S5E10: "Beer in the Back, Party in the Front"

Posted 2020-07-05 23:59
Modified 2020-07-05 03:37
Comments 2

We talk about things we didn’t know we needed in our industry.

I could just use any given phrase Jthan opens with and it has enough entropy to be a good passphrase.

• Just the Tip
• Notes
• 15 Clams
• Errata
• Music

Just the Tip

• Field Day has come and gone.
  • We release a week and a half after recording, Paden…
• Paden talks about FreeBSD’s gstat (and the sysstat iostat – sysstat iostat is the one Linux uses).
  • As usual, Jthan didn’t know about some features sysstat iostat has because he didn’t read the documentation and a large amount of his experience with iostat is on Illumos which is a different version.
  • Really, every gripe he has as to why he likes gstat over iostat would be invalid if he read the sysstat iostat man page.

Notes

Starts at 28m41s.

I was drinking water. Paden was drinking “mineral” (well) water. Jthan was drinking a Heineken for the first time.

• Things we didn’t know we needed
  • 3D printers may be a useful tool for datacenters.
    • Cable spacers, cable brackets/clips, etc.
    • Emergency rack mounting bracket replacements, etc.
  • Cable management supplies in general.
    • You will need an exponential amount more cable ties/hook-and-loop (e.g. Velcro®) strips/zip ties/etc. than you think you do.
  • “A fuckload of patience and communication skills”, according to Jthan.
  • A calendar (or other task/event-tracking system).
    • Jthan doesn’t know digital calendars have the concept of all-day events which are perfect for Jthan’s complaint that he doesn’t know when the next task is.
    • For task management, we talk about GTG
      • We also talk about Taskwarrior.
  • A good microphone (and webcam) if you do a lot of remote interaction/meetings.
  • Comfortable chairs!
    • And a good desk!
    • And a good, comfortable mouse/keyboard.
      • Jthan linked me to both the lubricant he mentioned and his trackball.
  • Cleaning products.
  • Thin/form-fitting work gloves if you’re racking! I like Mechanix’s Durahide M-Pact personally; just be careful about pinching your first finger and thumb. (The older line “Impact” had better pinch resistance but they discontinued those.)

15 Clams

In this segment, Jthan shares with you a little slice of life. The title is a reference to this video. (2m16s in)

Starts at 1h10m36s.

Jthan talks about how Zoom “didn’t work”. He had to adjust the scaling factor for QT apps for high DPI displays.

Errata

• Jthan doesn’t think people like the bantz. (See also: the bants)
• Yes, Heineken does actually have a US brewery.
• I incorrectly state the topic as “things we thought we needed”. It should have been “things we didn’t know we’d need.”
• Those were actual crickets in the recording at 35m20s.
• You have plenty of things to zip-tie a power cable to on a server! Lookit all the holes and shit on an R740!
• Guys, busting a nut and skeeting are indeed the same thing.

Music

Author r00t^2
Categories Season Five