Monthly Archives: February 2025

#weeklyreview 08/2025

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geez … I’m late with my review again….

Last week was a quiet one, with my friend Sam returning from her trip to Australia. We caught up and got back into our regular gym routine.

A modern gym with various fitness equipment, including kettlebells, dumbbells, and a barbell. Large mirrors reflect the space, showing a person standing in workout attire. Treadmills and weight racks are visible in the background. The lighting is bright, creating a spacious and inviting atmosphere.
Display screen of a Concept2 rowing machine showing workout stats: elapsed time of 30:09, stroke rate of 25 strokes per minute, current pace of 1:57 per 500 meters, distance of 6817 meters, average pace of 2:12.5 per 500 meters, split of 29 meters, and projected 14498 meters in 1 hour.



Our Sunday winter swimming sessions took place as usual, but this time we had to clear a patch of ice from the lake to get in the water. The ice was 5cm thick and needed to be cut through using axes. We managed to create a small path into the lake, which we used for our short dip. The water temperature was around 0.5-1°C, but it wasn’t too bad once we were in.

A partially frozen body of water with a large, dark patch of open water surrounded by thin ice and scattered ice chunks. Brown plants and branches are visible near the water's edge.
A person is emerging from a hole in the ice on a frozen lake, surrounded by snow. The sky is partly cloudy, and a forested area is visible in the background. There are reeds on both sides of the water opening.
A digital thermometer is partially submerged in a shallow, sandy water pool. The display shows two temperature readings. The water surface has visible reflections and bubbles.
Person in a swimsuit standing in partially frozen lake, surrounded by broken ice pieces, with a forest in the background and a partly cloudy sky.
A frozen lake with a snow-dusted shore and reeds on the right. The sky is partly cloudy with patches of blue visible. Dense forest lines the opposite side of the lake.


The rest of the week was spent experimenting with the Ollama tool. I’ve been testing various machine learning models and user interfaces, trying to get a better understanding of how they work. My goal is to set up a local installation of a LLM (Large Language Model) with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), which will allow me to securely work with my personal documents.

Thursday was again family dinner time and I made veggie wraps. Fried the fancy looking Enoki mushrooms. They are trick to eat without cutlery. Much too stringy and hard to chew off. Not recommended for wraps

A frying pan on a stove contains a colorful mix of chopped vegetables, including zucchini, red and green bell peppers, corn, and mushrooms. The ingredients are evenly distributed and lightly sautéed.
A hand holds a tortilla wrap filled with ingredients such as shredded cheese, guacamole, and diced chicken. The wrap is held upright, showing its contents from the top.
Two bundles of enoki mushrooms being pan-fried alongside sliced button mushrooms in a black frying pan.
A tortilla filled with guacamole, sliced chicken, red bell peppers, and topped with grated cheese, served on a plate with a fork and knife on either side.


Overall, it’s been a productive week, but mostly focused on testing and experimentation rather than any major achievements.

Adding Environment variables to services in home-brew

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I’ve recently install Ollama on my MacBook and need it listen on all network interfaces. The default installation view Homebrew brings a service description for home-brew. And the default behaviour of Ollama is to listen only on localhost. I need to add an environment variable to the Ollama command to make it listen on all interfaces.

The service description for the home brew formulae of Ollama can be found in /opt/homebrew/opt/ollama/homebrew.mxcl.ollama.plist

I search for documentation of this file but could not easily find one. Eventually I had to turn to ChatGPT and that gave me the correct solution.

I needed to add the following structure to the .plist file:

<key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
  <dict>
    <key>OLLAMA_HOST</key>
    <string>0.0.0.0</string>
  </dict>

Then after a restart via brew services restart ollama the service was finally listening on all interfaces.

The Return of Infrastructure Independence: Breaking Free from US Hyperscalers

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In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, we sometimes find ourselves experiencing a sense of déjà vu. The current state of cloud computing and infrastructure management feels remarkably similar to the late 1990s server market—a time of major technological transition that ultimately rewarded those who maintained traditional expertise.

The Great Windows Server Migration of the Late ’90s

Cast your mind back to the late 1990s. Windows NT was gaining significant traction in the enterprise server space. Microsoft’s marketing machine was in full swing, promoting Windows as the future of server technology. The interface was familiar, the management tools were accessible, and the promise was enticing: simplify your infrastructure and reduce costs.

Many companies bought into this vision. They let go of their Unix administrators—the wizards who understood the deep intricacies of system architecture—and pivoted toward the seemingly more accessible Windows ecosystem. Unix expertise was deemed outdated, a relic of computing’s past.

But then something unexpected happened: Linux emerged as a powerful force. This open-source Unix-like operating system combined the robustness of traditional Unix with modern development approaches. Companies that had maintained their Unix expertise found themselves with a significant competitive advantage, while those who had discarded that knowledge scrambled to adapt.

Today’s Dangerous Dependency on US Hyperscalers

Fast forward to today, and we’re witnessing a similar phenomenon, but with far greater geopolitical implications. The cloud market has become dominated by a handful of US-based hyperscalers: AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. These giants now control the backbone of global digital infrastructure, creating an unprecedented level of dependency.

Organizations worldwide have entrusted their mission-critical systems, data, and intellectual property to these American corporations. This concentration of digital power in the hands of a few US companies presents significant risks:

  1. Geopolitical Vulnerability: Non-US entities are subject to American data regulations, surveillance capabilities, and political whims
  2. Sovereignty Concerns: Nations and regions have limited control over their own digital infrastructure
  3. Single Points of Failure: Global dependence on a handful of providers creates systemic risks
  4. Compliance Challenges: Navigating complex and sometimes contradictory regulations across jurisdictions

Today’s developers and systems engineers often have limited exposure to building and maintaining independent infrastructure stacks. The knowledge of creating self-sufficient, sovereign digital platforms has been sacrificed at the altar of convenience offered by the hyperscalers.

The Coming Era of Regional Digital Sovereignty

As geopolitical tensions rise and concerns about surveillance escalate, we’re approaching a breaking point that parallels the Linux revolution of the early 2000s. The excessive centralization of cloud infrastructure in the hands of US corporations is becoming increasingly untenable for many regions and organizations around the world.

Europe, in particular, stands at a crossroads. With its strong regulatory framework through GDPR and emphasis on digital sovereignty, the continent has the potential to lead a shift toward regional cloud infrastructure. A “European Cloud” built on open standards and operated independently of US hyperscalers could provide a template for other regions seeking digital autonomy.

This is where those 50+ year-old systems engineers—the ones who understand how to build infrastructure from the ground up—will become invaluable again. Their knowledge of architecting complete technology stacks without reliance on hyperscaler ecosystems will be crucial as organizations and regions work to establish independent digital capabilities.

Building Regional Digital Independence

The path to reducing dependency on US hyperscalers requires:

  1. Regional Infrastructure Initiatives: Government-backed programs to develop sovereign cloud capabilities within specific geographic or political boundaries
  2. Open Source Foundations: Building on open source technologies to avoid vendor lock-in and enable collaboration
  3. Knowledge Preservation: Actively maintaining expertise in full-stack infrastructure management
  4. Hybrid Approaches: Developing gradual migration paths that balance hyperscaler advantages with sovereignty requirements
  5. International Cooperation: Creating alliances between nations with shared interests in digital sovereignty

The Role of Experienced Infrastructure Engineers

The systems engineers who remember a world before AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud will play a pivotal role in this transition. Their experience building and managing independent data centers, designing network architectures without reliance on hyperscaler services, and understanding the full technology stack from hardware to application will be essential.

These veterans know what it takes to build robust, independent infrastructure. They understand the pitfalls, requirements, and strategic considerations that younger engineers, raised entirely in the hyperscaler era, may overlook.

Conclusion

The technology industry has always moved in cycles. What seems obsolete today may become critical tomorrow. Just as Linux vindicated those Unix administrators who maintained their expertise through the Windows NT revolution, the growing movement toward digital sovereignty could similarly elevate those who’ve preserved their knowledge of building independent infrastructure.

As regions like Europe work to establish their own cloud ecosystems and reduce dependency on US hyperscalers, the experienced systems engineers who understand how to build truly independent technology stacks will become not just relevant, but essential to our digital future.

The coming years may well see a renaissance of regional infrastructure expertise, as organizations and nations alike recognize that true digital resilience requires breaking free from excessive dependency on the American tech giants that currently dominate our global digital landscape.

See also: https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/you-can-no-longer-base-your-government-and-society-on-us-clouds/

#weeklyreview 07/2025

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Not too much going on in week 06. The highlight certainly was the birthday of our daughter. Finally a real teenager. She had wished for a New York Cheesecake and surely got one.

A cheesecake with a browned top is partially sliced, revealing its creamy interior. A large knife rests beside it on a table. In the background, there is a plate with additional dessert slices.



To celebrate she took a friend over to our house in the countryside and we went to the NaturTherme Templin for the Spa and Sauna. Since we got there early it was empty and I had the first two session of sauna all for myself.

Got some reading done and a total of 4 sauna session.

A partially frozen pond with protruding ice formations surrounded by tall grasses. A wooden bench is visible in the background amid a snowy landscape.
The frozen fountain at the NaturTherme Templin

Monday was again family dinner day and K1 was over for and stayed for a session of Trival Pursuit.

A black and white photo of a Trivial Pursuit board game set up on a table. The game board is divided into colored pie-shaped wedges representing different categories. Game pieces are visible on the board, and a box with cards is open nearby. A person is partially visible, seated at the table.
Two glass jars on a table; one filled with sliced cucumbers and olives, the other with a red paste. A small bowl with a spoon is nearby. In the background, a red armchair and a grey sofa are visible.

Mid week it started to snow seriously in Berlin and by Thursday we had about 15cm of snow. As it was also cold enough the snow stayed and nicely covered the city in a white blanket. That also amazingly quieted down the whole city.

Demolition site of a tall building in a snowy urban area. The building shows exposed floors and debris, with a construction excavator in action. Nearby trees and the ground are covered in snow, and the area is fenced off.
View from below of a tall tree with bare branches covered in snow against an overcast sky.
A snowy courtyard is surrounded by buildings and trees. The ground is covered in snow with visible footprints leading to a small playground featuring a slide and a seesaw. One of the buildings is illuminated, casting light onto the snow. Trees in the background are frosted with snow, and a faintly lit tower is visible through the trees.
Snow-covered balcony with a plant pot in the foreground, adorned with fairy lights. In the background, a snowy landscape features a modern building, a small purple structure, and trees.
Snow-covered urban street at dusk, illuminated by warm streetlights. Parked vehicles, including a red van, line the side, while snow blankets the sidewalks and trees. Buildings flank the street, and the sky is a deep blue.
A snowy urban scene with a tall building in the background, surrounded by leafless trees covered in snow. The street is lined with parked cars and trucks, and the ground is blanketed in snow.
A snow-covered urban street at night, with parked cars and scooters along the sidewalk. Streetlights illuminate the scene, casting shadows on the snow. Bare trees line the street and a person can be seen walking in the distance. The buildings appear to be multi-story residential apartments.
A small snowman with stick arms stands in a snow-covered yard, set against a backdrop of snow-laden bushes and a tree.
A black and white image of a snowy urban scene with an electric scooter covered in snow, parked near a building entrance. Snow blankets the ground and surrounding shrubbery, while a modern building is visible in the background.
A round, colorful mural-covered fountain in a snowy urban setting, with a tall, glass-fronted building in the background under a partly cloudy blue sky.
Sign for Alexanderplatz U-Bahn station with rainbow stripes in a snowy urban setting, surrounded by tall buildings.

Friday my best friend Sam was back from her long trip to Australia and we had breakfast together. Sooo good to have her back.

Fixing PaperlessNGX Email Processing Issues After Restart

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When running PaperlessNGX in Docker, I encountered an issue where certain emails were not processed after restarting the Paperless container in the middle of a batch processing operation. Paperless saw the emails in the inbox but incorrect

ly marked them as already processed.

Identifying the Issue

The first step to diagnose the issue was to check the mail.log file within Paperless. The log provided information on which emails were skipped from processing, including their unique IDs. For example:

[2025-02-17 09:50:03,084] [DEBUG] [paperless_mail] Skipping mail '321' subject 'Email from Epson WF-4830 Series' from 'scanner@example.com', already processed.

Logging into the Database

To access the Paperless database running inside a Docker container, I used the following command:

docker compose exec db /bin/bash

This command opens a bash shell inside the db service container, allowing further interaction with PostgreSQL.

Resolving the Issue

To resolve the issue, I connected to the Paperless database, which was running on PostgreSQL. Using the provided email UID from the mail.log, I deleted the corresponding entries from the paperless_mail_processedmail table to allow Paperless to process the email again.

psql -U paperless_db_user

Here’s the SQL command I used:

DELETE FROM paperless_mail_processedmail WHERE uid = '322';

After running this command for every of the reported mails that are skipped, Paperless successfully reprocessed the emails during the next processing cycle.

Conclusion

If you encounter similar issues with PaperlessNGX not processing certain emails after a restart, checking the mail.log and manually deleting the processed mail entries from the database can be an effective solution.

#weeklyreview 06/2025

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Again a mixed week

Took Monday off to drive a friend to an examiner for his insurance to assess that he’s not capable of working in his job. He’s got severe ME/CFS, can’t sit or stand upright without passing out in a matter of minutes, has the attention span of squirrel before his brain fog kicks in etc. The examination was originally meant to be 2 days of 4 hours examinations each. But it was clear from the start that he’d not be able to do that. The bloody examiner sit’s in a non-accessible building in the south of Berlin. My friends needs a wheelchair to move around. Of course the building neither had an elevator nor a ramp or something. So it took my friend about 25 minutes to rob in his bum up to the 3rd floor. Yeah… because he can’t stand upright and just walk. And he’s also a bit heavy so can’t be easily carried. And our brilliant health system also does not pay for transport and carrying him upstairs anymore. You’d need three persons to move him, but the default staff on official ambulance cars is only two.

Overall a rather humiliating and exhausting experience for him. I’ll just hope that he’ll finally get’s the deserved payout from his insurance.

The good thing was though, that I 4 hours to roam around in Friedenau and was able to give my good friend Boerge as visit in his new home 😀

A black and white image of an ornate, old brick house with intricate architectural details. The building has a steeply pitched roof and multiple windows with decorative frames. A silver car is parked on the street in front of the house, and leafless trees surround the scene, giving a wintery feel.
Black and white photograph of a large historic building with a tall, rectangular tower and a turret. Bare trees line the street in front, with parked cars and a graffiti-covered truck visible. The sky is overcast, adding a dramatic effect.

Tuesday & Wednesday I was fighting with work bureaucrats the get an exemption for using my corporate USB Disks to free off space on my internal hard disk for experiments mit LLM models. I get the need for rules and restrictions etc. But there must be a way to not prevent people from doing their work. There is all this mandatory security training and tools etc. But I think there should be a way for people to somehow prove that they know what they’re doing and get rid of the usual corporate shackles that prevent you from doing stuff and cripple your expensive corporate hardware.

Baltic Sea

For the rest of the week (which was the Berlin winter holiday week for schools) my daughter and me took off to Usedom island. This time we stayed in Świnoujście on the polish side of the isle.

The weather left room for improvement the first two days with grey clouds, cold wind and drizzle. But that’s kind of what we came for. The sea is awesome at any weather and our hotel had a Spa area where we spent time in the pool and sauna 🙂 I also got a fair bit of reading done on my kindle in the sauna. “The dawn of everything” is really good.

We explored the local restaurants and roamed around the city, beach and piers a bit.

On Saturday we took a trip to the German side and payed Gulliver a visit and had good pizza on the pier restaurant in Heringsdorf.

A hazy offshore oil rig is visible on the horizon, set against a gray, overcast sky. In the foreground, gentle waves ripple across the ocean, and a small red structure, possibly a lighthouse or buoy, sits on a distant breakwater.
A large apartment building with rounded balconies on one end, featuring multiple stories and a uniform facade. The building is situated along a street lined with parked cars and bare trees. A bicycle path sign is visible, and the sky is overcast.
Black and white image of numerous seashells scattered across sandy ground, with some grass visible along the edges.
A bottle of Tsingtao beer and a filled glass placed on a bar table. The background features dim lighting with decorative string lights and blurred restaurant elements.
Black and white photo of a solitary lighthouse with windmill-style blades, positioned at the end of a stone jetty, extending into a calm sea.
A black and white image of a lighthouse tower. The tower is white with a dark stone base, featuring a small plaque and a door accessed by stone steps. The lighthouse stands on a concrete platform by the sea, with a faint view of the horizon line in the background.
A black-and-white photograph shows a solitary figure walking away on a sandy path towards the ocean, flanked by grassy dunes and fenced with wire. The sky is overcast, and the path leads to the beach.
A pile of assorted seashells scattered on a sandy surface, creating a textured and natural pattern. The image is in black and white, emphasizing the contrast between the shells and the sand.
A black and white image depicting a narrow, rocky path leading to a small, white lighthouse with windmill-like blades. The lighthouse stands at the edge of a calm sea under a cloudy sky. A lone figure is visible on the path near the lighthouse.
A narrow, rocky pier leads to a white windmill-like structure at the end, extending into a calm sea under a cloudy sky.
Seagulls gathered on a sandy beach near the water's edge. The ocean is calm with gentle waves under a cloudy sky. A distant breakwater with a red and green lighthouse is visible on the right.
Pathway leading to a beach, flanked by sand dunes with grass and wire fencing. Overcast sky and two people walking in the distance near the waterline.
Moai statue on a grassy hillside under a cloudy sky, with a chain fence surrounding it.
A glass mug filled with hot chocolate on a silver tray with a lace doily. In the background, there's a blurred glass of whipped cream-topped beverage. The tray also has a small white plate with a piece of biscuit.
A pepperoni pizza sits on a white plate atop a wooden table. Additional pizza is partially visible in the background. Beside the first pizza, there are salt and pepper shakers.
A bottle of Asahi beer and a glass with amber liquid are on a dark, marbled table. Next to them is a bottle of Acqua Panna water. In the background, two people are partially visible, one holding a glass. A white napkin is in the foreground.
A person wearing a white sweatshirt cuts a large, cheese-covered pizza with a knife. The pizza, with a golden crust, is on a white plate on a wooden table.
A slice of cheesecake dusted with powdered sugar, accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings, and a small metal pitcher of chocolate sauce. It is served on a white square plate on a marbled tabletop.
Nighttime view of a lively outdoor plaza with illuminated restaurant terraces and string lights. The plaza features modern architecture, with curved buildings and a tiled walkway. A few people are walking in the foreground, adding life to the scene.
A plate of roasted meat topped with arugula, served with roasted vegetables and a small dish of mustard sauce. A bottle of water and a plate of fries are visible in the background, all set on a geometric-patterned table.
A vibrant parrot with red and blue plumage perched on a natural wooden branch, surrounded by a subtle, blurred background of a birdcage.
A vibrant green parrot with an orange beak perches on a branch, set against a blurred indoor background.

In the afternoon the sun finally came out and people were flocking to the beach for a walk. We saw the TF Line ferries coming in and eventually had really good Sushi at the Hilton Hotel Sushi Bar and Grill.

A bowl of ramen with various toppings, including mushrooms and fish cake, is garnished with a tempura shrimp on skewers. The bowl is set against a dark, textured background with a side dish and napkin nearby.
A bowl of ramen with sliced beef, mushrooms, leafy greens, an egg topped with sesame seeds, and narutomaki. It is on a dark textured table with a neatly folded napkin and a small dish with a piece of sushi beside it.
A platter on a dark marble table featuring assorted sushi, including sashimi, rolls, and nigiri, garnished with an orchid, ginger, and wasabi. Accompanied by a glass of clear liquid, a carafe, an empty bowl, a glass of amber beverage, and a dish with a white napkin.
A serene beach scene at sunset, with the sun low in the sky casting long shadows on the sandy shore. Several people are walking and enjoying the view near the water’s edge. The sky is a mix of soft oranges and blues, with a few scattered clouds. Buildings and a crane are visible in the distant background.
A scenic coastal view showing a narrow path leading to a white windmill-like lighthouse. People are walking along the path, and the calm sea surrounds them under a clear sky with a faint streak of clouds.
A large TT-Line ferry named "Huckleberry Finn" is in the water, illuminated by the setting sun. The vessel is white with blue and yellow accents, and features prominent smokestacks on top. A bird is seen flying nearby over the calm sea.
A sandy beach in the foreground with calm ocean waves. In the distance, an offshore oil rig is visible alongside two ships. The sky is clear and blue, creating a serene maritime scene.
Long shadows of two people on a sandy beach with people walking near the water in the background. The sky is clear and the sea is calm.

Overall a rather relaxing four days at the Baltic Sea.

But there was not a single node on the whole Baltic Sea. I was carrying my T-Echo the whole time to check for any nearby radios. Nothing, nada, zilch.

#weeklyreview 05/2025

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Pretty nice run on Sunday with a friend. The little pond in the forrest was still frozen. Swans on the lake showed us their lift-off skills. And finally some cranes were screeching in the flooded meadows of the other village.

Went swimming right after the run and it was …. freaking cold. Water hat around 2ºC. My Apple Watch decided that that’s too cold to operated and turned off. Fortunately only after I finished the swim and the recording of the session.

A frozen lake with a thin layer of ice, surrounded by leafless branches in the foreground and a forest of evergreen and bare trees in the background. Overcast sky above.

Beers with a friend

Sunday evening I went out for beers with a new friend. US American, teacher of art. Was a lovely evening and we had lots of fun talking about the good old early days of desktop publishing. Turns out he’s one of the people who have used Aldus PageMaker in the early/mid 1990s before it was bought by Adobe and layed the foundations for Adobe InDesign.

Dinner

Monday evening the oldest kid came over for dinner and we made roasted potatoes and broccoli/cauliflower casserole. Looks like we’re making these dinners a regular thing now. Nice 🙂

A glass baking dish with roasting potatoes is in the foreground on an oven rack. Next to it, a metal tray contains a broccoli/cauliflower casserole. The oven is closed, with a warm light illuminating the food.

BBQ Ribs

Wednesday was finally time for another session at Chicago Williams BBQ with the colleagues. Still some of the best ribs I ever had.

A plate of glazed ribs is placed on a lined metal tray, accompanied by a small cup filled with mashed potatoes and a spoon. Nearby, there are condiments, a drink container, and a plate with a partially eaten dish. The setting is a wooden table, suggesting a casual dining environment.

The little pond

We have a little pond in the forest we own. On Saturday we went checking whether it had gained some water in the last weeks of substantial rain. And it did. Back in autumn last year it was almost completely dried up and only a few puddles and mud at the ground. But now it looks like a pond again. It’s only about 50cm deep water at the moment. But the surrounding deer and boars like it.

A small pond surrounded by dry grass and leafless trees on an overcast day. Tree reflections are visible on the calm water, and a forest is seen in the background.
A tranquil pond reflecting the surrounding forest with tall, leafless trees. Grassy tufts emerge from the water's surface, and the sky above is lightly clouded.
A tranquil pond reflects the surrounding winter landscape, with bare trees and patches of dry grasses. Fallen logs and branches partially submerged in the water add texture to the serene scene. The background features a mix of evergreen and leafless deciduous trees under a cloudy sky.

Let’s hope it get still some more before they dry season starts.

Antarktis

On Saturday our little village society organised a film evening by a German Astro particle scientist about Antarctica. He had been there several times to carry out Neutrino detection experiments. He also showed us some films of the Antarctica Film Festival and we learned that the German Neumayer Station III is one of the most modern on the continent.