I just remembered how painful it was to share content through a blog to friends. Social media, such as Twitter, solved that issue. I do not want to attempt trying to remember my Digg.it password (Does the site even exist anymore?)
Anyway, I said all of that to say this: I know where both of these locations are:
I can be excited for both the US and Finnish teams.
I recently updated my kubernetes cluster from 1.10.2 to 1.11.0. I noticed heapster was being deprecated and completely removed by version 1.13.0. I thought this would be the perfect time to try out metrics-server. I had to download the git repo to apply the kubernetes yaml to my cluster. Since this is sometimes not as ideal as I would like, (I prefer kubectl apply -f http:// when it comes from a trusted source) I am writing the below for easy access in the future:
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-incubator/metrics-server/master/deploy/1.8%2B/auth-delegator.yaml
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-incubator/metrics-server/master/deploy/1.8%2B/auth-reader.yaml
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-incubator/metrics-server/master/deploy/1.8%2B/metrics-apiservice.yaml
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-incubator/metrics-server/master/deploy/1.8%2B/metrics-server-deployment.yaml
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-incubator/metrics-server/master/deploy/1.8%2B/metrics-server-service.yaml
kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-incubator/metrics-server/master/deploy/1.8%2B/resource-reader.yaml
Note: this is for clusters running v1.8.0 or greater.
I have not been posting as much tech stuff on my blog as I want to. The reason for this is I have been mulling about the idea of submitting my tutorials to a publication and get paid for my work. I still have not decided if this is the right course of action. Not that I have to explain myself with the readers of my blog – I just wanted something other than a Christmas post as my newest blog post 😮
Merry Christmas from the Wippler family!
We pray that you are enjoying this season of celebration as we reflect upon our Saviour’s birth. Truly, for the Christian, Christ is the focal point of the season.
October was unusually mild and warm for Minnesota. Then on Friday, October 27, a snowstorm swept through our area dumping the highest one-day snowfall total ever recorded in Duluth since October 1933! Quite a rude awakening for this California family. However, we are loving the snow and are adjusting to the colder climate (although we’re told the worst is yet to come). Like today, when the high is going to be -10°F!
On the family side of things, it’s been a joy to watch the Lord work in Mollie’s life this past year–first with her salvation in June and then with her decision to be baptized 3 weeks ago. She has a tender heart, and we’re praying the Lord uses her greatly. On a humorous note, she decided yesterday she wanted to style her hair like “mommy’s.” While Nicole prepared lunch downstairs, Mollie was upstairs adjusting her hairstyle.
Fortunately, not too much damage was done, and the hairdresser informed us that having shorter layers in the front and longer in the back is the “in” look.
Meg turned 4 on November 7, while Clark celebrated his 3rd birthday on December 15! How time flies! Meg continues to astound us with her love of and ability to learn. She’s a thinker for sure: the other day during family devotions, Nicole asked her why Mary washed Jesus feet with her hair, hoping she’d say something along the lines of “because she loved Jesus.” Instead she responded with, “because she didn’t have any towels.”
Now that Jake’s gotten a little older, Clark and Jake have become car/train playing buddies. It’s hilarious to watch them playing/dragging their blankets together around the house. Both boys are becoming more articulate. After Clark fell on his face one day, Nicole teasingly said, “Oh no! Your face has broken into 100 pieces. Let’s get some glue.” With a panic stricken tone, Clark told Mollie, “Get the glue, Mollie! Hurry! My face is broken!” We’re truly blessed with 4 precious children!
Speaking of blessings, it’s been a tremendous blessing to see the Lord working in our church. At our annual Christmas dinner, we had many visitors with several making professions of salvation. The following Sunday morning we had our children’s Christmas program. The auditorium was filled, and several of our bus children had family in attendance. One little girl invited and saw her school mentor in attendance. We’re praying that many of these visitors will be saved, baptized, and then discipled in the upcoming months.
In closing, let us wish your family a Happy New Year! We truly appreciate your prayers as we seek to be faithful to the Lord and His calling upon our lives. You are in our thoughts and prayers as well.
Love,
Andrew and Nicole
It has been a month and a half since we moved, and we finally are on a set schedule. The girls have started school, all boxes are unpacked, our house in California closed escrow, and we have successfully adjusted to the CST time zone.
It always amazes me how much God has blessed my family. We are all in good health, we are debt free, we have a roof over our head, and we have food to eat. I can attribute this all to God as I have no control over my health, I am horrible when it comes to big financial matters (such as retirement savings, stock trading, etc.), and I am not the best at selecting the best food choices for myself. It is only through God’s providential guidance that I am in the state I am.
I have been able to go fishing twice since arriving. As a result, I caught 2 fish. Neither were big enough to keep, but it was a great experience to enjoy. It seems the best fishing out here is on a lake. As a result, one needs a boat to get to the middle of the lake. This has caused me to research fishing kayaks. It is doubtful I will get one for the 2017 season, but if I save enough money, I can definitely get one for the 2018 season 🙂
Being a bi-vocational Assistant Pastor is rather weird. It is a role I have not experienced for too long, but I am very excited for what God has in store. Since being here in Duluth, I have been able to share the gospel with several people and see one make a profession for Christ. It was neat to see the “lightbulb” appear when he understood that Jesus came to do all the work of salvation for us and that salvation is not dependent upon our good works or how we live. It is very sad that many people are trapped in the religion of Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Atheism that they fail to see who Jesus is, why he came, and how we can experience life through a relationship with Him.
I am very thankful I can have a second job which is remote work and allows me to be in the tech industry. I like working with bleeding edge software such as Docker, Kubernetes, Puppet, and the like. It also allows me to scratch the itch I have with the nerdy side of tech – coding. I have been able to maintain a legacy PHP app while develop some in NodeJS and Go. Mostly I have been sharing cool things about Github, build pipelines, and the philosophy of “Let the robots do it.”
My coffee survival habit has been amplified by the purchase of a Ninja coffee maker last Amazon Prime day. I was not able to use it until we moved here and I am quite satisfied with how it makes iced coffee. It also gave me a recipe which I have been following for my daily iced coffee – it requires half and half with a few ounces of flavored syrup. I think this is the best approach for iced coffee.
(Note: This guest post is from my wife, Nicole. These are the events that happened July 25th, 2017.)
After 6 hours of rest, we awakened rested (somewhat) and ready to resume our journey. Morning was fairly uneventful, and we were back on the road by 9. As we were fueling up, we realized that Clark’s cup (which he went to bed with) was accidentally left somewhere amid the sheets despite going through the room 2-3 times. No worries! Remembered that were had brought 2 extra sippy cups ?
As we merged on the I-76 we spotted what we believe to be our moving van. Too funny! The day before we’d seen the same truck as we left Barstow. At least we know our belongings should arrive by Friday, lol! An hour into our drive, all the kids except Mollie fell asleep.
Thankfully, the next leg of our journey was fairly uneventful, and we were able to stop for lunch in Kearney by 2:45. Other then an icky diaper and ordering the wrong sandwich for Andrew, lunch was quite pleasant. In fact, Jake ate more than Clark or Meg! Thanks to everyone’s prayers, the children were very well behaved as we made our way to the next stop–Des Moine.
For the next 3.5 hours: played with toys, watched cartoons, and slept (praise the Lord!!). Seems whenever we’re close to our destination one of the younger three decides they’ve had it and begins to fuss. Thankfully, Clark perks up with food or cars, and Jake loves snacks and playing with random items (wipes bucket, water bottle, thermos, favorite afghan etc.). As a reward, hoping to get a little pool time at the hotel. So thankful we’re only driving 5 hours tomorrow and going to get a good 2 hour break at the Mall of America!
(Note: This guest post is from my wife, Nicole. These are the events that happened July 24th, 2017.)
Well, after 4 hours of sleep, we woke and were on the road by 5. Forgot one little detail… taking girls to the restroom before we left. When we reached Adelanto, Mollie said she had to go the bathroom. Pulled in to the first gas station we saw and wouldn’t you know it, the restrooms were both out of order ? Bought a potty seat for emergencies such as this.
In the mean time, Meg decided she wanted to get dressed. Dressed the girls and was handing out the snack when Jake gagged himself and threw up the banana I just fed him! Cleaned him up, scrounged around to find the clothes I’d stuffed in our overloaded van. A 10 minute stop took 30 minutes ?
Back on the road! Fortunately, despite a quick run through McDonald’s, we reached St. George, Utah by noon. As we unloaded the car, we spent 10 minutes in 107° weather looking for Mollie’s shoe and 3 elusive crayons. Finally decided to look when we returned from lunch and have Mollie ride in the shopping cart with one shoe.
Took Jake out of the car only to discover he’d blown out his diaper! He didn’t want to be changed because his poor rear is so irritated. Think the ladies in the Costco restroom thought I was crazy as I held down a squirmy, stinky baby. Once he was changed, I took the girls to the restroom and heard someone commenting on the smell in the bathroom! Way to go baby boy!!
Returned to the van and spent another 10 minutes finding the lost flip flop and crayons. Between the puke and diaper blowout, we’d nearly used our stash of wipes. So had to run to Walmart of course! Back to the road!
Thankfully the kids played quietly with their aqua doodle pads, and the girls fell asleep ? Just as Jake was starting to fuss, we passed through a rainstorm, and the boys stared out the window awestruck. Rain is discovered (by the way, the storm cleaned our windshield better than the Lancaster Cruz Thru)!
Things went fairly well for the next few hours. Kids napped and ate dinner at Wendy’s. About 20 minutes into the home stretch, I heard a noise any mother learns to dread–Clark was about to spew. Managed to get most of his dinner in the plastic bag I’d brought for such emergencies. After a quick clean up job, we were back in business. Five minutes later though, we had to stop again because we suspected Jake had dirtied his diaper. False alarm!
Why is it the last 100 miles of any trip seems the longest. After hitting a few construction spots, we finally pulled into Denver at midnight. Sadly, kids who are awakened at midnight are not exactly pleasant. Mollie did okay, but Meg is a bear whenever her sleep’s interrupted. Clark perked up a bit as we trekked across the parking lot. Once we reached the unfamiliar hotel room, however, he started crying that he wanted out of the room! Andrew left me with the three younger ones while he and Mollie retrieved our luggage. In the mean time, Jake’s full diaper leaked out onto my shirt. Andrew hadn’t returned so I quickly stripped Jake down and threw him into the tub. At which point Jake joined the crying chorus ? I half expected the manager to come throw us out any minute with all the ruckus we were causing.
Andrew finally came with the luggage (except for the toiletries bag but that’s another story). Prepared for bed and let the kids watch a little episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood before settling in for a few hours of much needed rest!
Today marks the first day in over 29 years where I am no longer a resident of the great state of California. No longer will iscaliforniaonfire.com be relevant to me or my family! With all changes to life there are some good things and bad things with every major life decision.
From the move, I will miss the following:
However, I will not miss the following:
I am also super pumped about these:
I am a long time user of Evernote. Currently it has the best browser extensions, a wide range of supported operating systems, and it has a free tier; however, I am getting frustrated with it. In the past year, they have changed plans twice – now the free tier is only supported on 2 platforms. This has cost me to re-evaluate my use of Evernote. Lately all I have been using Evernote for is to sync a grocery list between devices and keeping my children’s memories in one location – their sayings, artwork, etc. In the past I also used it for note taking, article saving, and inputting ideas. I have also seriously considered buying a subscription just so I can continue uninterrupted.
While this may be a rant about a free user using a free service, I contribute to the monitization of their service by the viewing of advertisements. The free tier limits (except for maximum devices) are adequate for my occasional use and probably have cost Evernote around $3 total in the past several years. The valuation Evernote has placed on their second-level tier ($35/year) is much higher than I value it (~$12/year). While I may not be able to set the price on what Evernote costs, I can put a price on what I am willing to pay for a simple note service.
A recent article on opensource.com opened my eyes to looking at note taking alternatives. I was surprised at how mature Paperwork was; however, it contained one simple flaw that throws my grocery list experience out the window – no checkbox option. This caused me to evaluate Google Keep – yes, has check boxes, but functions more like sticky notes. Then I remembered Atlassian’s confluence has checkboxes. Their paid version is $10 for up to ten users (per year if it self hosted, monthly if in the cloud). This fits my budget, I can create grocery lists, take notes, and create notebooks/spaces. While I have not switched away yet, confluence seems like a viable option as I already have an always-on home server.
The kuerig device is a visually pleasing design. It appears to belong in the modern kitchen. A few months ago, I was given a kuerig first generation with a reusable filter and used it as my primary coffee consumption device. It gave me a sense of faster coffee delivery in the morning – I was happy until I discovered these flaws:
Flaw #1 – I spent more time making coffee than with a drip machine.
While it had a reservoir of water, that only lasted for about 6 tall glasses of coffee. I would have to switch out the K cup if I wanted a cup in the morning and one to take with – very common thing for me to do. This led me to another flaw.
Flaw #2 – the kuerig is designed for casual coffee drinkers.
By casual I mean 3-6 cups a month. Even with a refillable K cup, I was spending twice the amount on coffee and found myself adding 5 minutes to my normal routine just for use of the kuerig.
Flaw #3 – coffee dust
The coffee ground too much in store bought K cups and my refillable K cup often found itself in the bottom of my glass. This was disgusting and I could not stand throwing away the last sip of coffee because it had coffee dust at the bottom. To combat this, I had to cut filters in the shape of my K cup.
After 2 months of trouble with the kuerig, I got frustrated with drinking coffee. What was designed to be a pleasant, easy experience in making coffee turned out to be painful, time consuming, and more expensive. I evaluated my habit with the kuerig and found I was doing the same exact items with my old drip system, but spent more time affixing it to the kuerig. Once I realized that, I switched back to my old ways, sold the kuerig and bought more coffee with the money.
I have not posted in a few weeks. This was mainly due to getting a rest from posting every week of 2016! I have a few posts coming in the next few weeks. The first one will be about debugging PHP applications. The second one will be deploying a high availability MySQL cluster – what it looked like 10 years ago, and what it will look like 10 years from now. (HINT: Kubernetes + GlusterFS 😉 )
With a year drawing to a close, I have a habit of looking back at my goals I set for myself, see how I have done, and set goals for the new year. My new year’s resolution for 2017 will be 1920×1080 (same as last year). I wish I could upgrade it to 5k, but it will have to do for now.
In 2016, I set a goal to post to my blog every week – I met that goal. I also planned to get more certs – of which I achieved my LFCE, COA, and Puppet Certified Professional. I also sharpened my ruby skills.
For 2017, I am not going to write on my blog every week. Instead I will write more lengthy blog posts and tutorials.
In 2016 we saw the Cubs win the world series, Microsoft join the Linux foundation, Google join the ASP.net foundation, and pigs actually flew. I can only imagine what 2017 will hold.
My wife and I adopted a tradition on the day after Thanksgiving – after a full night’s sleep – we visit stores and go shopping around 10am. Yes, the lines are still crazy, but the people who woke up at 5am to wait in line are already gone. With grandparents watching our children, it is one of our best stress-free shopping experiences. No doubt – we are doing it again today.
I am still in shock that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in Baseball which ended their 108 year drought. Last time the Cubs won the world series, they won it back-to-back. I can expect nothing less this time around. ?
I began my Linux hobby in 1999. I was given a CD of RedHat Linux which I installed on an old computer. At first use, it was slow and buggy and uninstalled in favor of Windows 98. I installed Debian a few months later and discovered I could install a different desktop environment – KDE which looked like Windows, but was different. After playing with it for a few weeks, I discovered Knoppix – a live CD that didn’t overwrite my hard drive and let me play around without grave consequences. A friend then introduced me to Gentoo which allowed for complete customization for my 1ghz single core processor. After a few failed misconfigurations and a desire to get back to binary installs, I switched to Fedora Core 1 and used it on my desktop. Another friend showed me a new distribution called Ubuntu – similar to Debian, but more up to date. This was then installed on my laptop that I used for college. I switched completely to Ubuntu after the release of Fedora core 4 as I got frustrated with yum.
After college, I started working in a help desk position. It was mainly servicing Windows desktops and a few OSX machines. I then received a task from my boss to create a simple lookup website. I got to choose the server OS, create the VM on a Hyper-V host, and use any tools I could muster to perform this simple task. The project was a success and I received another – parse a text file and output it to a standard CSV. At the time, I only knew PHP and none of the cool features of sed and awk. PHP turned out to be a good choice for this project as I was later informed a user would use my creation every day to convert a text file to this new format. I simply had to create a web front end, parse the uploaded file, and give the user an option to download this file.
I began to develop more skills in Linux as my various work tasks involved more and more Enterprise level responsibility – such as LDAP authentication for websites, Active Directory maintenance, converting databases from Access to MySQL with a front end, Migration of Exchange 2003 to 2007, and introducing Google Apps for Education to about 700 students.
When my boss left the organization, I assumed his role and provided oversight for network connectivity (switch/router config), overseeing two, 6 figure technology budgets, and also my regular responsibilities. I was able to attend training events as well as attend online courses regarding Linux. At that time, I began reading more books on tech practices, management, and Linux. I felt I learned enough to prove my skills with certification – even though I was doing the work successfully without being certified. The Linux Foundation released their equivalent to Red Hat’s RHCSA – the Linux Foundation Certified SysAdmin (LFCS). The domains and competencies covered described all the tasks I have done since setting up my first Linux box – create users, partitions, edit text files, etc. I took the introduction to Linux course offered by the Linux Foundation on edx, and scheduled an exam for my LFCS. On my first try, I misconfigured RAID, and rebooted the server. (Whoops!) The Linux Foundation was gracious to allow a free retake which I passed. I kept going around to my co-workers (after being certified) and quoting my favorite Dilbert comic: “Step away from that network server… I AM CERTIFIED!”
At this time, my skilled co-workers left (not all at once) and my team turned out to be just me for a period of eight months to cover 1,100 network attached devices and 1,300 users. It was about this time I researched CMEs (Chef, CFEngine, and Puppet) to help do tasks. I eventually picked puppet and successfully deployed RPi-wayfinding with it. A year and a half later, I passed the Puppet Certified Professional exam. With that out of the way, I turned my attention to the LFCE – especially since the Linux Foundation had a sale on the course and test for less than the test amount.
The LFCE was the easiest certification test of all the ones I took. I scored an 88 out of 100, and I think the things I missed were saving the iptables rules :/
My next step is to take an AWS certificate test as I have been using AWS for nearly 2 years, but I will probably take an OpenStack cert first as I was given a discounted rate for the cert + course from the Linux Foundation.