It's Just Me
@me@mysmallinstance.homelinux.org
**BSD Mail Project Update!**
Hello everyone! I wanted to share some exciting updates about the development of BSD Mail, our privacy-focused email service designed with robustness, security, and transparency in mind. Here’s a deep dive into the technical choices I've made, focusing on my use of open source solutions and open protocols:
🌍 **Servers & Location**
- We're running on two physical servers:
- One hosted by OVH in France
- Another by Hetzner in Germany
- Both servers operate on FreeBSD with NVMe drives in a ZFS mirror configuration for speed and data integrity.
🔒 **Virtualization & Security**
- We utilize jails on both servers to ensure isolated environments for different services, managed via BastilleBSD. On one server, jails are set up directly on the hardware, whereas the other server employs nested jails.
- Each server hosts a bhyve VM running OpenBSD with OpenSMTPD for handling SMTP duties securely.
🔗 **Networking**
- A Wireguard setup connects the two servers, facilitating routing capabilities so that jails and VMs can communicate seamlessly, supporting both IPv4 and IPv6.
📧 **Email Services**
- **Dovecot** is configured for maildir replication across the servers using Dovecot sync, ensuring email availability and redundancy.
- **Rspamd** instances are tied to local KeyDB jails, set up in master-master replication for consistent and reliable spam detection and greylisting.
- **ClamAV** runs in corresponding jails for virus scanning, maintaining a high level of security.
- **SOGo** provides a web interface for email management, connected to MySQL databases in master-master replication to handle sessions and authentication smoothly.
💾 **Data Management**
- Email data is stored on separate, encrypted ZFS datasets to secure emails at rest.
- MySQL databases are used for storing credentials and managing sessions for SOGo, also in a master-master replication setup. Importantly, all passwords are securely hashed using bcrypt, ensuring they are salted and safe.
🔎 **Monitoring & Reliability**
- Our DNS is managed through BunnyNet, which continuously monitors our server status. Should one server—or a specific service—become unavailable, DNS configurations are dynamically adjusted to avoid directing users to the affected IP until full service is restored.
🌐 **Commitment to Open Source and Open Protocols**
- Every component of BSD Mail is built exclusively using open source software and open protocols. This commitment is crucial for ensuring data freedom and the reliability of the solutions we use.
This setup not only emphasizes our commitment to privacy and security but also our dedication to maintaining an open and transparent platform.
We're excited to bring you a service where your privacy, data integrity, and freedom are prioritized. Stay tuned for more updates!
#BSDMail #OpenSource #Privacy #FreeBSD #OpenBSD #EmailHosting #Email
@stefano
Awesome!
@stefano very nice insights!
@stefano If your focus is privacy & security, I'm not sure #Hetzner would be my choice.
Hetzner is known for collaborating with the Russian government to interfere with sites (see the Wiki page for more info, under "Incidents"):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetzner#Incidents
Hetzner also host the AfD website:
https://social.lyratris.com/@tfunken/112260340926617024
Consider if the people with physical access to your servers can be trusted!
That said, I genuinely wish you well, and I apologize for being a "reply guy". Good luck for the project!
@kohan Thank you for the comment and the links!
The choice of Hetzner stems from having another not too expensive provider (at least for the initial part) on a platform where I already have some other servers. I don't exclude the possibility of moving to another European provider in the future (due to GDPR regulations, it's easier for me to stay in Europe).
However, I always want to use bare metal servers; I don't want to rely on shared 'cloud' storage for data.
Do you have any suggestions regarding this?
@stefano Unfortunately I don't have a good alternative suggestion! Bare metal is definitely wise and staying in Europe certainly makes sense for regulations, but I don't actually know who I could recommend. (I even see malicious traffic here coming from OVH.) Your knowledge will be way ahead of me on technical hosting details.
Ugh, sorry for bringing you a problem without bringing a solution! I need to do more research myself.
But I love to see more BSD being used, yay!
@kohan Don't worry, I'm glad to read your observations about it. Some of the events described in the links you sent me were not known to me, and I would like to understand the philosophy of each provider I deal with well. Thank you!
@d4gli @stefano I'm pretty sure Russia isn't an EU member, so I don't believe those were legal intercepts (in the same way that Australian government takedown notices are ignored in the EU, understandably).
However! It's possible I have misunderstood the culture of BSD Cafe. Apologies for my intrusion!
For this #ThankYouTuesday, I want to express my gratitude to the wonderful Nature, which consistently offers us breathtaking spectacles, whether in the form of lights, colors, scents, or sounds.
#Photography #Photo #NaturePhotography #Italy #Spring #Flowers #NatureBeauty #GratefulHeart #NatureLovers
@stefano
Nature is simply divine!
@stefano If this photo is made by You, this is the best take i've seen here.
@sourcerer Thank you!
Yes, the photo is mine. I have others of that spot as yesterday it was sunny and I found a good place to take some photos. It's totally untouched, just the way the S24 Ultra has shown it. I'll post them in the coming days 🙂
@sourcerer There's something I don't like about the S24 Ultra. If you deeply look at this photo, the blurry part is too "digital". You can see it especially over the yellow flowers on the right. It's not natural and too digital for my taste.
@stefano Yes, in fullscr it's noticable ... these "magenta" flowers (my monitor is not calibrated) are clear, and further we can notice blur.
But in general, this is beautiful take. It's impossible to make 2nd shot of the moment... but this place looks like paradise :) I value message over details, i think this is great photo regardless of minor defects.
I'm not photographer :)
@sourcerer That's the point: even if technically it might be far from being perfect, I love framing those spots so, as you have correctly pointed out, it's the message the most important part 🙂
FreeBSD (and Linux), Podman containers and Large Receive Offload.
By @tara
https://www.tara.sh/posts/2023/2023-09-07_freebsd_linux_podman_and_lro/
@housepanther @stefano @tara Yep - look at "Installing on FreeBSD 14.0" on https://podman.io/docs/installation
@housepanther
There is, thanks to @dfr 😊 👩💻
@tara @housepanther @dfr @stefano Not yet(?) in ports, but I've also made the Docker ZFS plugin work on FreeBSD so that you can make each volume a separate ZFS dataset:
https://github.com/davidchisnall/docker-zfs-plugin
This then makes backup nice with zrepl
or similar.
After a while trying to understand if either ksh or zsh provided a way to prevent taking strings and undefined variables as 0 when doing arithmetic evaluation, there seems to be no feature specifically for it, sadly.
Closest is using set -o nounset (ksh) and setopt no_unset (zsh) to prevent undefined variables from evaluating to zero. If a "string" contains only numbers, a dot and whitespace, it will be treated as a number. Also, if it only contains the name of any other variable and whitespace, it evaluates to that.
Not that I expected shell languages to provide accurate arithmetic.
As a bonus though, it was cool learning about ksh's compound variables, force_float option and especially discipline functions.
NomadBSD is a great mobile OS that has it's own identity and purpose - and it has had a somewhat big change from OpenBox to XFCE.
Does that improve or spoil this great OS? In this video we'll find out...
@me good luck and the best of wishes 🙏🙏🙏
On this #SilentSunday, let the hush take us back in time, to reflect on the echoes of an era that must never be forgotten.
Within the folds of silence, we find space to honor those days of struggle and liberation, with a promise to keep the memory alive.
This photo is from today, but it depicts a day 79 years ago.
Lest we forget, to build a tomorrow of peace.
#Remembrance #Liberation #LivingHistory #Photography #Photo #Picture #Pic #Ferrara #Italy
Primum inter Pares (2013)
#SilentSunday #Photography #Photo #Pictures #Picture #Italy #Spring #NaturePhotography
@stefano beautiful place
@cuddle It was the place I used to retreat to when I needed to grab my bike (you can actually see the wheel tracks) and go relax amidst nature. I usually brought along a blanket, a good book, some food, and would spend hours there. I haven't been there in ten years because I no longer live in that area, but photos like these still manage to evoke the sense of peace that place used to give me.
@stefano that photo is so grainy (pun intended) 😄
I should really stop thinking about writing and actually write.
@stefano I always generate password first in keepassxc (sometimes making corrections, bcs i hate repeated chars - there's no real reason, i just don't like it) ... then save, and after that cp > paste during account creation.
ofc. it's not ideal, bcs some websites don't event tell You how long password can be.
I wish to see short note how many chars password are allowed.
2024 - should be a year of long passwords. Generated by machines (let's be honest, we humans are bad at this)
Finally.
After over two years of planning and setbacks and money lost, we've closed on the construction loan.
Let the building begin.
@finner nice! Exciting stuff! Congrats! Don't forget to run cat6a throughout the house
@finner huzzah
When the Light created by Nature challenges the Light created by Humanity
#photography #photo #picture #pic #Rainbow #Nature #Thunderstorm
@me These are good news! May the sun always shine on their life, and on yours, as you're happy for the happiness of the people dear to you. ☀️
@me
Celebration time! 🌞
Great to hear good news, and about someone you love. Enjoy ❤
I was telling my wife, imagine life from cookie’s perspective: strangers tell her she’s cute and they love her every five minutes, internet fans root for her, the streets of the world are filled with delicious edible food, even when it’s trash.
like the very high Californian woman once told me when I was walking her: ‘this dog like, totally looks like she has NO TRAUMAAAAAA’
(Other than having to go to the vet sometimes)
...and at night, when everything seems so dark that you start to feel crazy and hopeless, just remember: a new morning will come and a new sun will shine for you.
#Photography #Photo #Sea #Orange #Sunrise #Italy #Water #Sun #Beach #MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Picture #Optimism
How did this almost slip by us? Happy #WorldBookDay! 🥳📚 #books #WorldBookDay2024
Link to Australian Copyright Agency website: https://www.copyright.com.au/2024/04/reading-australia-world-book-copyright-day-2024-round-up/
Hello everyone! Inspired by friends, I'm excited to start this new social adventure. While I've enjoyed my time on mainstream social media, it often feels more like a battleground than a community. I'm here to engage in genuine conversations and connect with others without the constraints of age, gender, or any other labels. I might not post often, but I'll definitely savor the stories and insights you all share.
Thank you for welcoming me into this vibrant community—looking forward to our exchanges!
I echo that welcome. We are always welcome to more sunshine!
Follow @FediTips for starter tips.
Follow @FediFollows for curated lists of whom you should follow.
Follow @lisamelton who boosts interesting and varied posts.
Do lots of searches for #hashtags.
Hope you find a home here!
@potungthul @me @FediTips @FediFollows @lisamelton thank you for your warm and lovely welcome!
Go on then! It's a challenge to get me to smile.
"The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things, ... The good things don't soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. And we definitely added to [Vincent van Gogh's] pile of good things." - The Doctor.
Hit Counter From The 90s #BlogPost
Look at this cute little thing 🤩
It emulates a dozen consoles with hundreds of games (already included).
Will start by rocking some old Pokemon games
If you're interested, it's called: ANBERNIC RG35XX Plus.
Weekly BSD Pub
*BSD friends, just remember that on Thursday there'll be the first Weekly BSD Pub virtual meeting, organized by @gyptazy
More information here: https://wiki.bsd.cafe/docs:weekly-bsdpub
What happens when every time your browser sends data to a tracker it makes a beep sound? Well, @bert_hubert did just that. And it sounds like you are listening to an old school modem. Creepy stuff! https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/tracker-beeper/
The Double-Edged Sword of Docker: Balancing Benefits and Risks
https://it-notes.dragas.net/2024/04/22/the-doubled-edge-sword-of-docker/
As we embark on this new week, I want you all to know that YOU GOT THIS! Mondays can often feel daunting, but I believe in each and every one of us.
Today is not just the start of a fresh week, but an opportunity to:
Recharge our batteries
Reset our goals
And recharge our passions!
So, let's take a deep breath together and face this day with confidence. Remember that every small step forward is a victory, and every obstacle overcome is a testament to your strength.
As we journey through this week, I encourage you all to spread kindness, practice self-care, and celebrate each other's successes. Let's make Monday the start of an amazing week, full of growth, laughter, and connection!
#MondayMood
Me and my first phone Over 40 years ago.
This photo has been on my grandma's living room cabinet for as long as I can remember. She passed away a couple of years ago, and to keep her memory alive, my wife suggested we keep it in our living room.
A blast from the past looking towards the future.
No, the phone doesn't run Android or iOS 😆
#Photography #Photo #Me #JustMe #ThrowbackThursday #BackInTime
@me lost in time... 😆
"How it all began"
I saw an ad for this CD set at a very low price in a computer magazine. I decided to give it a try, enticed by the low cost and this 'alternative solution to Windows', and in late 1996 I ordered this set.
When it arrived, I was fascinated (having never used a Unix or Unix-like system before) but a bit daunted by the lack of support for the main applications I knew. A few months later, though, I decided to give it another go and from that point, I never looked back. Whether it was Linux, one of the BSDs, or something similar (but Unix or Unix-like), I was not going back to systems like Windows.
My #ThrowbackThursday today is probably one of the most significant in my computing life.
#Linux #TechHistory #OpenSource #Unix #TechNostalgia #ComputingMemories #BSD #TechnologyEvolution #OldSchoolComputing #1996 #ITLife
@stefano I recall having a bunch of the InfoMagic slackware disks. But by then I was already firmly in the Unix universe: I recall booting FreeBSD 1.1.5.1 from floppies.
@brainwagon @stefano Pretty sure I installed 386BSD from floppy disks, before #FreeBSD and #NetBSD evolved from the "Jolix" work.
[Edit - Lynne's obituary of William Jolitz: https://386bsd.org/memoriam ]
@brainwagon @stefano #NetBSD #386BSD
Yes, I did install 386BSD, then overwrote the floppy with NetBSD 0.9p1 and 1.0 (not 10.0) a few cycles ago.
(spring clean for the may queen)
To reaffirm my #ThankYouTuesday today - following my post earlier about FreeBSD freezing if a laptop doesn't have the battery installed (https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/@stefano/112280720122710027), @jeffpc has prepared a patch and suggested I try it (https://reviews.freebsd.org/P636).
I did, and it worked.
This is the spirit that characterizes the open-source community and the fantastic members who comprise it.
For today's #ThankYouTuesday, I want to express my gratitude to the entire open-source community. Past, present, and future. I owe so much to what many developers, sysadmins, enthusiasts have built and maintained. I've always believed that culture should be free and accessible to all, and the OSS community has made it possible to study, learn, and implement complex and professional solutions without the need for closed systems, licenses, or expensive "certification" courses.
To the Open Source community, heartfelt thanks!
#Loire ce matin 🥰
How do you stay productive every day?
It’s wild that I can be super productive one day, and absolutely not the next
What do you do to be more consistent? (This isn’t clickbait, I’m actually wondering how ya do it)
Ennio Morricone for a rushy friday 🙂
https://yt.artemislena.eu/watch?v=Wmdu9VAkZ4s
#Music #SoundTrackOfTheDay #MastoRadio #FediRadio #FediMusic #JukeBox
Though they've been gone for several years now, within the walls of my grandparents' house, I could still sense their presence, hear their voices, and smell their familiar scents. Closing the door for the last time today marked more than just an end to my visits—it symbolized the closure of my childhood and adolescence. It's an incredibly sad day for me. Yet, in this moment of reflection, I'm reminded that the sun will rise again tomorrow. Life, in all its facets, continues to move forward. This includes the BSD-based mail system I've been diligently working on, which is nearing a significant milestone.
#Grandparents #Memory #EndOfAnEra #ChildhoodMemories #MovingForward #Sunrise #NewBeginnings #BSD #TechProgress
Good news for our circle of morning coffee drinkers:
'Still, he [Dr Peter Hayes, professor of hepatology at the University of Edinburgh] knows of no evidence that cutting out coffee is beneficial. “Coffee is one of nature’s gifts,” he says.'
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2024/apr/08/coffee-benefits-hazards-experts
Mastodonners: your favourite speculative fiction books involve a connection to the land, including and especially clifi/climate crisis narratives and folk & occult horror. Go!
Spring Silent Sunday
Silence. In colours.
#Photography #Photo #Picture #Pic #SilentSunday #Spring #Italy #NaturePhotography #SpringPhotography
It's Friday. It's raining. An old photo.
(The meaning of this photo is in the alt text, as often happens with my photos)
It's Wednesday. The day of the Sea.
#Photography #Photo #Picture #Pic #SeaWednesday #MeerMittwoch #Sea #Italy
I think #ThankYouTuesday sounds like a nice idea.
It obviously needs to branch out, but maybe a week to think about that will help me… so, at first:
Thanks to @stefano
for the idea, and @me for the boost.
Positivity is downright radical action in today’s world. Let’s keep it going!
I want to launch a hashtag where, every Tuesday, I'll post a message and it would be great if it became a habit for many.
In a world full of conflicts, selfishness, and egocentrism, it would be nice to focus on the good that others do, what makes our lives better thanks to the contribution of others.
My first #ThankYouTuesday to the friends of #BSDCafe - both within the community servers and beyond - who have undoubtedly contributed to making my life better, more stimulating, and richer. So, I extend this gratitude to all those who, here in the fediverse or elsewhere, are present and positive, giving me inspiration and motivation.
Truly, thank you!
#ThankYouTuesday #gratitude #positivity #community #fediverse #mastodon
When the #sun is weary, the #colours become even warmer and more poetic. The last rays are golden, orange, red, and gentle. They caress the skin as if to bid goodnight, reassuring that tomorrow, once again, they will return among us.
#Photography #Photo #MeerMittwoch #SeaWednesday #Sun #Orange #Water #Gates #Sunset #Italy #Italia #Chioggia #Venezia