Raymii
raymii.org · Personal blog · on HN since 2012
Raymii is a sysadmin who writes about Linux, nginx security, VPNs, hardware keys, keyboards, OpenVMS, and retro tech.
What HN saysHN commenters link his guides on topics such as Nitrokey, HPKP, and plaintext RSS reading, and the author joins threads to answer questions.
67HN people shared it
23linked it in comments
190stories submitted
3.5Kstory points
3 months agolast shared
2012people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Strong SSL Security on Nginx – Raymii.org6 people · 13 points · first shared 2014 · 1 comments on HN
- 2Boot to Vim, Vim as Pid 16 people · 13 points · first shared 2014 · 5 comments on HN
- 3I enforced the AGPL on my code5 people · 304 points · first shared 2020 · 145 comments on HN
- 4Split Keyboards, a 5-Year Review (ErgoDoxEZ, MatiasErgoPro,KinesisFreestyle 2)4 people · 14 points · first shared 2019 · 5 comments on HN
- 5Compiling Tetris from 1992 on OpenVMS x86 in 20244 people · 12 points · first shared 2024 · discussion on HN
- 6The Common Desktop Environment (CDE) in 20213 people · 156 points · first shared 2021 · 186 comments on HN
- 7Small Linux PCs overview3 people · 134 points · first shared 2012 · 35 comments on HN
- 8Using a 1965 Dutch rotary phone via VoIP3 people · 126 points · first shared 2024 · 20 comments on HN
- 9Put your SSH keys in your TPM chip3 people · 3 points · first shared 2026 · discussion on HN
- 10Bare Metal Vi, Boot into Vi Without an OS3 people · 3 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 11OpenVMS 9.2 for x86, Getting Started part 1, install guide with VirtualBox3 people · 2 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 12Disable motd news or (parts of) the dynamic motd on Ubuntu (2019)3 people · 1 points · first shared 2019 · discussion on HN
- 13Toggling in a simple program on the DEC PDP 8 and PiDP 8 using the switch register3 people · first shared 2019
- 14Bringing a decade old bicycle navigator back to life with open source software2 people · 184 points · first shared 2025 · 38 comments on HN
- 15Selling my own GPL software, part 1: a lot of hurdles2 people · 153 points · first shared 2021 · 76 comments on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
BSDobelix · 2025-01-29
Uh thanks, they moved in MAR 2024 i wonder why they have not migrated to the V9 x86 version instead.
But that's probably why the Uptime changed, before it was always around 300-500 days, now it's around 5-14 day's ;)
>I wonder far away QEMU is to supporting OpenVMS on Alpha...
It's not great:
https://raymii.org/s/blog/The_sad_state_of_Alpha_emulators_for_OpenVMS…
jandeboevrie · 2019-12-30
Heavily. Preferably text only, full text. I've just written about it: https://raymii.org/s/articles/Tiny-Tiny-RSS-Readability-plaintext.html
I've got almost a thousand feeds I'm following actively.
mdewinter · 2018-06-28
I love the nitrokey stuff. If you want some practical examples, see the articles I wrote on the different models: https://raymii.org/s/tags/nitrokey.html - both HSM, Pro, start (which is a gnuk stick).
Buge · 2017-03-24
A number of people recommend doing that as best practice.
https://raymii.org/s/articles/HTTP_Public_Key_Pinning_Extension_HPKP.h…
terrywang · 2017-02-15
OpenVPN is SSL VPN, relatively easy to setup, it operates in transport layer. strongSwan (IPsec) works in layer 3.
To properly install and configure strongSwan, following the tutorials available over the Nnternet is not enough. One needs to have basic networking knowledge (NAT, iptables in particular), good understanding of IPsec protocol suite (including IKE, AH, ESP), PKI, Linux skills and etc.
This is a good reference but still needs the knowledge mentioned above to get it to work: https://raymii.org/s/tutorials/IPSEC_vpn_with_Ubuntu_16.04.html
dan1234 · 2015-12-17
I wouldn't put too much faith in any tutorial which still had SSLv3 in the config.
I'd recommend this more detailed setup for nginx:
https://raymii.org/s/tutorials/Strong_SSL_Security_On_nginx.html
tapland · 2022-06-28
> COBOL devs are a specialized niche these days and they get paid accordingly.
In my experience the well paid COBOL devs are those with 20+ years of experience, often in one specific system, often bumped by being re-hired a bunch of times for the same position.
I've been doing COBOL since 2018 and younger devs my age (late 20s, early 30s) with a few years of experience make decent money, but the average is bumped by the teams having a lot of devs near retirement age.
If you want to learn:
The language isn't very complicated. I'd recommend grabbing the Visual Cobol for Windows trial just to get coding (and then shunning anything MicroFocus when you are done ;) )
https://www.microfocus.com/en-us/products/visual-cobol/overview
If you want to/will end up tinkering with IBM systems, check out Jan Sądek's Mainframe Playground: https://mainframeplayground.neocities.org/
For running COBOL on VMS, comp.os.vms is a common place to hang out https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.vms?pli=1
A dev named Remy documented his first steps on OpenVMS and it was a great help when starting out: https://raymii.org/s/tags/vms.html
There is some actual training material from firms specializing in COBOL training floating around, but they are mostly IBM and/or MicroFocus documentation with some suggested example programs.
I hope the resources above are useful and good luck!
imtringued · 2026-03-18
Here is a blog post describing how to do it with a PDP8. Note: he used an assembler but in those days you had do translate to machine code by hand.
https://raymii.org/s/articles/Toggling_in_a_simple_program_on_the_DEC_…
twelvechairs · 2024-06-13
For an explanation in practice see below. From someone pro-AGPL seeking enforcement of the licence.
https://raymii.org/s/blog/I_enforced_the_AGPL_on_my_code_heres_how_it_…
jore · 2023-04-18
maybe part 1 of it will help
[1] https://raymii.org/s/blog/OpenVMS_9.2_for_x86_Getting_Started.html
sJ646U9k6c6gME9 · 2020-11-01
One can of course boot more or less directly to Vim: https://raymii.org/s/blog/Vim_as_PID_1_Boot_to_Vim.html
You asked for a decent editor, not a kitchen sink, so I’ll stop here without touching on Emacs.
gohwell · 2020-06-24
Answering my own question: https://raymii.org/s/blog/Vim_as_PID_1_Boot_to_Vim.html
KAMSPioneer · 2020-02-06
Looks like the original hosted/author is suspending the project. I get a 403.
https://raymii.org/s/blog/Cancellation_notice_for_cipherlist_ssldecode…
recrudesce · 2019-11-07
You're thinking of HPKP
https://raymii.org/s/blog/Chrome_68_is_deprecating_HPKP.html
antonvs · 2019-11-03
Entering programs via front panel switches was another early technique, e.g.: https://raymii.org/s/articles/Toggling_in_a_simple_program_on_the_DEC_…
henkdevries · 2018-10-06
Using regular Linux tools you are even able to bootstrap Windows on Digital Ocean (or any kvm vps): https://raymii.org/s/tutorials/Windows_7_Installer_on_KVM_Linux_VPS_Di…
This could be done without custom images. Now it will be easier.
notatoad · 2016-09-27
autossh and reverse tunnels. like this: https://raymii.org/s/tutorials/Autossh_persistent_tunnels.html
tux · 2015-10-16
If you use "Chromium" on linux instead of "Chrome" you can do this; (create a shortcut with this command)
chromium --cipher-suite-blacklist=0x0033,0x0039,0x009E,0xcc15
Also if you use Nginx web browser; (read this article)
https://raymii.org/s/tutorials/Strong_SSL_Security_On_nginx.html
sigjuice · 2015-09-02
In the past, I have used the instructions here https://raymii.org/s/tags/vpn.html to set up a Linux server for iOS and OS X clients.
rsync · 2015-08-14
"rsync.net is also pretty usable, but I wouldn't trust there is any in-flight or at-rest security http://www.rsync.net/"
rsync.net service is only available over SSH, so there's your in-flight security.
An rsync.net filesystem is an empty filesystem for you to do with as you see fit, so encryption at rest is completely up to you.[1][2]
Related: rsync.net accepts ZFS send/recv over SSH.
As always, ask about the HN readers discount.
[1] duplicity.nongnu.org
[2] https://raymii.org/s/articles/Set_up_your_own_truly_secure_encrypted_s…
mgunes · 2012-09-09
This might help you:
http://raymii.org/cms/p_Small_Linux_PCs_overview
m45t3r · 2019-12-27
> At least with macOS its all "encrypted" and has sane defaults with a consistent user interface and when some settings are turned off, they stay completely off.
Wait, what. You can completely disable any "phone-home" features of Ubuntu. Actually, you can make sure that this feature is disabled by removing the corresponding package of your system, something that isn't possible in macOS. And you can also audit the code, because all this code is actually open-source [1].
Also, this controversial feature of Amazon search could be disabled quite easily [2], and this motd can also be disabled [3].
So sorry, Ubuntu may have some controversial features, however saying that using macOS is more privacy-respecting than Ubuntu is a lie. They are at least at the same level, however considering that I can't get the source code of macOS and make sure that turning off a knob will stop spying on me, I still think Ubuntu is better than macOS in this point.
[1]: https://launchpad.net/unity-lens-shopping
[2]: https://www.howtogeek.com/126995/how-to-disable-the-amazon-search-ads-…
[3]: https://raymii.org/s/tutorials/Disable_dynamic_motd_and_motd_news_spam…
daly · 2020-04-10
You are obviously new to the computer field. Back in my day (he said from his rocking chair) we had to modify hardware to get things to work.
For example, a teletype (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletype_Model_33) used either current or voltage in the interface so you had to physically modify the computer motherboard (https://www.foxdata.com/blog/time-to-test-the-data-general-mv2000-dc/) with wire cutters or a soldering gun.
Or you had to muck about with the patch panel in your card sorter (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/plugboard.html)
Or you had to "reseat" (open the computer, pull out each card, and plug it back in) the cards every morning when you started the IBM Series 1 computer. (http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/ibm-series1)
Or you had to read (by eye) your paper tape looking for a jump instruction you could hand punch (https://collection.maas.museum/object/373326 or one you made yourself) a "JUMP" instruction to your new "SUBROUTINE" (that you hand punched) to splice the old one out of line and hand compute the return address to skip the old routine.
Or hand wiring your own core memory array (http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/interesting_computer_items/magnet… since an order for 64 "bytes" of core was delivered as 512 tiny core "donuts".
Or physically enter the paper tape boot loader from the front panel…