Tek:Cited

I first created the Tek:Cited blog way back in 2007. At that time, my focus was mainly on virtualisation through CoLinux and User Mode Linux and some articles on Ubuntu or Linux generally. I like to think I made some excellent contributions to those subjects, and I still come across some (long dead) links or references to those articles even today.

Time passed, and those first two technologies have become superseded by more modern technologies, specifically the wonderful Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and generally more advanced virtualisation systems.

Now, I do most of my development on a remote Linux server, which itself is a virtual machine running on an ESXi server, using VSCode under Windows! I also have a fully remote-hosted Dedicated Bare-metal Linux Server with 32Gb mem, dual 2TB Hd and excellent CPU's that I host most of my websites and apps on and can remote develop on if needed.

Several times I have attempted to get up the energy to restart Blogging, even going to the effort of setting up a self-hosted WordPress site. Still, I never found myself liking the layout / interface / options / configurability etc etc etc.

My current work is heavily in Python (and specifically Django) so I hit upon the idea of writing a Blog Engine entirely from scratch. Designing and coding this has been an incredible learning experience, as well as giving me the kick up the arse needed to get back in front of the keyboard and write. The Engine still has a ways to go, and there is a lot of further functionality I wish to add to it before releasing it as Open Source, but I want to get it out in the wild now. You can do all the testing you can while under development, but you need users to break stuff properly :)

So. Let's see if I can keep a (reasonably) regular posting schedule this time! I have a lot of interests and skills I feel that I can write about, including:

• Python programming. I love this language! I have been coding since I was about ten years old (ZX81 BASIC FTW!!) and am now (cough) in my 50's, but Python gave me back the love for coding I seem to have lost.
• Full-Stack Web Design - I love Django as FS, Node Express and ReactJS.
• Javascript -  both 'Vanilla' and frameworks like React.
• API's - I am addicted to using and coding API backends. My weapon of choice for this is Django Rest Framework, though Express is also pretty cool.
• Virtualisation - I run several VMWare ESXi servers, which are excellent for just spinning up a server for testing, learning, or specific purposes. I'm also experienced in standard VMWare, Virtualbox and similar systems.
• Windows Subsystem for Linux. I firmly believe this is the best innovation in Windows since they added the mouse. I use a remote VM now for development, but before that, I was able to happily (and fully functionally) develop for Python, Full Stack design and more using the WSL2 functionality on Windows 10.
• Ubuntu Linux. I still use the Server versions daily, though I admit my Desktop preference is firmly in the Windows Camp (I also have a couple of Mac devices I use when I fancy a change. These are primarily to test my web apps or programs on the Mac hardware, though).
• Amazon AWS. I am working towards some AWS certifications, so expect posts on this topic. I believe that AWS is the most full-featured Cloud offering available today, but this also makes it more complicated and correspondingly fun!
• Expect anything! I have a mind of useless trivia and a constant thirst to learn. I constantly fall down the Google / Youtube etc. rabbit holes then need to research my latest fixation :)

OK, that is enough for a first post I think. Pop a comment below if there is anything you would like me to cover specifically. I hope to have more useful content soon :)