Taggart Tech

The objective of DevOps is simplicity. But with so many moving parts, getting the Rube Goldberg machine to run without a hitch is challenging even under the best circumstances. Recently, I had a need for a rapid deployment of a LetsEncrypt-enabled web service, and I was tired of doing, well, any manual steps. So I buckled down and figured out how to get an app deployed with a real domain and a real cert in a single move.

Here's how I got it done. Hopefully this process can be of use for you.

This post is a preview of the upcoming book, The Homelab Almanac, by yours truly.

Why do you want to build a homelab?

"'Cause it seems fun," is a perfectly valid answer on a lot of levels! Unfortunately, it doesn't provide a lot of information about what equipment we need, or how we'll set it up in our home. For that, we need to dive into the nitty gritty of both intention and circumstance for your future lab.

Count me among those who are alarmed about the implications of "AI," such as it is. But I am not among those who worry about machines taking over. I see no signs of intelligence—either from the large language models being hyped right now, or from those doing the hyping. My concern around this technology is more mundane than apocalypse, but more profound than simple economic impact.

I'm terrified we're about to lose the war for truth.

In June 2022 when we launched The Taggart Institute, we knew that the mission was a daunting one: produce high-quality tech and cybersecurity instruction that people around the world could afford. Our formula was simple: make the basic courses free, and charge a reasonable price for advanced content. We hoped the quality of the free courses would motivate purchases of advanced material for those who could afford it.

It's Friday afternoon. It always happens on Friday afternoon. You're ready to be done for the week, having closed out a pesky ticket that took far too long. Just as you're about to lock the screen and punch out for the day, you watch the email arrive—almost in slow motion—with that dreadful tagline:

URGENT: Account Compromised

Goodbye to your Friday evening. You don't get to sit down and watch the game. You don't get to enjoy a nice dinner with the fam. Because you, through a series of questionable life choices, have made your way to the role of Lead Incident Responder. The clock is ticking, and all eyes are on you.

And you know you have at least 2 adversaries: the criminal trying to cause your organization harm, and your own flawed, bias-prone brain.