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I don't maintain my homelab, it maintains itself
22 days ago
- The author has automated their homelab to require minimal maintenance, achieving a self-maintaining setup.
- Infrastructure includes a single server and UniFi networking gear, both designed to update and run without manual intervention.
- Software maintenance is handled through a weekly Docker update cron job and automated backups, reducing hands-on time to about 15 minutes per month.
- This setup provides resilience, allowing the homelab to operate for extended periods without intervention, balancing privacy, security, and convenience.
Transparent Compression with Folder Actions in macOS
20 days ago
- AFSCT is a transparent file system compression built into macOS that compresses files on disk while keeping them accessible normally.
- Use applesauce (a modern Rust tool) for faster, parallel compression with safe atomic writes instead of the older afsctool.
- Set up a Folder Action with Automator to automatically compress files when they are added to a specific folder.
- Folder Actions only trigger on top-level file additions or removals, not on changes to existing files or subfolders.
- By default, applesauce uses LZFSE, but you can choose LZVN for faster decompression or ZLIB for better compression ratios.
- Compression savings are visible in Finder's Get Info, with the size in brackets showing the reduced disk usage.
- Manage Folder Actions setup via the Folder Actions Setup dialog to enable or attach actions to multiple folders.
Designing DB partitions you don't have to babysit
20 days ago
- PostgreSQL and MySQL require partition keys to be included in primary keys, leading to potential issues with uniqueness and query performance.
- Partition pruning, a key optimization, fails if the WHERE clause doesn't include the partition key, causing slow queries.
- Static partition boundaries can become imbalanced over time, creating operational overhead for manual rebalancing.
- Partitioning by the primary key (e.g., BIGINT AUTO_INCREMENT) ensures automatic pruning without code changes.
- Automated services can manage partitions by watching growth, splitting catch-all partitions, and handling retention, reducing manual work.
- Time-aligned boundaries can be derived from date columns without including them in the partition key, avoiding query leakage.
- Tools like pg_partman and TimescaleDB automate time-based partitioning but may leak keys into queries; a DIY service offers flexibility.
- Hash and list partitioning require monitoring for skew or promoting values from catch-all partitions, with automation focused on detection rather than splitting.
- Choosing a partition key that is already in all critical queries (like the primary key) prevents abstraction leaks and maintains performance.
Rare things become common at scale (2014)
17 days ago
- Rare events become common at scale due to the sheer number of servers, leading to daily incidents like fatal server errors.
- Scale amplifies customer impact, causing issues like bad first impressions for new customers and increased support workload.
- Automation is crucial but insufficient; human elements like customer support and problem-solving remain essential for handling rare events.
- Growth projections often underestimate the need for hiring in areas like security, automation, and specialized roles to manage scale challenges.
Robots, Soft Power, and Summer Davos 2026
14 days ago
- China is the world's dominant industrial robotics market, accounting for 54% of new installations in 2024 with 295,000 units.
- The 2026 Summer Davos in Dalian included direct discussions on labor issues like wage gaps and trade policy, alongside 'soft' robot art exhibits.
- Media coverage naturally favored shareable robot demonstrations over policy sessions, reflecting attention economics rather than deliberate suppression.
- China's automation drive is structurally motivated by rising labor costs and an aging population, framed as innovation leadership.
- Comparatively, major economies like the U.S. also emphasize optimistic automation narratives, indicating a global pattern.
- Analysis found no evidence that cultural programming was used to avoid scrutiny of labor conditions at the event.
- Unverified hypotheses include potential curatorial bias and undisclosed sponsorship, requiring further targeted research.
You're Not a Better Engineer Because You Type Git Commands by Hand
11 days ago
- AI agents handle tedious engineering tasks like commit messages, PR descriptions, and code comments, saving significant time.
- AI ensures consistency in naming conventions, Git hygiene, issue tracking, and release workflows, reducing errors and conflicts.
- LLMs benefit from structured codebase context (comments, rules, paths), enabling more fluid AI-assisted interactions and challenging inconsistencies.
- Agents manage Git operations (branch creation, PR preparation, label updates) and automate delivery checks, turning rituals into efficient sequences.
- Delegating repetitive tasks to AI prevents burning money and life on mechanical steps, allowing focus on solving actual problems.
Building and Shipping Mac and iOS Apps Without Ever Opening Xcode
8 days ago
- Build and ship Mac/iOS apps without opening Xcode by using command-line tools like xcodebuild, notarytool, and devicectl.
- One-time setup includes installing Xcode, XcodeGen, configuring Apple Developer account, creating certificates, and storing notarization credentials.
- Automate the entire release pipeline with a script (e.g., release.sh) that handles archiving, signing, notarization, stapling, and installation.
- Use XcodeGen to manage project configuration via a YAML file, avoiding Git issues with .xcodeproj files.
- Secrets like signing keys and app-specific passwords are stored securely in keychains or password managers, not in the repository.
- Agents (e.g., Claude Code) can execute workflows via shell commands and documentation (e.g., CLAUDE.md), enabling fully headless operations.
Show HN: I built a smart proxy so your coding agent can run loose
7 days ago
- The agent can read, write, and run tasks on a machine as a human would, handling source files, builds, processes, and logs.
- Trollbridge controls network access (gates the wire) but does not restrict the file system or process table.
- There are no holds, prompts, or policy-writing required for these operations.
Show HN: Running server scripts from smartphone via SSH
6 days ago
- Remote Runbooks are SSH scripts stored on a server and executed via RebootX with one click.
- Runbooks are loaded from the /usr/local/sbin/rebootx/runbooks directory on the server, with possible customization based on user feedback.
- Scripts prefixed with '__' are marked as dangerous, requiring confirmation before execution for safety.
- Unlike SSH Command Macros, Remote Runbooks are managed on the server, ideal for long scripts, while macros are for short commands and shared across providers.
- The feature is new, and users are encouraged to provide feedback via the app for improvements or assistance.
SendLang: A DSL for Email Automation
6 days ago
- SendLang comprises SendQL for segment-definition queries and SendFlow for drip-workflow management.
- Languages enable version control, pre-send error checking, and compatibility with coding agents.
- SendQL integrates raw event streams, contact attributes, and deliverability rules for precise targeting.
- SendFlow offers structured control flow without goto or unbounded loops, mapping to flowcharts.
- Coding agents can write and iterate on campaigns using machine-readable docs and type checkers.
- Design focuses on a golden-pinned grammar, precise diagnostics, and lossless text-canvas conversion.
Kimi Work
19 hours ago
- Kimi Work features a built-in Cron engine for 24/7 automation.
- It automates repetitive tasks such as early-morning LLM Agent calls and midnight Python scripts.
- The system runs quietly in the background, ensuring tasks are executed exactly on time.

Hasty Briefsbeta

#automation

I don't maintain my homelab, it maintains itself

Transparent Compression with Folder Actions in macOS

Designing DB partitions you don't have to babysit

Rare things become common at scale (2014)

Robots, Soft Power, and Summer Davos 2026

You're Not a Better Engineer Because You Type Git Commands by Hand

Building and Shipping Mac and iOS Apps Without Ever Opening Xcode

Show HN: I built a smart proxy so your coding agent can run loose

Show HN: Running server scripts from smartphone via SSH

SendLang: A DSL for Email Automation

Kimi Work