Load Average and CPU Steal on Virtualized Hosts
Learn what load average and the Unix CPU steal column really mean on a shared VPS, and how to tell noisy neighbours from real, unavoidable demand.
Hardware & Performance6 min read
NetBay journal
Guides for operators
Practical guides for Linux, containers, CI/CD, self-hosting, and running VPS infrastructure from Netbay Engineering.
599 articles · 24 topics
AllLinuxLinux AdministrationWindowsLinux SecurityLinux NetworkingContainersContainers & OrchestrationKubernetesCI/CDGitHubSelf-HostingBackups & DataDatabasesApp DeploymentDNS & TLSObservabilityEmailAI AgentsAI InfrastructureAPI & AutomationProxiesCloud ArchitectureHardware & PerformanceDevOps Practices
Reranking RAG Results on a Small CPU VPS
Rerank a short hybrid shortlist with a MiniLM cross-encoder on CPU so the generator sees the right source chunk without calling a vendor rank API.
AI Infrastructure8 min read
iptables vs nftables: Server Firewall Basics
Understand the transition from iptables to nftables and write clean, maintainable firewall rules for your Linux VPS.
Linux Networking8 min read
systemd Targets and Boot Order: What Actually Happens at Boot
Follow the dependency chain from sysinit.target through multi-user to graphical, and finally understand what determines boot order on a modern server.
Linux Administration6 min read
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
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