the box runs on NVMe / SSD. The logs on RAM get lost.

Here's how to setup basic remote logging to a local server running syslog-ng...

OPNSense with a NordVPN tunnel for clients

NordVPN does not provide support for native router configurations using the WireGuard protocol. NordLynx, which has been developed by NordVPN, is fundamentally based on the WireGuard VPN protocol. It is possible to establish a NordVPN WireGuard tunnel for the router, and to enable the router to offer NordVPN to its clients. Here's how I configured NordVPN on OPNSense version 25.7... 

Set up a Dell Wyse 5070 for Proxmox VE

Setting up a Dell WYSE for Proxmox VE, addition an additional 1tb NVMe to store VMs...

The Dell comes in a 8gb DDR4 ram / 32gb NVMe configuration, with a Pentium Silver J5005. I found one on eBay for £50, it is ideal for trying out proxmox. 

The unit as standard has one NVMe which is on a standard PCIe x4 M key socket (SATA based). I will use this as the Proxmox system drive. I want to add another large NVMe SSD to store the Proxmox VMs and some local storage. Here's how...

Ubuntu - VPN with Wireguard server and client setup

Here's how to install wireguard on Ubuntu, and to configure it as a server.

And setup the iOS wireguard client....

OPNSense - How to optimise power and temperatures ( BKIPC Topton Intel N100 i226-V )

Topton sell a unit ideal for OPNSense. Based off an Intel N100, with an Intel i226 4 port 2.5GbE switch, HDMI, DisplayPort, NVMe and 6 USB.. it's ideal. But unfortunately, it runs hot.

Here's how to lower the power usage (and temperature) given the box uses only 5-10% of CPU utilisation for OPNSense...

HP Procurve: Setup 802.1X authentication with FreeRADIUS and OPNSense

 How to setup 802.1X authentication using EAP-MD5 (passwords not certs)...

HP Procurve: Setup time on HP 2910-AL with SNTP / NTP

 Login to the console (via serial or ssh) then...

Samba quota via sparse container

Creating a sparse file, formatting it with a file system, mounting it, and sharing it.

SSH setup

 Setup of SSH...

Upgrade / update Home Assistant HASS docker container...

How to upgrade HASS Home Assistant docker container on Linux... without docker-compose...

Shred in WSL on Win10 | Secure erase on windows subsystem for linux

How to use the linux shred tool on a windows machine to secure erase an external disk. This guide assumes the WSL has already been setup.

Enable hard drive standby / Advanced Power Management on Linux

My disks don't spin down, here's how I fixed it:

Ubuntu as an Apple Time Machine capsule with Netatalk 3

In 2016 I wrote "Apple's TimeMachine now works with Samba SMB2. Apple also is moving to depreciate AFP which was the previously underpinned TimeMachine" Fast forward to 2020 - what a year:

• I have finally upgraded from Ubuntu 16.04 LTS > 20.04 LTS
• Samba was never really hugely reliable for TimeMachine in my experience
• Netatalk is still around now at version 3
• MacOS I'm running is High Sierra (no Catalina yet) and still has AFP

Tl;DR here is how to set up Time Machine capsule on Ubuntu upgrading to Netatalk 3, from Netatalk 2.

Linux firewall settings for Apple Airplay (Shairport / Shairtunes / Shairplay)

VS. 

The following has taken me an eternity to figure out. I use Airplay from a Linux server to Apple and other airplay devices on my network. Configuring the firewall properly for this to work has not been simple - many guides are vague and lack the specifics needed.

My actual configuration centres around Logitech's squeezeboxserver now known as logitechmediaserver 'LMS' whereby I use the following plugins:

AirPlay bridge - this enables Airplay devices to be used as if they were squeezebox devices, i.e. I can play my LMS stored music / radio / spotify on any of my Airplay devices

ShairTunes2 - this enables Squeezebox devices to be Airplayed to, i.e. I can Airplay from my iPhone/iPad/Mac etc. to any of my LMS squeezebox devices. This is an incarnation of shairplay / shairport .

For along time I have had to disable my firewall to enable my LMS device to connect to my Airplay devices and for music to flow. Once the connection is established I had to then re-enable my firewall - which is not ideal and very cumbersome. Whilst the Airplay devices always showed up in LMS and LMS client the music would just not stream. 

Here's how to configure a linux firewall with UFW to enable Airplay:

VNC Clipboard not working fix

Clipboard not working over VNC to Linux? To share clipboard over VNC if its not working (e.g. on xfce) try autocutsel.

sudo apt install autocutsel -y