Jonathan Matthews

A #cloud'y #linux #sysadmin in the UK. He/him & Pan.

Currently mucking about with #cuelang #plaintextaccounting #i3wm #selfhosting and #degoogle’ing by moving from ChromeOS to #devuan #linux on a pair of StarLabs laptops.

Very happy to talk about anything related (or adjacent) to tech; or anything unrelated - so long as it includes #respect for people and #empathy for folks feelings :-) #nobot

Public Key

npub1ud6wv9ffpyj7v9msn98mqjm56rzdqagwpgv84hnpw9lhgakepk6qjfdgjs

NIP-05 Address

jonathanmatthews_at_fosstodon.org@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqswxa8xz55sjf0xzacfjnasfd6dp3xsw58q5xr6meshzlm5wmvsmdqlatjkk

Author Public Key

npub1ud6wv9ffpyj7v9msn98mqjm56rzdqagwpgv84hnpw9lhgakepk6qjfdgjs

Show more details

Last Notes

2024-07-10 02:17:39

- reply

@npub13n4…3h2h Which one? Haven't there been a few?

2024-06-21 16:09:36

Don't forget that it's near the end of #cat planting season here in the UK. If you leave it too late, like I have, they'll start to plant themselves in any old pot-shaped object they spot lying around ... 🙄 #CatsOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/112/655/459/888/268/629/original/e31843f37fb6da82.jpeg

2024-06-18 08:21:38

A quick question for #writers: what's your online thesaurus of choice?
I find myself using search engines' "synonym:foo" *lots* in my writing process, but the set of sites that's returned includes some absolute /trash/. I've got a paperback Roget's (the proper one, here in the UK, not the USA's free-for-all!) but the lure of staying in the flow when typing is too great, so I end up using online searches.
I'm not averse to paying for access to a high-quality resource - any ideas? #Documentation

2024-05-29 12:02:22

http://localghost:wooOOOooo

2024-05-24 13:48:02

Anyone know if it's possible to get #curl to read a #netrc file and pick up a bearer token? I.e. *not* to discover a username and password, and munge them into a Basic Auth header, but to use a value verbatim from the file ...

2024-05-22 18:48:35

The official #ukpol GE hashtag has got to be #ThingsCanOnlyGetWetter amirite?

2024-05-08 17:38:58

- reply

@npub198t…hasj Oh, TVM - unexpected but appreciated :-) [The link needs a tweak ;-)]

2024-05-08 17:27:09

- reply

@npub198t…hasj Oh, very nice :-) One notable (direct) omission that might be worth editing in there: the .example TLD. I know you incorporate it by reference but IMHO it's the standout from RFC6761 (along with .test)!

2024-05-08 17:22:55

#TIL that there are UK #telephone number ranges reserved for "drama" - but you can of course just re-purpose them for your #documentation: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/information-for-industry/numbering/numbers-for-drama

2024-04-27 08:21:39

I *really* want to get a #CharaChorder X (https://docs.charachorder.com/CharaChorder%20X.html), but OMFG ~40 quid shipping on an 80 quid USB dongle? Anyone seen them for sale in the UK, pre-imported, by any chance? Or have one to sell on? #CharaChorderX #Chording #Keyboard #Writing

2024-04-24 09:37:34

- reply

@npub1dfe…yx8m Right. That's the tricky part.

2024-04-24 09:36:19

- reply

@npub1dfe…yx8m How would that serve the git history?

2024-04-24 09:31:27

Have you ever seen a #git web UI that's suitable for #StaticSite hosting? I'm /imagining/ it'd have to be a client-side #javascript thing ... but I'm open to any options that let me serve up a browsable web view of a repo and its history, without server-side code 🤔 #SSG #staticsitegenerator #webui

2024-04-23 12:31:49

A question for folks who've worked via a fixed-term #contract: how has the notice period (on both sides of the contract) typically related to the *length* of the fixed term? Is it guaranteed work for the entire fixed term; or does it generally entail shorter notice periods than that? #contractors #contracting #fixedterm #contractor

2024-04-20 15:00:02

Anyone ever seen examples of #gomplate being used as an #mdBook preprocessor? #docs #documentation #techwriting #DocsAsCode #pleaseboost

2024-04-18 13:39:12

Porcupines:
Naturalist William J. Long reported the taste of the North American porcupine as "vile" and "malodorous" and delightful only to a lover of strong cheese.
With regards to a Maine state law that restricted the killing of porcupines to keep them available as an emergency game for people lost in the woods, he noted:
> "It is undoubtedly a good law; but I cannot now imagine anyone being grateful for it, unless the stern alternative were death or porcupine."
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine#Uses_by_humans

2024-04-13 18:49:11

Well, that was a hell of a #hike today - over 30km! Up the #Oxford Canal to Annie's Tearooms at #Thrupp, back over to #Islip, and a brief #train ride back to Oxford. We even got to play at riverboat life and handle the lock gates for this *ridiculously* shiny and fantastic narrow boat!
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/112/265/377/767/012/717/original/67a982187d1027c2.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/112/265/384/574/982/431/original/601c218580cbb1c1.jpeg

2024-04-09 16:15:30

So I'm heading into hospital tomorrow, to be knocked out and opened up. First time under general anaesthetic for me, so I'm a tad nervous!
It turns out that the mobile phone I'm taking with me is so old that it can't be told that the year is 2024, let alone "access the internet", so I'll be offline all day 😁
See you all on the other side 👋
Have a photo of Charlie the #cat while I'm gone ...
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/112/242/141/632/130/231/original/4b74c259fa57ea6a.jpeg

2024-04-06 16:17:27

Just a brief reminder that every #AWS VM/container/etc you give a public #IPv4 #IP address to now costs you $3.65/month more than in 2023. AWS charges per IP-address per-hour.

2024-04-03 20:37:44

- reply

@npub198t…hasj Just remember (IIRC!) that if you "vidir ." and *delete* any lines, you're actually deleting the underlying files, not telling it "don't bother to handle these" :-)

2024-04-03 20:32:31

- reply

@npub198t…hasj cf. vidir, part of moreutils: https://manpages.debian.org/testing/moreutils/vidir.1.en.html

2024-03-29 19:26:30

- reply

@npub1npy…3sf4 Yep - it was! I hurt in several places!!

2024-03-29 17:40:54

Today I jogged and fast-walked 35km from #Oxford, up the towpath to #Woodstock, and back. I am *ready* for a cup of tea!! #Exercise #Hiking

2024-03-07 21:16:24

- reply

@npub124k…rtwh Whilst I'm on a Chromebook, I believe the Linux subsystem exposes Wayland. I use "wl-copy" from the wl-clipboard package.

2024-03-02 04:12:14

Anyone else receive an unexpected zero-value invoice from #Cloudflare? Looks like their billing system might've had a leap-year moment ...

2024-02-25 15:22:49

UK #condiment fiends: share your best sources of hot sauces, lime pickles, etc!
I don't know /anything/ about where to get good ones - please enlighten me 😀🥵
#condiments #hotsauce #limepickle #AskFedi #Food #chilli #chillisauce

2024-02-20 08:13:36

Won't SOMEONE turn the sun off, please? #CatsOfMastodon
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/962/793/832/069/177/original/48b3ba1f9e2c8150.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/962/794/152/126/668/original/c8367c9dbb194ddd.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/962/794/344/502/007/original/df27564aa1b76c9a.jpeg

2024-02-10 17:18:18

If you were a (UK) business with more than 85,000 GBP to stick into savings accounts, how would you handle it?
Related but separate: I *vaguely* recall a service which keeps an eye on different banks' accounts' rates, and does periodic sweeps to make sure that no single account is outside the #FSCS coverage limit (of 85k) ... but I can't remember its name 🙄 #UkBusiness #Banking #FinancialServicesCompensationScheme #Interest #BusinessBanking #UK #AskFedi #Business #Savings

2024-01-20 21:19:52

- reply

@npub18yg…qgts This is Charlie! He lived most of his 16 years up in Ripon, North Yorkshire, with a friend of our family, Audrey, and his sister, Lola. Audrey passed away in 2022, and our family had promised to look after both Charlie & Lola. Sadly, Lola had to be put down before she reached us, but Charlie came through & has been a friendly and very vocal ray of sunshine in our lives ever since! I'm gently memorialising all 3 in the docs I write for my day job :-) https://alpha.cuelang.org/docs/howto/transform-yaml-with-cue/
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/790/309/631/077/550/original/e613f512791ddc87.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/790/312/882/207/759/original/de880945a3a156ce.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/790/315/522/372/220/original/1af43ea68285a7c2.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/111/790/322/778/408/994/original/8e5c7abafab1c5e9.jpeg

2024-01-11 19:02:25

- reply

@npub1w66…rc58 Ah, no - they explicitly say all their transactions are in USD: https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/payments/currencies#at-checkout. My bank hits me annoyingly hard with non-GBP FX fees, which I try to avoid ... but I'll pay them on this occasion 🙂

2024-01-11 18:52:24

- reply

@npub1w66…rc58 Fantastic! Wanting to adopt Guix, as I do, and coming at it from a sysadmin PoV, the learning of a "proper" language (relative to shell!) has been a significant off-putting factor ... especially one as seemingly daunting as lisp/scheme/etc! I'll register this evening :-) Do you have a way for me to pay in GBP, by any chance?

2023-12-24 22:09:49

- reply

@npub1hvz…mle9 Giving it a listen - ta very much! Did you ever try A Very Fatal Murder? It's *fab* :-) https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-very-fatal-murder/id1333714430

2023-12-23 19:36:31

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh It's /substantially/ behind Bash, alphabetically.

2023-11-15 13:08:41

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh Slough?

2023-11-06 16:57:39

@npub1hvz…mle9 👋 Here's a question that came up today in some writing...
(How) Do you capitalise the words at the start of a sentence when the first word is in parentheses, as this one is, as it's asking 2 questions simultaneously? Are both words capitalised? Just one?

2023-10-31 21:19:20

Today marks the end of another year for JCM Systems - my 1-man-band #DevOps/#Sysadmin/etc company with the *best* website that money didn't buy: https://www.jcm-systems.co.uk/
After over a decade of independent, getting-shit-done #operations work, I'm /finally/ in a place where I'm comfortable with what I enjoy; why I'm doing this; and with saying no to the "wrong" kind of gigs.
I'm not actively looking for client work right now, but if you want to Make Opsy Things Better for folks, give me a kick 😀

2023-09-30 08:59:57

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh I mean, gold-plated /anything/ would definitely make me feel fancier ... 🎩💅

2023-09-30 08:51:11

The fact that quite a few #toslink optical cables advertised on Amazon make a feature of their "gold-plated connectors" is ... concerning 🤦‍♂️

2023-09-25 21:46:41

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh YW :-)

2023-09-25 21:45:17

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh I use the service professionally, and decided to pay, annually, at the highest level they made available. My (1-man-band) company pays for it (as it's a legitimate company expense) and I like that I get to choose which companies my corporate GBPs support; especially when their values appear to align with my own.
On your other questions: you might like to read this financial report from earlier this year, on the sourcehut blog: https://sourcehut.org/blog/2023-03-27-2022-financial-report/

2023-09-23 19:41:50

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh PS thanks for pointing out that I can link to git.\sr\.ht/~me and not just the sr.\.ht profile page!

2023-09-23 19:41:05

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh I'm doing an experiment to see if Mastodon verification follows HTTP 3XXs; and then figuring out if by some chance it followed the link to your /homepage/, and then found the rel="me" link there ... :[-)

2023-09-23 19:37:47

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh Hmmm, that's got me 5% confused. I can see that your Fosstodon profile has verified the Sourcehut page, but I can't figure out /why/!
I can't see the requisite 'rel="me"' link in the git\.sr\.ht source. I *can* see the link to your homepage, which contains that link, but the Mastodon link on Sourcehut via the Markdown/bio field is missing the all-important "rel" attribute... 😕 🤔 🤔 🤔

2023-09-23 19:06:32

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh Just tested - seems to work for me! https://fosstodon.org/@jonathanmatthews
IIRC you're best served by doing it in this order:
- add the link towards your mastodon profile to the URL field on https://meta.sr.ht/profile
- give it 30 seconds
- add link in the form of https://sr.ht/~you to your mastodon profile

2023-09-23 17:47:37

- reply

@npub1sg4…xslc @npub1m26…2jhh Oh - so the -d param mentioned on https://srht.site/quickstart, under "Uploading your tarball", needs to contain the custom FQDN?

2023-09-23 17:44:37

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh I suspect that you simply need to wait, after repointing DNS, and not flip flop back to codeberg - perhaps for as long as your old record's TTL was, and then some.
Basically, everyone in the TLS certificate issuance process needs to have the same view of your DNS, which can vary (e.g. based on caching) for at least as long as your /previous/ TTL was. And after that point, /then/ sourcehut's "fetch a TLS cert" process needs to begin.
In short: sit and wait! :-)

2023-09-22 21:03:18

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh TVM!

2023-09-22 20:07:47

I think I'm going to need to move away from an utterly bog-standard #mouse and start using the stationary #trackball variety. Not for ergonomics or similar, but for desk layout.
Is there anything I should know about different types, brands, or sub-varieties before taking a punt on one? #technology #reccomendations #reccomendation #SuggestionsPlease!

2023-09-09 16:42:44

A question for any #sourcehut users who submit builds to the builds.sr.ht service via its git.sr.ht integration (https://man.sr.ht/builds.sr.ht/#gitsrht): are there any tricks to having a persistent `main` branch .build.yml file in place, whilst trying to minimise the load on the build service?
I know about `git push -o skip-ci`, but I'm definitely not going to remember to do that on every push to (or config of) each non-build-worthy branch.
Any ideas/tricks/etc?

2023-08-30 18:09:07

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh it's because of the shell that's in use: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/43661482/echo-printing-e-in-bash

2023-08-22 19:11:29

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh hah, thanks! I hadn't realised you were using (can /only/ use?) aerc as an interface to a locally populated maildir mirror of the remote server - I'll have to have a think about that approach vs IMAP/JMAP/etc online access.

2023-08-19 19:33:55

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh 🐠

2023-08-19 19:32:48

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh Heh, TVM! Happy to nudge you in a week/fortnight/etc if that'd save you the bother of remembering :-)

2023-08-19 19:22:41

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh if you felt able to share whatever aerc setup you find that works for fastmail hosted domains, I'd love to see it :-)

2023-08-19 16:40:00

Does anyone know (or could point to) the theoretical or practical limit on the number of deployed #AWS #Lambda functions that an account can contain? I can't see the question answered anywhere.
Not concurrent executions; not provisioned capacity; not create-function-requests-per-second; not function versions ... but the number of uniquely named functions that can be deployed, possibly sitting unused, ready to be invoked, in an AWS account ... 🤔 #serverless

2023-08-08 19:53:16

- reply

@npub1m26…2jhh I recently bought a Dell U2722DE for £320+VAT, and have been very pleasantly surprised. It’s a 27” USB hub model, with Ethernet hanging off the bus, and the version /without/ RJ45 is ~£100 less. The U2722<something-without-an-E-suffix>. The Dell Ultrasharp line (the U prefix) is really nice.

2023-07-18 08:36:04

#Cat owners: do you have a bowl that detects your cat’s microchip in order to open only when it’s present?
- do you have a brand/model recommendation?
- did you worry that the microchip’s location in your cat might be “wrong” and not trigger the sensor?
- after the lid opens, how far away can your cat move and the lid /stays/ open? << genuine question!
#PleaseBoost!
#pet #cats #catfood #pets #gadgets

2023-07-15 12:52:05

A biiiiiIIIIIiiiiig #caturday stretch …
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/110/718/180/519/593/804/original/f5731c263e12966e.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/110/718/180/941/157/829/original/94fa5e14961d5b1d.jpeg
https://cdn.fosstodon.org/media_attachments/files/110/718/181/181/041/028/original/8dc3bbf33552ca06.jpeg

2023-07-08 08:00:21

- reply

@npub1w66…rc58 @npub197p…v7st Gandi recently jacked prices /horribly/, after their acquisition by an entity known for … jacking prices horribly after acquiring companies. Check your domain renewal prices, and compare with other sites.
I’ve moved off them (to @npub1nzl…pnxl ) after a decade of using gandi.

2023-06-25 11:52:29

- reply

@npub1sg4…xslc I /genuinely/ can’t distinguish between you pointing it out as something amusing Vs. you holding that up as something stereotypical of douchebags who see CoCs as unnecessary, “because Just Be Nice is all we need” 🤷