Code, Security and Server Stuff

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Personal Development Blog...

Coding for fun since 1996, Learn by doing and sharing.

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"If you're not still learning, you're already dying."
- Ryan Holiday - Ego is the Enemy

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  1. How to backup and restore a MySQL database on Windows and Linux (4/21/2019) - Why backup and restore This is a quick guide demonstrating how you can backup and restore a MySQL database on Windows and Linux using Adminer. You may need to know… Read More
  2. Setting up the free MySQL database server on Windows 10 (4/20/2019) - This guide assumes you are a beginner using Windows 10 and maybe have a default website configured on Windows 10 using the built in Information Server (IIS) along with PHP… Read More
  3. Using the WinSCP Client on Windows to transfer files to and from a Linux server over SFTP (4/17/2019) - This is a quick guide for people that do not know you can also transfer files over SSH connection to/from a server with SFTP. SFTP is a protocol that works… Read More
  4. Connecting to a server via SSH with Putty (4/7/2019) - This post aims to show how you can connect to a remote VM server using Telnet/SSH Secure shell with a free program called Putty on Windows. This not an advanced… Read More
  5. How to code PHP on your localhost and deploy to the cloud via SFTP with PHPStorm by Jet Brains (3/31/2019) - This is a quick guide that will show you how you can connect to a cloud server via SFTP with the PHPStorm IDE from Jet Brians and deploy files from… Read More
  6. Setting web push notifications in WordPress with OneSignal (3/26/2019) - Learn how to set up web push notifications on your blog with OneSignal Read More
  7. Setup a Certification Authority Authorization (CAA) DNS record(s) to prevent https cert issue/misuse (3/18/2019) - This is how I setup Certification Authority Authorization (CAA) DNS record(s) to prevent https cert issue/misuse on my domain and 1 sub domain. Read More
  8. I am moving away from Apple hardware (2/3/2019) - I am moving away from Apple hardware. My Late 2012 Mac Book Pro Retina laptop is all but dead, it has many dead pixels and because of the poor cooling… Read More
  9. Updating NGINX to the development branch to get more frequent updates and features over the stable branch (11/20/2018) - How to update NGINX to the development branch (on Ubuntu) to get more frequent updates and features over the stable branch Read More
  10. Replacing Google Analytics with Piwik/Matomo for a locally hosted privacy focused open source analytics solution (11/18/2018) - This is how I replacing Google Analytics with Piwik/Matomo for a locally hosted privacy-focused open source analytics solution Advertisement: Aside I have a number of guides on moving away from CPanel,… Read More
  11. How to install PHP 7.2.latest on Ubuntu 16.04 (11/17/2018) - How to install PHP 7.2.latest on Ubuntu 16.04/ Ubuntu 18.04/Debian etc/ Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving away from CPanel, Setting up VM's on UpCloud, AWS, Vultr… Read More
  12. Check the compatibility of your WordPress theme and plugin code with PHP Compatibility Checker (11/7/2018) - This is how I checked the compatibility of my WordPress theme and plugin (code) with PHP Compatibility Checker Advertisement: Aside I have a number of guides on moving away from CPanel,… Read More
  13. Add two factor auth login protection to WordPress with YubiCo hardware YubiKeys and or 2FA Authenticator App (10/28/2018) - Here is a quick guide to show you how to add two-factor auth login protection to WordPress with YubiCo hardware YubiKeys and or 2FA authenticator app Advertisement: I have a… Read More
  14. I moved my domain to UpCloud (on the other side of the world) from Vultr (Sydney) and could not be happier with the performance. (10/27/2018) - I moved my domain to UpCloud (on the other side of the world) from Vultr (Sydney) and could not be happier with the performance. Here is what I did to… Read More
  15. Setup two factor authenticator protection at login on Ubuntu or Debian (10/14/2018) - This is a quick post that shows how I set up two-factor authenticator protection at login on Ubuntu or Debian Advertisement: Aside If you have not read my previous posts… Read More
  16. Using the Yubico YubiKey NEO hardware-based two-factor authentication device to improve authentication and logins to OSX and software (10/4/2018) - This post aims to show you how you can use a Yubico YubiKey NEO hardware-based two-factor authentication device to improve authentication and logins to OSX and other software and services.… Read More
  17. Monitor server performance with NixStats and receive alerts by SMS, Push, Email, Telegram etc (10/3/2018) - This is a draft post showing how you can monitor the performance of a server (or servers) with NixStats and receive alerts by SMS, Push, Email, Telegram etc fyi: This… Read More
  18. Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 5].. (10/1/2018) - Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 2] This post has been split up to make this page load faster:… Read More
  19. Is OSX Mojave on a 2014 MacBook Pro slower or faster than High Sierra (10/1/2018) - This is a quick post to see if OSX Mojave runs slower on a Mid 2014 Mac Book Pro than High Sierra Advertisement: Aside If you have not read my previous posts… Read More
  20. Useful Java FX Code I use in a project using IntelliJ IDEA and jdk1.8.0_161.jdk (9/15/2018) - This is some useful Java FX Code I use in a project using IntelliJ IDEA and jdk1.8.0_161.jdk. I am sharing this code here for the #100DaysOfCode readers and people looking for… Read More
  21. Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 4].. (9/13/2018) - Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 2] This post has been split up to make this page load faster:… Read More
  22. Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 3].. (9/13/2018) - Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 2] This post has been split up to make this page load faster:… Read More
  23. Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 2].. (9/13/2018) - Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened [Part 2] This post has been split up to make this page load faster:… Read More
  24. Protected: Test (9/1/2018) - Test File (location hidden) Number of Downloads Read More
  25. No matter what server-provider you are using I strongly recommend you have a hot spare ready on a different provider (8/5/2018) - No matter what server-provider you are using I strongly recommend you have a hot spare ready on a different provider Advertisement: Aside If you have not read my previous posts… Read More
  26. Telstra promised Fibre to the house (FTTP) when I had FTTN and this is what happened.. (7/28/2018) - This post is for Telstra (to help a 10+-week investigation into Telstra NBN issues). This post has been split up to make this page load faster: Read [Part 1] [Part… Read More
  27. Upgraded to Wordfence Premium to get real-time login defence, malware scanner and two-factor authentication for WordPress logins (7/23/2018) - This is a quick post that shows how I upgraded to Wordfence Premium to get real-time defence feeds, malware scanner and two-factor authentication for WordPress logins Advertisement: Aside If you… Read More
  28. Setup a dedicated Debian subdomain (VM), Install MySQL 14 and connect to it from a WordPress on a different VM (7/21/2018) - This is how I set up a dedicated Debian subdomain (VM), Installed MySQL 14 and connected to it from a WordPress installation on a different VM Advertisement: Aside If you… Read More
  29. Why I will never buy a new Apple Laptop until they fix the hardware cooling issues. (7/20/2018) - This post will explain why I will never buy a new Apple Laptop until they fix the hardware cooling issues. Background I used to work in retail selling computers and… Read More
  30. Set up Feature-Policy, Referrer-Policy and Content Security Policy headers in Nginx (7/17/2018) - This is a quick post that shows how I set up the "Feature-Policy", "Referrer-Policy" and "Content Security Policy" headers in Nginx to tighter security and privacy. Advertisement: Aside If you… Read More
  31. Setting up DNSSEC on a Namecheap domain hosted on UpCloud using CloudFlare (7/15/2018) - This is how I setup DNSSEC on a Namecheap domain hosted on UpCloud using CloudFlare to setup DNS security extensions Advertisement: If you have not read my previous posts I… Read More
  32. Set up a whitelisted IP on an UpCloud VM and WordPress using a VPN to get a static IP address (7/5/2018) - This is how I set up a whitelisted IP on an UpCloud VM and WordPress using a VPN to get a static IP address Advertisement: If you have not read my… Read More
  33. Creating your first Java FX app and using the Gluon Scene Builder in the IntelliJ IDEA IDE (7/3/2018) - This is quick guide explaining how I created my first JavaFX application using the Gluon Scene Builder in the IntelliJ IDEA IDE. Advertisement: I have a number of guides on… Read More
  34. Adding two sub domains (one pointing to a new UpCloud VM and the other pointing to an NGINX subsite) on Ubuntu 18.04 (6/27/2018) - Here is how I added two subdomains (one pointing to a new UpCloud VM and the other pointing to an NGINX subsite) on Ubuntu 18.04 Advertisement: If you have not… Read More
  35. Upgrading an Ubuntu server on UpCloud to add more CPU, Memory and Disk Space (6/25/2018) - Upgrading an Ubuntu server on UpCloud to add more CPU, Memory and Disk Space Advertisement: If you have not read my previous posts I have now moved my blog from… Read More
  36. How to use the UpCloud API to manage your UpCloud servers (6/17/2018) - How to use the UpCloud API to manage your UpCloud servers. Advertisement: If you have not read my previous posts I have now moved my blog etc to the awesome… Read More
  37. Measuring VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud – Part 4 of 4 (6/5/2018) - How can you measure VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud - Part 4 of 4 Advertisement: Read Part 1,… Read More
  38. Measuring VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud – Part 3 of 4 (6/5/2018) - How can you measure VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud - Part 3 of 4 Advertisement: Read Part 1,… Read More
  39. Measuring VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud – Part 2 of 4 (6/5/2018) - How can you measure VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud - Part 2 of 4 Advertisement: Read Part 1,… Read More
  40. Measuring VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud – Part 1 of 4 (6/2/2018) - How can you measure VM performance (CPU, Disk, Latency, Concurrent Users etc) on Ubuntu and comparing Vultr, Digital Ocean and UpCloud - Part 1 of 4. Update: I moved my… Read More
  41. How I upgraded from a standalone 1Password 6.x licence to 1Password (7+) cloud subscription on OSX (5/27/2018) - This is how I upgraded from my standalone 1Password 6.x family licence to a 1Password 7 cloud subscription on OSX. I am not reviewing 1Password here. Advertisement: This is NOT… Read More
  42. Privacy, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) information for WordPress bloggers. (5/25/2018) - This is a short post with General Privacy, Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) information for WordPress bloggers. Advertisement: Note: This is not legal advice, just late minute information on current opinions… Read More
  43. Setting strong SSL cryptographic protocols and ciphers on Ubuntu and NGINX (5/15/2018) - This guide will aim to inform you of strong cryptographic protocols and ciphers to use on a web server on Ubuntu 16.04 and NGINX. Advertisement: Secure encryption protocols are used… Read More
  44. Open a Windows 10 Boot Camp Installation on OSX in Parallels (like a VM) (4/29/2018) - This guide will show you how you can open a Windows 10 Boot Camp Installation on OSX in Parallels (like a VM). Advertisement: Installing Parallels on a Mac allows you to install… Read More
  45. How to backup WordPress on a host that has CPanel (4/29/2018) - This is a simple guide that demonstrates how you can log in to a host that offers the CPanel tools to backup all of your website files (and databases). Backing… Read More
  46. How to free up disk space in OSX (4/22/2018) - It will happen to everyone, you will run out of space (on your computer or device) and you will need to free some space. Apple OSX computers that only have… Read More
  47. How to install Windows 10 Pro alongside an OSX partition with Apple Boot Camp (4/20/2018) - This guide will show you how to install Windows 10 Pro alongside an OSX partition with Apple Boot Camp. Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving away from… Read More
  48. Moving an Ubuntu 16.04 VM on Vultr from one data centre to another via snapshots (4/17/2018) - This guide will show how you can move an Ubuntu VM server domain between Vultr data centres via snapshots. Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving away from CPanel, Setting… Read More
  49. Securing Google G Suite email by setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC with Cloudflare (4/14/2018) - This post will show you how you can setup Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) Signatures and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) on your GMail (G… Read More
  50. Deploying nodejs apps in the background and monitoring them with PM2 from keymetrics.io (4/10/2018) - This guide will help you install and setup the pm2 NodejJS process monitor PM2 from Keymetrics.io for free and manage your node apps performance and exceptions. Advertisement: What is PM2?… Read More
  51. Enabling TLS 1.3 SSL on a NGINX Website (Ubuntu 16.04 server) that is using Cloudflare (4/5/2018) - This guide will show you how to enable the latest Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 protocol with it's predecessor Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) with NGINX and OpenSSL for better website… Read More
  52. Using Cloudflare DNS servers to speed up the internet and add privacy on OSX (4/2/2018) - Below is how I setup my OSX to use Cloudflare's new DNS servers to speed up internet browsing and add privacy on OSX Advertisement: Cloudflare has launched a DNS service: https://blog.cloudflare.com/announcing-1111/… Read More
  53. Write your first Java GUI app (3/31/2018) - Here is a quick guide that shows how you can create and compile your first Java app with Net Beans. Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving hasting away form CPanel,… Read More
  54. Why I am deleting my Facebook account (3/30/2018) - Below are the reasons why I am deleting my Facebook account. Advertisement: I enjoyed sending photos to Facebook (for family and friends to see) along with reading random information from… Read More
  55. How to purchase your own domain name and set up a web server from $5 a month (3/28/2018) - This guide will show technically minded people how you can purchase your own domain name, set up a web server on Vultr with an online store using WordPress/WooCommerce from $5 a… Read More
  56. Using the Qualys FreeScan Scanner to test your website for online vulnerabilities (3/23/2018) - It is possible to deploy a server in minutes to hours but it can take days to secure.  What tools can you use to help identify what to secure on… Read More
  57. Using OWASP ZAP GUI to scan your Applications for security issues (3/17/2018) - OWASP is a non-profit that lists the Top Ten Most Critical Web Application Security Risks, they also have a GUI Java tool called OWASP Zap that you can use to… Read More
  58. Backing up OSX or an Ubuntu server with Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage from the Command Line (3/14/2018) - This computer will show you can back up computer or server with Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage from the Command Line n OSX and Ubuntu. Advertisement: This post is still being… Read More
  59. Setting up a website to use Cloudflare on a VM hosted on Vultr and Namecheap (3/13/2018) - This guide will show how you can set up a website to use Cloudflare on a VM hosted on Vultr and Namecheap Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving… Read More
  60. Setting up the Debian Kali Linux distro to perform penetration testing of your systems (3/7/2018) - This post will show you how to setup the Kali Linux distro to perform penetration testing of your systems Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving hasting away form CPanel, Setting up… Read More
  61. Upgrading the RAM, CPU and Memory on a Vultr Ubuntu VM in the cloud (3/7/2018) - Upgrading the RAM, CPU and Memory on a Vultr Ubuntu VM in the cloud is quite simple. Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving hasting away form CPanel, Setting up… Read More
  62. Using Chrome 65 to measure website Performance, Progressive Web Apps, Basic Practices, Accessibility and SEO (3/4/2018) - Chrome 65 beta has added SEO to audits in the Developer Tools Audit tab. Advertisement: I have a number of guides on moving hasting away form CPanel, Setting up VM's on AWS,… Read More
  63. PHP implementation to check a password exposure level with Troy Hunt’s pwnedpasswords API (3/1/2018) - Developed by Simon Fearby https://www.fearby.com to allow PHP developers to integrate haveibeenpwned exposed password checks into their websites sign up's (or logins). Get the latest version of this code from https://github.com/SimonFearby/phphaveibeenpwned/. Advertisement: Update… Read More
  64. How to setup PHP FPM on demand child workers in PHP 7.x to increase website traffic (2/26/2018) - This blog post will show you how to setup PHP FPM on-demand child workers in PHP 7.x to increase website traffic. Advertisement: My blog was experiencing a number of slow page… Read More
  65. Using Fritzing to draw electronic schematics for Arduino, Raspberry Pi and ESP8266 (2/10/2018) - This guide will show how you can create an electronics schematic to represent elements of a circuit for Arduino, Raspberry Pi and ESP8266 micro-controllers. Advertisement: Todo: Content Wikipedia states here:… Read More
  66. Using the free Adminer GUI for MySQL on your website (2/8/2018) - Adminer is a free GUI tool that can you can easily install on a PHP web server. Adminer allows you to easily connect to your MySQL instance, create databases/tables/indexes/rows and… Read More
  67. How to upgrade a Digital Ocean Ubuntu VM and increase the vCPU or memory (2/6/2018) - This blog post will show you how you can increase the memory and CPU allocation of an Ubuntu Server (Droplet) on Digital Ocean. Advertisement: If you don't have an Ubuntu server… Read More
  68. Connecting a 128×32 Blue OLED Display Module to a Raspberry Pi via IIC I2C (2/4/2018) - Below is how I connected a 128x32 Blue OLED to a Raspberry Pi. Advertisement: The OLED screens are quite cheap on eBAY (I would suggest ordering a few as some… Read More
  69. How to start-up (flesh out) an app idea (2/3/2018) - How do you start up a project idea?  How much time and effort do you put into product planning, prototyping, product development and product support? Advertisement: Below is a rough… Read More
  70. Useful Raspberry Pi Terminal Commands (1/29/2018) - This guide will share common commands I run on Raspberry PI's during setup. Advertisement: You can read my other posts on Useful Linux Terminal Commands and Useful OSX Terminal Commands.… Read More
  71. Restoring a Vultr VM from a snapshot (1/26/2018) - Ths is a short post showing how easy it is to restore a Vultr VM (Ubuntu) to a previous snapshot. Advertisement: I have set up servers on Digital Ocean, AWS… Read More
  72. Upgrade from ADSL2 to FTTN NBN (National Broadband Network) in Australia My Journey (Part 4) (1/24/2018) - Advertisement: < Read Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 Ping on NBN Ping to www.fearby.com on NBN, this looks good, I was getting 29ms/49ms on ADSL 2. [crayon-5ceac04a5d12c573441426/]… Read More
  73. Upgrade from ADSL2 to FTTN NBN (National Broadband Network) in Australia My Journey (Part 2) (1/24/2018) - Advertisement: < Read Part 1 My Pillar My NBN FTTN Cabinet (Local houses blurred) The inside of the cabinet appears empty (9th Jan 2018) Friends NBN Speed on TPG This… Read More
  74. Upgrade from ADSL2 to FTTN NBN (National Broadband Network) in Australia My Journey (Part 3) (1/24/2018) - Advertisement: < Read Part 1 - Part 2 Installation and Setup Modem Shipped (after payment processing) The Router (Huawei HG659) arrived on the 17th Jan 2018 (it would not sync… Read More
  75. Upgrade from ADSL2 to FTTN NBN (National Broadband Network) in Australia My Journey (1/18/2018) - Here is a brief log of my current upgrade from ADSL2 Plus to NBN in Australia (TPG Internet).  This is not a paid endorsement and is posted as FYI. Advertisement:… Read More
  76. OSX speed tested before applying Spectre and Meltdown patches in 10.13.2 (1/16/2018) - Below is a quick post of how OSX speed fairs before and after application of the OSX 10.13.2 update (that fixed Spectre and Meltdown CPU issues). Advertisement: I read of… Read More
  77. Add email alias to an existing GSuite email account (1/14/2018) - This short post will show you how (and why) you should add email aliases to email accounts for previously added domains. Advertisement: Here are my two posts related to setting up… Read More
  78. Ubuntu 16.04: Spectre, Meltdown Security Vulnerabilities (and how to patch). (1/10/2018) - Below is a post about the Spectre and Meltdown Security vulnerabilities and mostly how it relates to Ubuntu. Advertisement: Spectre and Meltdown Background Google Project Zero found a server-side hardware… Read More
  79. Scanning WordPress with Gravity scan for free to detect Supply Chain Attacks and WordPress malware (1/5/2018) - A recent trend with some WordPress Plugins (and Google Chrome Extensions) is malicious parties will purchase existing plugins (extensions) and inject malicious code into new versions to infect sites and… Read More
  80. Using TG Pro to Manage Mac Book Pro Temps (and find your max working load) (12/31/2017) - I blogged about opening my Mac Book Pro and removing dust here. Here is a review of the TG Pro software from Tuna Belly Software. Below I show how you… Read More
  81. Self Managed Server – Frequent Manual Tasks (12/31/2017) - Below are the manual Task's I perform frequently on all self-managed Ubuntu serves I own (along with automated backups and update tasks). Advertisement: Here is a post on automatically backing… Read More
  82. Adding HTTPS to Apache on OSX High Sierra (12/18/2017) - This guide will help you create and install a self-signed SSL certificate in Apache on OSX (HIgh Sierra) to aid local SSL/HTTPS development. Advertisement: UPDATE: Nov 21st 2018 - This works on OSX… Read More
  83. Adding a second domain to an existing GSuite account and creating an email address (12/14/2017) - Below is my post (personal view, not paid view) on how to add a second domain to an existing gsuite account and creating an email address and sending emails from… Read More
  84. Useful OSX Terminal Commands (12/11/2017) - Following on my from Useful Linux Terminal Commands here is my Useful OSX Terminal Commands. This guide is handy for setting up a development OSX installation (e.g Apache, PHP, MySQL etc). I will update… Read More
  85. The case of the overheating Mac Book Pro and Occam’s Razor (12/9/2017) - Thank You William of Ockham (1287 – 1347) who coined the term “Ockham Razor” (“among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected“) has helped my overheating… Read More
  86. How to upload and download files to a server with sftp (over the SSH protocol) (12/7/2017) - I have blogged about http://c9.io before and how it makes managing a remote Ubuntu server easier. Recently AWS acquired C9 and integrated it into AWS. This has triggered me to find a more… Read More
  87. Restoring lost files on a Windows FAT, FAT32, NTFS or Linux EXT, Linux XFS volume with iRecover from diydatarecovery.nl (12/3/2017) - Below is my quick guide to showing how I recover lost files on a removable (or internal drive) with software on Windows. This is not a paid advert but this… Read More
  88. Speeding up WordPress with the ewww.io ExactDN CDN and Image Compression Plugin (12/2/2017) - Below is my quick blog posts on using the EWWW IO ExactDN CDN plugin in WordPress to set up an ExactDN (Global Dis.cotribution Network (CDN)) to distribute images to my… Read More
  89. Building your first app on Heroku (11/26/2017) - Below is my blog post on setting up a hello world app on Heroku that is powered by a database (e.g Client requests a page, the page reads a database and… Read More
  90. Connect to a remote server with ssh keys generated on OSX (11/26/2017) - Below is the way I connect to a remote server via SSH keys generated on OSX. Advertisement: Setting up a server When you set up an Ubuntu server on Vultr (read… Read More
  91. Using Platforma Web Wireframe Kit to build a website (prototype) (11/24/2017) - I have blogged before about building a server for users to install WordPress, optimizing images in WordPress,  deploying WordPress via CLI, moving WordPress, speeding up WordPress and securing WordPress but what do… Read More
  92. Using Adobe XD and Platforma Web Wireframe Kit to prototype an iOS app (11/23/2017) - I have blogged about using Adobe XD to prototype mobile apps. Recently, I found an attractive collection of ready to go Wireframe screens from Proforma to use alongside Apple UI… Read More
  93. Updating PHP 7.0 to 7.1 on an Ubuntu 16.04 Vultr VM (11/21/2017) - Here is how you can quickly update PHP 7.0 to 7.1 on a Vultr Ubuntu domain. Advertisement: I have configured a number of Vultr domains with NGINX and PHP 7.1… Read More
  94. Installing Android Studio 3 and creating your first Kotlin Android App (11/11/2017) - Below is my quick post showing how you can create your own Hello World Android app using the new Kotlin language on OSX. More will be added to this blog… Read More
  95. Building faster web apps with google tools and exceed user expectations (11/4/2017) - @jawache pointed me in the direction of twitter user @addyosmani and a talk at Chrome Dev Summit 2017 called "Fast By Default: Modern Loading Best Practices Advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_srJ7eHS3IM Recently I blogged about… Read More
  96. Security checklist for securing a self-managed Ubuntu server in the cloud (11/2/2017) - Below is a (perpetually updated) security checklist for securing a self-managed Ubuntu server. Recently WordPress released patch v4.8.3  that fixed some SQL injection issues.  Is your OS, Database, Web Server, OS and… Read More
  97. PHP 7 code to send object oriented sanitised input data via bound parameters to a MYSQL database (11/1/2017) - Sanitising user input is a golden rule with web developing (see https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Input_Validation_Cheat_Sheet ), here is my code snippet to sanitise and parameterise MySQL queries in PHP 7.0. Advertisement: First, watch and… Read More
  98. Infographic: So you have an idea for an app (10/31/2017) - I created this graphic as I was asked by multiple people how to develop an app. This does not include tips on coding but many people with the non-technical prerequisites… Read More
  99. Quick guide to using Adobe XD CC to design a prototype iOS app. (10/25/2017) - Adobe has introduced (v1.0.x) Adobe XD CC, Adobe claims you can turn your best ideas into beautiful experiences — fast. Let's give it a try. Advertisement: Adobe Experience Design (Beta)… Read More
  100. Debug an offline Vultr Ubuntu server (10/22/2017) - Having a self-managed Ubuntu server from Vultr for as low as $2.5 a month (or Digital Ocean for $5 a month (setup guides here or here respectively)) can certainly be cheap but you take… Read More
  101. Flaw in WPA2 protocol (KRACK) is a reminder of the limited life of all technology. (10/17/2017) - The recent KRACK flaw in the WPA2 protocol is a reminder of the limited life of all technology. All technology has a finite lifespan (intended or not) and you should… Read More
  102. Manage Social Media posts with Buffer (10/10/2017) - Here is a quick setup guide for Buffer.com where you can connect to and post (manually or scheduled) to multiple social media platforms. Advertisement: You can view pricing here. You… Read More
  103. Wordfence Security Plugin for WordPress (10/10/2017) - WordFence is a great security plugin for WordPress that allows you to secure your WordPress installation and prevent brute force attacks, rate-limit visitors (or Bots), block banned IP's that are accessing… Read More
  104. Setting up additional server storage on cloud servers (block storage on Vultr) (10/7/2017) - Vultr has a generous disk quota with the cloud servers you can set up. But what do you do when you want more space than the default allocation (for backup or… Read More
  105. Create your first Hello World Electron app on OSX (9/27/2017) - Electron allows you to build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS based on NodeJS. Electron's home is https://electron.atom.io Advertisement:   Electron will allow you to build a web… Read More
  106. Setup an Ubuntu Desktop GUI on a Vultr VM Remotely (9/26/2017) - Lubuntu is a free Ubuntu desktop GUI that you can install on a Vultr or Digital Ocean VM in the cloud, more information on lubuntu here. Advertisement: Introduction When you set… Read More
  107. Improving the speed of WordPress (9/22/2017) - This post shows my never ending quest to speed up WordPress for free. Advertisement: I have used to use WP Total Cache in the past but decided to check out… Read More
  108. DIY Scheduling automatic tweets with WordPress links and hashtags (9/18/2017) - I have recently blogged about moving WordPress away from a CPanel managed domain to a self-managed Ubuntu server. I wanted a faster server with a free encrypted SSL certificate, no usage… Read More
  109. How to setup a twitter feed API endpoint in NodeJS with NGINX, Ruby and T etc (9/17/2017) - This is how I set up a twitter feed API endpoint in NodeJS with NGINX, Ruby and T etc. This can be used to integrate SEO or automate Twitter post analytics or automate… Read More
  110. Setup Ruby, Rails, Gem and a command line twitter tool to query Twitter on Ubuntu 16.04 via a Twitter App (9/17/2017) - Below is how I setup Ruby, Rails, Gem and a command line twitter tool to query Twitter on Ubuntu 16.04 via a Twitter App Advertisement: Setup Twitter feed scraping on… Read More
  111. How to use Sublime Text editor locally to edit code files on a remote server via SSH (9/16/2017) - This guide will show you how to use Sublime Text editor locally to edit code files on a remote server via SSH. Advertisement: This guide assumes oy already have a… Read More
  112. Run an Ubuntu VM system audit with Lynis (9/11/2017) - Following on from my Securing Ubuntu in the cloud blog post I have installed Lynis open source security audit tool to check out to the security of my server in… Read More
  113. Installing and managing WordPress with WP-CLI from the command line on Ubuntu (9/10/2017) - Here is a really simple way to manually manage WordPress installations on Ubuntu. Advertisement: My previous WordPress (and related) guides Setting up Google Analytics on your website Deploying WordPress to… Read More
  114. How to optimize your sites Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and grow customers without paying for Ads (9/9/2017) - How to optimize your sites Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and grow customers without paying for Ads. Advertisement: This guide is a shorter post around setting up SEO (Search Engine Optimization)… Read More
  115. Installing Redis 3.x onto Ubuntu 16.04 (9/7/2017) - This post will show you how to install Redis 3.x onto Ubuntu 16.04 Advertisement: Redis is a server-side (Lua based) schema-free open source (in Memory) NoSQL Key/Value store database that… Read More
  116. How to setup and secure MongoDB on Ubuntu 16.04 and verify with Studio 3T (9/6/2017) - Here is how you can install MongoDB 3.4.x on Ubuntu 16.04 and secure it. I use the Studio 3T software form Studio 3T. Advertisement: Before you install MongoDB ensure you have… Read More
  117. How to be alerted after system boot on Ubuntu 16.04 with an email via Gmail (9/5/2017) - This will allow you to sent an email at startup on Ubuntu boot. You will need to ensure sendmail is setup and working (read my guide on How to send email… Read More
  118. Atlaz.io BETA Project Management Tool For Cross-Functional Teams the Trello and Atlassian JIRA Killer? (8/23/2017) - I am a big fan of Trello.com and Atlassian JIRA and imagine my excitement when I saw an Ad for a BETA product that said it was better than both. Advertisement:… Read More
  119. Setting up Google Analytics on your website (8/22/2017) - Google Analytics is a popular easy to install and use statistics and reporting tool that you can add to your website (and it' free) Advertisement: To setup, Google Analytics go… Read More
  120. How to backup an Ubuntu VM in the cloud via crontab entries that trigger Bash Scripts, SSH, rsync and email backup alerts (8/20/2017) - Here is how I backup a number of Ubuntu servers with crontab entries, bash scripts and rsync and send backup email. Advertisement: Read more on useful terminal commands here for as… Read More
  121. How to send email via G Suite from Ubuntu in the cloud (8/20/2017) - Here is how I send emails from the command line in Ubuntu servers in the cloud via G SUote connect emails Advertisement: Jan 2018 Update Post on adding a second… Read More
  122. Deploying WordPress to a Vultr VM via command line (8/20/2017) - Here is my guide on setting up WordPress on an Ubuntu server via the command line. Here is my recent guide on the wp-cli tool. Advertisement: Read my guide on… Read More
  123. Useful Linux Terminal Commands (8/13/2017) - Below are Ubuntu Linux commands I use often to setup, debug maintain servers. Advertisement: Read this guide for Useful OSX Commands (for setting up Apache, PHP, MySQL, Adminer etc on… Read More
  124. Moving WordPress to a new self managed server away from CPanel (8/12/2017) - I recently moved my domain from a C-Panel hosted domain (and Email to Google G Suite (my guide here)) to a self-managed Digital Ocean domain (my LetsEncrypt Guide here, my Digital… Read More
  125. Strengths and weaknesses (8/10/2017) - What are your strengths and weaknesses? Are you avoiding doing something because of your personality type or focusing on something else? Advertisement: I thought this post would be helpful to… Read More
  126. Installing Webmin Server Management web GUI on Ubuntu (8/10/2017) - Setting up Ubuntu in the cloud is great if you are not afraid of using the command line but for those that need it, there are web based server management GUI's… Read More
  127. Securing Ubuntu in the cloud (8/9/2017) - It is easy to deploy servers to the cloud within a few minutes, you can have a cloud-based server that you (or others can use). ubuntu has a great guide on… Read More
  128. NodeJS code to handle App logins via API (using MySQL connection pools (1000 connections) and query parameters) (8/7/2017) - The below code is part of what I use to handle logins in an app. You can use this as a base for a NodeJS login routine (in a file… Read More
  129. Moving a CPanel domain with email to a self managed VPS and Gmail (8/3/2017) - Below is my guide for moving away from NetRegistry CPanel domain to a self-managed server and GSuite email. Advertisement: I have had www.fearby.com since 1999 on three CPanel hosts (superwerbhost in the US,… Read More
  130. Add Google AdWords to your WordPress blog (7/30/2017) - Google says "Turn your passion into profit. AdSense is a free, simple way to make money online by placing ads on your website." How hard is it to setup Google… Read More
  131. Using phpservermonitor.org to check whether your websites and servers are up and running (7/30/2017) - https://www.phpservermonitor.org/ - PHP Server Monitor is a script that checks whether your websites and servers are up and running. It comes with a web based user interface where you can manage… Read More
  132. Securing an Ubuntu VM with a free LetsEncrypt SSL certificate in 1 Minute (7/29/2017) - I visited https://letsencrypt.org/ where it said Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open SSL Certificate Authority. That sounds great, time to check them out. This may not take 1… Read More
  133. Setting up a Vultr VM and configuring it (7/29/2017) - Below is my guide on setting up a Vultr VM and configuring it with a static IP, NGINX, MySQL, PHP and an SSL certificate. I have blogged about setting up… Read More
  134. Setting up a Vultr VM and configuring it with Runcloud.io (7/27/2017) - I have setup a Vultur VM manually (guide here). I decided to setup a VM software stack with Runcloud to see if it is as secure as fast (and saves me… Read More
  135. How to boost your site’s SEO (7/21/2017) - Advertisement: In these olden days of the Internet you just needed to submit your site to search engines and wait a few days and every thing was fine and dandy.… Read More
  136. How to get useful feedback for your ideas (7/16/2017) - I have witnessed investors are great at listening to pitches for the next best thing in order to snap up an investment offer. IMHO: Investors are worried about two things:… Read More
  137. Setting up a Digital Ocean Droplet as a sub domain on an AWS Domain (7/15/2017) - This guide hopes to show you how to setup a Digital Ocean Droplet (server) as a Sub Domain on an existing AWS domain. I am setting up a Digital Ocean… Read More
  138. How to develop software ideas (7/9/2017) - I was recently at a public talk by Alan Jones at the UNE Smart Region Incubator where Alan talked about launching startups and developing ideas. Advertisement: Alan put it quite… Read More
  139. How to upgrade an AWS free tier EC2 t2.micro instance to an on demand t2.medium server (7/9/2017) - Amazon Web Services have a great free tier where you can develop with very little cost. The free tier Linux server is a t2.micro server (1 CPU, low to moderate IO,… Read More
  140. Setting up BitBucket on an iMac and creating a project (6/30/2017) - I use Jira for managing software development tasks on AWS and Digital Ocean and I recently tried out GitHub, It's about time I checked out the free BitBuucket. Advertisement: I have… Read More
  141. Setting up a Raspberry Pi Zero W (6/28/2017) - fyi: Here is my guide that I created while I set up a Raspberry Pi Zero W. My previous Raspberry PI 2 Setup Guide here and I wanted to try the single core… Read More
  142. Your connection is not private (6/26/2017) - I started receiving this error in Google Chome Advertisement: [crayon-5ceac04a67330602798137/] I knew that Google Chrome was going to be introducing a warning to people when they visit sites that do… Read More
  143. Ubuntu Desktop OS for Developers (6/25/2017) - Did you know you can download and install a free operating system (free Windows Alternative) from https://www.ubuntu.com/ and use it on your own computer or as a virtual machine? Advertisement: Ubuntu is… Read More
  144. Setting up GitHub on an iMac and creating a project (6/25/2017) - Here is my quick guide on setting up new GitHub repository on an iMac adding files and syncing with a  repository. Read the GitHub 101 if you are a beginner. Read my BitBucket… Read More
  145. Alibaba Cloud how good is it? (6/18/2017) - I recently clicked an Alibaba Cloud add Banner on Facebook that said Alibaba Cloud offer a cloud server (with 40gb SSD, 1x CPU, 1GB Ram and 1TB traffic for $30… Read More
  146. Developing software and staying on track (6/18/2017) - Following proper project and task management allows you to estimate your time, schedule, and critical path (shortest path) to completing a project. Advertisement: Here is an old well-known project management graphic.… Read More
  147. What to look for when buying a new computer (6/18/2017) - This guide is being edited over time (as I have been asked by a few people what to look for when buying a new computer, I will keep updating this… Read More
  148. Share what you know and do (6/15/2017) - I have seen some seriously talented people lately who have obtained knowledge or skills that I find awesome.  These skills may have been obtained via education/qualifications, hobbies, experience or simply… Read More
  149. Self Service Status Pages (6/12/2017) - I am a big fan of companies having external (and internal) self-service status pages that list the statuses of application and services. If you have an online presence, are developing… Read More
  150. Costs of running a cloud based service (6/12/2017) - Below is a rough guide to the costs of maintaining (not setting up) a cloud-based service. A service may be a new database and web pages or API for a… Read More
  151. Raspberry Pi 2/B Security Webcam (6/4/2017) - The Raspberry Pi is an inexpensive ARM based computer that is ideal for use as a home security camera. Advertisement: What will you need? Web server CPanel or dedicated web server… Read More
  152. Digital marketing and user engagement 101 (6/3/2017) - Digital marketing is not hard, your customers are well educated, technically savvy, informed (and impatient). Advertisement: You need to engage with your users 24/7 on the platforms where they can… Read More
  153. Forklift 3, the ultimate Mac file manager for Mac (6/2/2017) - Hands down Forklift is the best piece of software on the Mac OSX behind 1Password and Chrome. I am a Windows developer who has switched from using Windows OSX exclusively.  I… Read More
  154. NodeMCU Introduction – Open source IoT platform based on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC (3/21/2017) - Below is a quick review of the NodeMCU v1.0 Dev Kit board micro controller that can be picked up for under $10. NodeMCU is an  open source IoT platform based on… Read More
  155. Blocking XCode iOS Simulator App traffic with the help of Little Snitch firewall (1/14/2017) - Backend Considerations I have been developing a mobile app using XCode and Swift 3 for a while now, I have been very focused on developing a scalable and robust back ends… Read More
  156. Digital disruption or digital tinkering (12/20/2016) - The biggest buzzwords used by prime ministers, presidents or management these days has been “Innovation” and “digital disruption”.  As a developer or manager do you understand what goes into a… Read More
  157. Creating and configuring a CentOS server on Digital Ocean (12/12/2016) - Normally I prefer Ubuntu servers but I needed a CentOS Server ( info ) for some software, this guide is a quick guide that lists anything that is different to setting up… Read More
  158. Beyond SSL with Content Security Policy, Public Key Pinning etc (12/6/2016) - A big shoutout goes to Troy Hunt and Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson from https://www.grc.com/securitynow for sharing their security knowledge. Pre-Requisite: SSL Certificate I have mentioned before how to obtain… Read More
  159. Setting up a fast distributed MySQL environment with SSL (9/13/2016) - The following is a guest post from Shane Bishop from https://ewww.io/ (developer of the awesome EWWW Image Optimizer plugin for WordPress). Ready my review of this plugin here. Advertisement: Setting up… Read More
  160. Connecting to an AWS EC2 Ubuntu instance with Cloud 9 IDE as user ubuntu and root (9/1/2016) - Recently I setup and Amazon EC2 Ubuntu Server instance and wanted to connect it to the awesome Cloud 9 IDE. I was sick of interacting with a server through terminal windows.… Read More
  161. Creating an AWS EC2 Ubuntu 14.04 server with NGINX, Node and MySQL and phpMyAdmin (8/16/2016) - This blog lists the actions I went through to setup an AWS EC2 Ubuntu Server and add the usual applications. This follows on from my guide to setup a Digital… Read More
  162. Application scalability on a budget (my journey) (8/12/2016) - If you have read my other guides on https://www.fearby.com you may tell I like the self-managed Ubuntu servers you can buy from Digital Ocean for as low as $5 a… Read More
  163. 4 Winning Tips for Online Startups (8/10/2016) - Are you trying to improve sales and visibility for your online startups? If you run a startup, you might have already realised by now that merely creating a stellar product… Read More
  164. Essential Android Antivirus and Antimalware apps (7/24/2016) - Below are the free Antivirus and Anti-malware apps I use on android.  All of these are installed at the same time. Advertisement: Avast Mobile Security Free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avast.android.mobilesecurity TrustGo Antivirus and… Read More
  165. Quick guide to using Adobe Premiere Pro CC to make videos. (6/30/2016) - This is a simple guide for using Adobe Premiere Pro to edit simple videos. Advertisement: Adobe used to sell a Master Collection of all Adobe software that cost thousands of… Read More
  166. How to get started in programming (6/22/2016) - Today I was asked: Should I learn to code in Swift and what can I build? Swift 1.0 (http://www.swift.org) was launched in 2014 by Apple and it is a multi-platform programming… Read More
  167. Update OpenSSL on a Digital Ocean VM (6/7/2016) - You may be reading this after reading my guide here https://fearby.com/article/adding-a-commercial-ssl-certificate-to-a-digital-ocean-vm Advertisement: Related Guide:  How to buy a new domain and SSL cert from NameCheap, a Server from Digital Ocean and… Read More
  168. Listen to your customers and act (4/20/2016) - Are you about to release a new product or selling an existing product?  Times have changed since the “launch it and they will come” or “advertise again” mindset. People are… Read More
  169. Computer hardware, clock cycles and code ramblings (4/18/2016) - Modern computers have insane amounts of processing power compared to computers from 5 years ago. Computer memory and storage is cheap but that is no excuse to design and develop… Read More
  170. Analytics, Personalization, BigData and other bedtime stories (3/16/2016) - IoT, Bigdata, analytics and mobile disruption and are seen as futuristic stories from a child's bedtime book, something you open, read without though and put back on the shelf. Advertisement:… Read More
  171. What is you backup plan (3/3/2016) - What would you do right now if the computer or device you were reading this on died? Do you have adequate backups and do you keep your most important files… Read More
  172. Innovation, Innovation, Innovation (3/1/2016) - I have a secret, I love to listen to the radio and my radio program of choice is the live broadcast of the Australian Parliament House (Senate or Reps). Mixed… Read More
  173. Caching MySQL queries in memory for xx seconds (2/10/2016) - PHP Opcache is a good caching plugin for PHP but what if you wanted a quicker in code way of selectively caching MySQL results in memory. More information on the… Read More
  174. How to buy a new domain (dedicated server from digital ocean) and add a SSL certificate from namecheap. (12/3/2015) - This guide will show you how to buy a domain and and link it to a Digital Ocean VM. Advertisement: Update (June 2018): I don't use Digital Ocean anymore. I… Read More
  175. How to transfer an existing website to jumba.com.au (uber.com.au) (11/29/2015) - Note: Transferring domains can be a bit like the old west, not everything goes to plan and sometimes the domain registration is transferred to jumba/uber and other times not. Worst… Read More
  176. Why choose a WordPress website over a static HTML site edited with Dreamweaver. (11/14/2015) - All websites files on the internet live on a web server and web site content is mostly made up of HTML and graphic files. When customer's access your website the web server… Read More
  177. How to build your first cross platform mobile app with corona (11/6/2015) - Advertisement: Ok, you have an Apple or Android device and want to develop mobile/tablet apps. The first thing you will need is an Apple computer, Apple Developer Subscriptions to develop Apple… Read More
  178. How to setup and use push notifications to modern web browsers with OneSignal (10/14/2015) - Summary: A customer browses to your site and agrees to receive notifications.  Days, weeks or months later you have something to tell the customer.  With OneSignal you can send messages to… Read More
  179. What is the difference between a website, app, web app, hybrid app and software? (9/24/2015) - What is the difference between a website, app, web app, hybrid app and software? Advertisement: fyi: If your website is NOT Mobile responsive Google will not rank your website high in… Read More
  180. How to setup pooled MySQL connections in Node JS that don’t disconnect (8/29/2015) - Using NodeJS/NGINX to power a custom API or website is quite simple. At some stage you will want to connect NodeJS to a MySQL database. Advertisement: Update (June 2018): I… Read More
  181. Adding secure credit card payments to your website (6/25/2015) - Warning to developers: I just received a "Dispute" via stripe for a $1.23 payment and the dispute came with a $25 fee (that appears to be non refundable). If you… Read More
  182. Adding a commercial SSL certificate to a Digital Ocean VM (6/21/2015) - fyi: Consider reading this first (newer blog post):  How to buy a new domain and SSL cert from NameCheap, a Server from Digital Ocean and configure it. Advertisement: If you… Read More
  183. The quickest way to setup a scalable development ide and web server (6/8/2015) - fyi: Consider reading this first (newer blog post):  How to buy a new domain and SSL cert from NameCheap, a Server from Digital Ocean and configure it. Advertisement: Buying a… Read More