Articles & Guides
Useful resources for web developers and system administrators
Infrastructure
Nginx Logs: Where They Live, How to Read and Rotate Them
Where nginx logs live, how to read the combined format, build a custom log_format, decode error.log, analyse traffic with awk and set up logrotate correctly.
Infrastructure
Nginx Configuration from Scratch: Contexts and Server Blocks
Nginx configuration from scratch: where config files live, context hierarchy, a minimal server block, location order, proxy_pass, nginx -t and safe reload.
DNS
How to Change DNS Server: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
How to change the DNS server on Windows 10 and 11, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and your router: step-by-step paths, PowerShell and resolvectl commands, verification.
Infrastructure
Free Website Hosting: What Is Free and What It Really Costs
Free website hosting explained: static Git hosting, free hoster plans and cloud free tiers, what you pay with, when it is fine, and how to migrate without losses.
Security
fail2ban Setup: Jails and SSH Brute-Force Protection
How to install and configure fail2ban on Debian and Ubuntu: jail.local, bantime and maxretry, sshd and nginx jails, custom filters, unbanning and pitfalls.
Domains
Expiring Domains: Lifecycle, Tracking a Drop and Buying One
The domain lifecycle after expiry: when .COM and ccTLD names are released, how to track a drop via WHOIS, and what to verify before buying one.
Domains
How to Register a .RU Domain: ID Verification for Foreigners
How to register a .ru domain as a foreigner: accredited registrars, required documents, identity verification, WHOIS status fields and how to avoid suspension.
SSL/TLS
Certbot Not Renewing: Let's Encrypt Auto-Renewal Fixes
Why Let's Encrypt auto-renewal stops working: certbot renew --dry-run, renewal configs, HTTP-01 and DNS-01 failures, deploy hooks, rate limits, Docker.
Infrastructure
Best VPS Providers 2026: Criteria, Pitfalls and How to Verify
Best VPS providers 2026: Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, OVHcloud, Contabo and UpCloud compared by what matters — NVMe, vCPU allocation, bandwidth, backups, KVM — plus pitfalls of cheap plans and the exact commands to verify a server after renting it.
Domains
Best Domain Registrars 2026: Where to Buy and What Matters
Best domain registrars in 2026: where to buy a domain and what matters beyond price — renewal cost vs first-year discount, WHOIS privacy, bundled DNS, transfer-out ease and account 2FA. An honest comparison of Namecheap, Porkbun, Cloudflare, Squarespace Domains, GoDaddy and Dynadot.