Pete Orrall

https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/@peteorrall

#Human being #actuallyautistic #nerd #electronicmusician and #opensource supporter, #debian and #freebsd enthusiast.

Posts are related to #science #tech and #electronicmusic #production.

Pronouns: Pete/Pete
Backup account: https://mastodon.social/@peteorrall
Website: https://www.peteorrall.com
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/peteorrall

Public Key

npub1z5qsz73rznn0hhe02ru7jhehsg2gr7zlda9shprqnhcy8wjdpraq8ee5zz

NIP-05 Address

[email protected]

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsp2qgp0g33fehmmuh4p70ftumcy9yplp0k7jcts3sfmuzrhfxs37spz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dslfxvgp

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1z5qsz73rznn0hhe02ru7jhehsg2gr7zlda9shprqnhcy8wjdpraq8ee5zz

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Last Notes

2026-10-22 13:22:26 GMT

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"You need to review your processes..."
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

2026-10-21 19:52:41 GMT

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Oh, well isn't *that* interesting!

2026-10-18 13:37:21 GMT

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What's the topic of the talk?

2026-10-16 23:56:18 GMT

Some light #reading on this fine #rainy #October #Friday #night.
#dns #bind #homelab #fun
https://media.bsd.cafe/bsdmmedia01/media_attachments/files/117/453/286/660/780/709/original/d4da2c382d4a9f5f.jpg

2026-10-16 23:28:17 GMT

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In this case it feels like time is flying at Mach 5.

2026-10-16 16:07:57 GMT

How are we halfway thru #October already?!

2026-10-12 13:25:12 GMT

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#ZFS inspires confidence. Truly impressive.

2026-10-12 11:53:53 GMT

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He could have just read the FreeBSD upgrade instructions. 🤣

2026-10-09 22:10:52 GMT

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Well, the first thing that comes to mind when learning that you do have bad moods is, "He's probably stuck managing Windows servers right now."

2026-10-09 20:17:54 GMT

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Frankly, I have a hard time ever seeing you in a bad mood. You are always so positive!

2026-10-09 19:46:13 GMT

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When you're stressed, what fun nerdy things do you enjoy doing on the computer?

2026-10-09 12:53:01 GMT

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Hahahaha! Voice to text failed spectacularly there. It was supposed to be "FreeBSD Jails" not "previous details."

2026-10-09 10:14:39 GMT

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Do the developers know they'll be using previous details?

2026-10-07 19:29:18 GMT

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Where's Oregon Trail?

2026-10-01 17:19:54 GMT

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Developing and testing on the BSDs first isn't a peculiarity. It's awesome.

2026-10-01 14:10:10 GMT

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Congrats! 🎉🎉

2026-10-01 11:42:07 GMT

Good morning everyone! What's on tap for your #Thursday?

2026-09-30 11:40:53 GMT

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Wait til you work in government IT. It's nothing but compliance at the expense of both security and tech innovation. 🤣

2026-09-29 11:31:39 GMT

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Well....at least the vulnerabilities are being addressed.

2026-09-28 14:24:55 GMT

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That's hilarious. I wish I received emails like this for my domains.

2026-09-27 20:26:45 GMT

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Oof...How did you tear your rotator cuff?

2026-09-27 09:14:17 GMT

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That's a good tutorial.

2026-09-27 08:55:06 GMT

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Just looking at the installation instructions it's clear #Mastodon was designed for #Linux.
I want to say I am surprised but unfortunately I am not.

2026-09-26 14:39:28 GMT

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Based purely on the answers alone, this sounds like it came from an #NPR game show quiz. 🤣

2026-09-26 10:46:26 GMT

Question for the #FreeBSD folks:
Have you ever written your own tools or resources, but were NOT part of the #Ports tree, and used #Poudriere to build them?
#RunBSD #tech #homelab

2026-09-25 17:20:47 GMT

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I haven't yet explored #bhyve but since moving to #ZFS I haven't looked back.
Of course, exceptions do exist and in the case of one server its RAID controller doesn't support passthrough mode, so UFS it is. Until I find a way around it.

2026-09-24 13:51:59 GMT

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@npub1t89…42h4
Sorry to hear that.

2026-09-24 10:09:28 GMT

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636MB? What *else* does it do... make your coffee? Jeez lol

2026-09-22 20:41:42 GMT

Does anyone on this fine platform have any experience with the #Unifi series of switches?
I've only used their #wifi access points and I may be in the market for a new layer 3 switch down the road.
#sysadmin #homelab #networking #tech

2026-09-22 20:33:04 GMT

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🤣🤣🤣

2026-09-17 13:28:45 GMT

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Given the cost of servers, it's quickly reaching the point that it only makes sense to buy refurbished ones. RAM is prohibitively expensive. I was unaware that hard drive prices were increasing.

2026-09-14 13:24:26 GMT

I have some questions for the #FreeBSD folks in the room:
1.) What are the best practices for Poudriere and Packages. I understand one shouldn't mix Ports and packages, but I want to have some custom builds for my machines, like vim, zsh, wget, mutt, nano, while not relying on compiling everything. Is there a safe way to do this? Presumably one tracks the same quarterly ports tree as packages. But is there more to it?
2.) When managing software using Poudriere and Ports, how does one manage emergency OOB patches? I would imagine switching Poudriere to use LATEST is an operational death wish.
#RunBSD #homelab #tech #unix #software #sysadmin

2026-09-12 11:59:06 GMT

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I am learning more about #NetBSD everyday. 😃

2026-09-11 19:34:56 GMT

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That right there is the laptop I need for work.

2026-09-09 01:21:37 GMT

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The person behind this is probably a Windows user. 🤣

2026-09-03 19:17:46 GMT

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Dear gods that list is huge. 🤣

2026-09-03 17:09:44 GMT

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@npub1lsc…d2m2
Hell yeah! 🔥
#FreeBSD #RunBSD

2026-08-31 17:17:34 GMT

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Finally! 😃

2026-08-31 11:21:56 GMT

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Wow, you have a busy day. Hoping you can get some downtime.

2026-08-25 11:45:32 GMT

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My hosting provider automatically updates my WordPress sites. I receive the email notification afterwards, otherwise it's out of sight out of mind.
Seriously though... WordPress is a neat and flexible platform but my gods there are security updates. 🤯

2026-08-24 21:29:17 GMT

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I haven't seen any meaningful improvements in smartphones for a while now, *unfortunately.*

2026-08-24 16:40:59 GMT

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I'd have really appreciated an "Absolute Debian."
Any chance this would happen?

2026-08-21 09:01:01 GMT

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What is that server used for just curious?

2026-08-18 15:00:38 GMT

Fellow system administrators, what is the wonkiest system you've had to manage in your career?
#tech #sysadmin #technology #it #informationtechnology #systems #infrastructure #server

2026-08-14 00:32:17 GMT

I've been spending a lot of my time building software with #FreeBSD's Ports system. Sure, I could just install packages but Ports is an incredible learning experience. Poudriere especially.
It's definitely not as straightforward as initially thought and builds will fail for various reasons, but....I haven't had this much fun troubleshooting in a long time.
One question I do have for the folks in the room is:
When it comes to the frequency of pulling down new versions of the Ports tree via git pull, how frequently do people recommend?
The Handbook does not mention it and it's definitely an important operations-related task.
#RunBSD #homelab #learning #tech #unix #BSD

2026-08-13 00:05:31 GMT

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Admittedly I only learned of Fiserv's May incident just minutes before replying.
Nevertheless...
"Two ransomware attacks months apart from each other. *What* are they doing?"

2026-08-12 23:39:34 GMT

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How recent is this list? #Fiserv was just hit by #ransomware back in early May 2026.
#fintech #cybersecurity #tech

2026-08-12 23:27:36 GMT

Spent a couple hours with the fam at the very beautiful Piers Park in #EastBoston. Great views of downtown #Boston.
I will need to return with my DSLR because the phone pics just don't do it justice.
#Massachusetts #summer #sunset #august #city #park #Wednesday
https://media.bsd.cafe/bsdmmedia01/media_attachments/files/117/085/114/626/861/550/original/089ef2792faddefb.jpg

2026-08-12 14:44:18 GMT

Just started reading @npub1ksf…r6s6's FreeBSD Mastery: Jails and this bottom sentence gave me a good chuckle:
"You don't have to run my example applications. Feel free to use your own, inferior, choices."
Yes, Michael, I *will* be using my own inferior choices. In this case, it will be nsd. 😀
#FreeBSD #jails
https://media.bsd.cafe/bsdmmedia01/media_attachments/files/117/083/055/697/919/855/original/f5ad71b497355253.jpg

2026-08-01 15:36:09 GMT

I have a #FreeBSD #VM set up in my #homelab for #Poudriere and #Ports. I've dabbled in the Ports system in the past - it's a useful feature, but there's a lot of work in manually managing builds, especially for n=1 systems. Still, it didn't stop me from wanting to use it.
First impressions with Poudriere? Wow, this makes life so much easier. In the context of #IT #Operations, whoa...this goes well beyond just automating builds in dedicated jails, Poudriere now becomes the enterprise package management repo system.
Wicked sick.
#tech #RunBSD

2026-07-28 12:18:30 GMT

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Precious.

2026-07-27 15:11:32 GMT

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I didn't realize prices increased. Then again, I have 3-4 sitting in my basement rack.

2026-07-26 00:15:38 GMT

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Broken toe?

2026-07-23 23:44:02 GMT

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How many miles?

2026-07-23 14:22:29 GMT

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There are two IMAX theaters in my area with one of them being Boston's Museum of Science.
Having seen films in IMAX since I was a child this news is disappointing at best. It is an *immersive experience* with no equal.

2026-07-22 20:13:35 GMT

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Maybe try writing a whole bunch of stuff to disk but just yank the power cord halfway through the job?
Seems like a good test for any filesystem. 🤣

2026-07-21 20:04:24 GMT

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Not that I disagree with you but as an #actuallyautistic human I communicate extremely literally. Yes, I know I am n=1 here.
Subtext, clairvoyance, and corporate jargon make work more challenging than it needs to be.

2026-07-21 16:47:42 GMT

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Subtext is also most definitely *not* ideal for neurodivergent brains.

2026-07-08 12:12:17 GMT

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It's not even 08:15 EDT and this already made my day. Thanks for sharing.

2026-07-06 14:23:25 GMT

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For giggles, I just asked ChatGPT to summarize your book catalog. The response?
"An error has occurred."
🤣

2026-07-02 12:26:16 GMT

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Both sides feel the same way:
The other group has departed from the official tradition and is therefore wrong.

2026-06-30 21:28:17 GMT

I was going to facetiously post a few paragraphs of Lorem Ipsum #today but then went down the rabbit hole of learning its #history. Oh boy.
It's quite fascinating that it's not just #typography #placeholder #text. It actually comes from an #ancient #Latin #text dating back to 45 BC by the #Roman #statesman and #philosopher #Cicero. The title of the text was "De finibus bonorum et malorum" and it was about #ethics and #pleasure. It was mistranslated years later and used as #dummy text since around the 1500s.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lorem-ipsum
#til #loremipsum #post

2026-06-24 21:53:27 GMT

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I know how that feels.
Back when I was training in Aikido four days a week I was *also* doing Judo, running *up* mountains, and also weight lifting.
At some point along the way my body just said, "I give up!" It just happened to be during a 30 mile ultramarathon.

2026-06-18 14:24:19 GMT

This #Fortinet #firewall attack is turning into a global disaster with more major companies being hit.
The time to change your passwords from "12345" to "12346" was yesterday.
https://www.theregister.com/cyber-crime/2026/06/17/massive-password-stealing-attack-hits-75k-fortinet-firewalls/5257877
#news #technews #cybercrime #cyberattack #security #cybersecurity #tech #password #mfa

2026-06-18 12:01:07 GMT

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Your rats are adorable!

2026-06-16 02:07:40 GMT

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This happened to me with my MacPro a few months ago. I unplugged it to reorganize my music studio. Since plugging it back in and reconnecting things using the same cables in the same ports only the USB-A ports and one TB 3 port works. The USB-C hub I was using for years is no longer recognized but works fine on my Linux laptop.

2026-06-14 13:34:14 GMT

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Kudos for still wearing a mask.
Sure, baggers can't afford to be sick but herein lies a major cultural difference between America and other countries. Sick people wear masks in public to protect others and respect their health.

2026-06-13 14:28:20 GMT

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How low power are we talking about? Just curious.

2026-06-12 15:45:37 GMT

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I understand the convenience part. I still have a flip phone 😎

2026-06-12 14:18:57 GMT

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I've survived just fine for decades doing laundry without that lol.

2026-06-12 14:00:57 GMT

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Why do laundry machines need Bluetooth and an app?

2026-05-23 01:26:23 GMT

Just finished a 2.8 mile meandering #hike through the #woods. #Beautiful #spring #evening for it. Except for the distant roar of highway traffic and crickets, it was #silent. Just what I needed after this busy week.
Here are some pictures of tonight's #sunset from the beaver dam.
#nature #therapy #health #exercise #silence #relaxation #weekend #fridaynight
https://media.bsd.cafe/bsdmmedia01/media_attachments/files/116/621/268/335/580/499/original/e955e7e6360befc7.jpg
https://media.bsd.cafe/bsdmmedia01/media_attachments/files/116/621/268/136/279/142/original/a0fee1aeaa72d68b.jpg
https://media.bsd.cafe/bsdmmedia01/media_attachments/files/116/621/268/092/401/346/original/b2c1e555afe58356.jpg

2026-05-15 20:11:25 GMT

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What martial art do you study?

2025-12-04 00:23:04 GMT

#Microsoft #CEO Satya Nadella just stated that #AI has yet to deliver any real value despite massive investment. People in the #tech #industry are shocked.
Shocked? Really?! What is in the #KoolAid these people are chugging?
AI has brought very little value to, well....anything. It's incredibly damaging to the environment, expensive, and the way it's currently being used isn't respectful of privacy nor does it improve the well-being of peoples' lives. Now it's being shoved into pretty much everything.
The sheer volume of money tech companies are willing to "invest" in it really could solve more imminent social crises.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-shocks-industry-by-admitting-ai-has-yet-to-deliver-real-value-despite-massive-investment/articleshow/121912600.cms
#news #technews #technology #aibubble

2025-11-14 15:36:23 GMT

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Incredible. It's mind-boggling to see companies pay high prices to shoot themselves in the feet.

2025-09-22 02:37:00 GMT

Well, this website is wild. Run functioning versions of vintage Mac and NeXT operating systems from the comfort of your own web browser.
https://infinitemac.org
#tech #apple #next

2025-05-04 23:25:30 GMT

Howdy #everyone!
Time for an #introduction. I'm Pete, a #neurodivergent and #actuallyautistic #humanbeing who is enthusiastic about #technology especially #linux and #unix systems.
I've been on #Mastodon for a few years now and really enjoy it. After having many positive interactions with folks from the BSD Cafe, I recently joined this instance for tech-specific posts.
My "main" account on mastodon.social is for human rights, social issues, and politics.
I look forward to engaging discussions with you all!