Deploying a Self-Hosted Link Shortener With Shlink
Run Shlink on a VPS to shorten, track, and redirect your own links with a REST API, QR codes, custom slugs, expiry rules, and visit analytics.
Self-Hosting5 min read
NetBay journal
Guides for operators
Practical guides for Linux, containers, CI/CD, self-hosting, and running VPS infrastructure from Netbay Engineering.
499 articles · 24 topics
AllLinuxLinux AdministrationWindowsLinux SecurityLinux NetworkingContainersContainers & OrchestrationKubernetesCI/CDGitHubSelf-HostingBackups & DataDatabasesApp DeploymentDNS & TLSObservabilityEmailAI AgentsAI InfrastructureAPI & AutomationProxiesCloud ArchitectureHardware & PerformanceDevOps Practices
Arch Linux on a VPS: Minimal Install, AUR, and Rolling Updates
Boot Arch on a VPS from a standard image, keep the base minimal, use the AUR only after reading the PKGBUILD, and roll your updates on a schedule.
Linux7 min read
PersistentVolumes and PVCs in a Single-Node Cluster
Give pods storage that survives restarts using PersistentVolumes and PVCs, with the k3s built-in local-path provisioner.
Kubernetes7 min read
Package Management Compared: apt, dnf, apk, and pacman
Compare apt, dnf, apk, and pacman for installing, updating, and removing software on major Linux distributions.
Linux7 min read
Evaluate AI Agents With Traces, Not Vibes
Stop judging ops agents by one lucky demo. Score JSONL traces against golden tasks so regressions show up before they restart the wrong systemd unit.
AI Agents9 min read
Reading an OCI Image: Layers, Manifests, and What They Mean
Open up a container image to see its layers, manifest digest, and config — and learn why filesystem layers are content-addressed.
Containers & Orchestration7 min read
Docker Image Caching and Layer Ordering Tricks
Speed up image rebuilds by ordering instructions for cache hits and using BuildKit cache mounts: dependencies first, code last, and caches that persist.
Containers7 min read
Debugging GitHub Actions: Re-runs, tmate, Logs and Inputs
Reproduce failing GitHub Actions runs with step debug logs, failed-job re-runs, reproducible local builds, and interactive tmate SSH sessions on the runner.
GitHub7 min read
Rate Limiting Your REST API with HTTP 429
Rate limiting protects both sides of an API. Token buckets, the standard 429 headers, and what well-behaved clients should do with Retry-After.
API & Automation7 min read
Gentoo and Source-Based Distros: When Compiling Everything Is Worth It
What USE flags and source-based installs actually buy you on Gentoo, when compiling everything pays off on a VPS, and when a binary distro is the better bet.
Linux7 min read
Monitoring Every Self-Hosted Service at a Glance
Aggregate all your self-hosted services into one Grafana overview with Prometheus scraping, alerts, and a status page you can actually trust.
Self-Hosting8 min read
Implementing Refresh Tokens Safely in Production
Field-proven guidance on issuing, rotating, storing, and revoking refresh tokens without introducing session-hijack security holes for your API.
API & Automation8 min read