aseachange.com

Happy new year dear Fedi friends! 🎊​

My first #MySoCalledSudoLife action of 2026 will be to install Monica – a #FOSS personal CRM system to keep track of friends and family (birthdays, anniversaries, last contact etc.) – on my server.

🔗​: https://www.monicahq.com

I'm shuddering thinking about how much money I spent in my life on closed, proprietary products. Like, back in 2017-2018 I paid 159 dollars A YEAR for a similar tool... now on my little server for 4 Euros a month I can host Monica, Matomo and other useful software.

I hope this is the year that self-hosting grows in popularity.

Thank you for all your support and encouragement! And I look forward to learning more new things from you :)

#FOSS #FLOSS

May 2026 be the year I get into #FreeBSD.

My last #mysocalledsudolife action of 2025 is... downloading the FreeBSD handbook.

I was about to print it at my in-laws' but I'm not sure my father-in-law would appreciate the consumption of 935 sheets of paper. I also don't want to sacrifice a tree for it. So off it goes to my iPad 🤪​

Wishing everyone a great day!

When ChatGPT was released 3 years ago I never anticipated how it could become a source of tensions with people in my life.

So to add to its many damages, it's a source of:

- environmental catastrophe
- economic bubble
- monumental job losses with bosses leaning into AI and laying off workers
- loss of critical thinking
- destruction of higher ED methods
- further isolation with people using AI characters as "romantic partners"
- dangerous medical advice (especially with reliance on it for mental health support)

(I'm probably forgetting other important things)

AND:

source of tensions inside homes and with friends when you have a person critical of AI (🙋‍♀️​) attempting to reason with a person whose default setting is: "I'll ask ChatGPT". Pointing out flagrant mistakes by AI seems to make their heads explode and get angry at the messenger. Ouf.

Sorry for the downer but I'm sure this is a pretty common problem...

Anyway, this morning I was given hope by a toot from @jwildeboer and I should just keep focusing on that. And make sure my own child doesn't buy into the BS of AI... https://mastodon.social/@[email protected]/115799050671506747

@FediTree I'd love to see my GtS FediTree for 2025 💚 (let's try again)

@FediTree I'd love to see my GtS FediTree for 2025 💚

Good morning Fedi friends!

Today is a really special day - it marks the one year anniversary of the installation/setup of this #GoToSocial instance 🎂​

For its first few days I kept the account private, doing tests with @stereo (my self-hosting support buddy - THANK YOU!)... and I only published its first public post on January 1st 2025.

I have nothing but great things to say about @gotosocial – I LOVE everything about it. A huge thank you to its developers - keep up the amazing work!

#MySoCalledSudoLife #SelfHosting

🏕️ my adventures in self-hosting: day 365 (milestone edition) 🎂

Good morning Fedi friends!

Feeling a little emotional today as I reflect back on one year of #selfhosting.

This toot from December 17 2024 shows off my excitement over signing up for my first VPS and installing #YunoHost: https://mastodon.social/@_elena/113667636910565210

If you check out the full thread you can see some of the challenges I faced in the early days. It's only been a year but it feels like a lifetime ago. When I read back, I think: who was this person? _ (task) is so easy! Like, why be scared of tweaking DNS records? 😅​

I will write about the highs and lows in a proper blog post. Spoiler alert: there were mostly HIGHS ☺️​

For now, I want to express my gratitude to:

✨​ @shollyethan who encouraged me by saying (I'm paraphrasing) "go for it, you learn by doing things"

✨​ @ilja who recommended I check out YunoHost (I had never heard of it before)

✨ ​ @yunohost for empowering me to self-host so many great FOSS tools... and upgrading and maintaining them in a super easy way

✨ @stereo for helping me test my first self-hosted app (this #GoToSocial account)

And thank you to all the sysadmins and programmers who have helped me troubleshoot problems this year. I found that tech support on the Fediverse takes less than a minute 🥰​​

I'm really #GratefulForYou 💖​

#MySoCalledSudoLife

Currently writing a self-hosting guide for newbies, showing off the beauty and ease of #YunoHost.

Part 1 was really popular - beyond my expectations - with 1500+ unique visitors. Thank you!

For reference:

🔗​: https://blog.elenarossini.com/a-newbies-guide-to-self-hosting-with-yunohost-part-1-reasons-requirements/

Part 2 (step-by-step installation and post-installation) will be super visual. I tried to keep things simple but I still have 27 - yes TWENTY-SEVEN - screenshots. I'll keep #AltText relevant to each step on a need to know basis or else it will turn into a novel... and will be too overwhelming for people using screen readers.

Aiming to get it published by Wednesday AKA the one year anniversary of the start of my own self-hosting adventures with YunoHost.

This is the guide I wish I had had back in the day... I would have started A LOT sooner. I'm basically writing it to my old self, hoping it will be useful for others 🥹

PSA: if you're using YunoHost please consider donating to them, to keep the project healthy and long-lasting (it's run by a team of volunteers, maintaining hundreds of apps): https://donate.yunohost.org

#MySoCalledSudoLife #FOSS #advocacy #selfhosting

Disclaimer: I find it a little tacky to talk about metrics on the Fediverse. That is NOT why I am here.

BUT! It's worth saying out loud that I found a real community here that I am immensely grateful for.

The lack of algorithms - a mysterious black box determining which posts get seen - is a big bonus to me...

I spend hours writing articles... that people now REALLY read (unlike on Big Tech platforms, where my blog posts would be seen by 3-4 people because... god forbid you include a link to an external site. And that includes Bluesky, too).

Thank you for making me feel seen and heard and valued here ❤️​

Ghost v.6 has new metrics built in... I was shocked to see the number of visitors to my first post about YunoHost: 955!

So even if I find it tacky to discuss numbers, this is not to brag. My main intention is to dispel any myths about Big Tech platforms... writers and creatives often say that they HAVE to be on X or Instagram or TikTok because that's where their audience is. Well, all Big Tech platforms have finicky, mysterious algorithms. I was on Twitter for 14+ years and none of my links ever got 955 visitors in 12 hours. So I wanted to put this out here to say:

ANOTHER WAY IS POSSIBLE.

And it's even better than the old way.

Real community. Real engagement. Without surveillance capitalism.

What's not to love about this?

#FediLove

Dear Fedi friends,

I just hit "publish" on my blog post "A newbie's guide to #selfhosting with #YunoHost. Part 1: reasons + requirements". It's here if you wanna read it:

🔗​: https://blog.elenarossini.com/a-newbies-guide-to-self-hosting-with-yunohost-part-1-reasons-requirements/

This guide is intended for true newbies who are curious about self-hosting some essential digital services. I'm hoping to dispel some myths about self-hosting and make it appear accessible to all. Well, at least to people curious about it but hesitant to get started because they think it's too complicated. That was me up to a year ago.

Special thanks and shout-out to @ilja for setting my journey in motion. And eternal gratitude to @yunohost for the way they are empowering us all with the tools to self-host

#MySoCalledSudoLife #blog #BigTech #rebellion #digitalsovereignty #NextCloud

Working on the second draft of my "self-hosting for newbies" guide (part 1 of 4 that is) and it’s hilarious how many side notes I’m putting in for sysadmins.

They may be triggered by reading it… but hey it’s a guide meant to be for TRUE NEWBIES, I need to keep things simple and accessible 😅

I still know very little but it’s a miracle to see the things I manage to self-host (eternal gratitude to @yunohost)

#MySoCalledSudoLife #selfhosting

Good morning Fedi friends!

What a difference a year makes.

A mere 12 months ago, when I saw a photo of a 🐧​ or heard the word "penguin", I immediately thought of the cute black and white seabird.

Now, in December 2025, when I see a penguin plushie or a mural drawing, I immediately think of #Tux and #Linux... the world of FOSS... freedom, digital sovereignty and independence from Big Tech.

The photo below is of a plushie belonging to my little one... she picked it this morning for the walk to nursery school.

My plan for this morning: drafting the first post in the miniseries about self-hosting from the POV of a newbie... my one year anniversary is coming up next week!

Wishing you all a great day.

#MySoCalledSudoLife

🏕️ my adventures in self-hosting: day 357 (big picture edition) 🖼️

a blog post in which I discuss my big #selfhosting plans for Q1 and Q2 of 2026... involving a major #PeerTube migration.

as I wrote in the post, if you're a sysadmin based in Paris and you could help me with this task, I could offer you in exchange a professional photo shoot for you and your family 🤗​

🔗​: https://blog.elenarossini.com/my-so-called-sudo-life/my-adventures-in-self-hosting-day-357/

Psst: the blog is now federated and you can follow it here: @ele

#MySoCalledSudoLife

Good morning Fedi friends!

This week I will publish a first post in my mini series for total newbies about how to self-host with #YunoHost.

The very first article will simply cover the basics of what is needed... then part 2 will be the step-by-step installation and connecting a domain + creating a subdomain... and then part 3 will cover installing an app (NextCloud) and setting up a backup system.

I'm hoping to get all this done before Christmas, in time for my one year anniversary of self-hosting with YunoHost (thank you again @ilja for setting all this in motion last year).

As I type this, I'm currently backing up my YunoHost and these days my backup files are about 13GB in size, broken down as follows (in descending order):

• #GoToSocial: 5.3 GB
• #PeerTube: 4 GB
• #NextCloud: 2.3 GB
• #Pixelfed: 1.4 GB
• #LinkStack: 91 MB

Wishing you all a great day & week!

#MySoCalledSudoLife #SelfHosting

Bonjour Fedi friends!

I'm finishing packing my suitcase. I'm off to Bologna to speak about the Fediverse at Bologna Tech Week.

This morning while explaining logistics to my little one's school director, she asked about my trip, I told her the topic of my panel tomorrow and she was absolutely fascinated. She said she'd like me to teach her about FOSS tools and social platforms because they sound completely in line with the school's values. That's so amazing.

Then during my walk home I had an epiphany: an idea for a short film / skit starring children that explains what's so appealing about the Fediverse vs. Big Tech platforms. A film like that would make people understand things right away... while making them smile from ear to ear.

There's the whole issue of consent and directing children... so maybe I'll think about an alternate version starring adults. It would still be relevant.

I often find that comedy - and especially playing on absurdity - are super effective tools to (1) ridicule powerful players, making them appear less powerful (2) convincing people to see things a different way. There is always another way.

And now I need to go to the airport, sigh. Missing my family already... but this trip is for a super worthy cause.

Wishing you all a great day!

#advocacy

Good morning Fedi friends!

Sorry I've been a little quiet around here but I just completed a labor intensive personal project: selecting the best of the year's photos, color-correcting them, laying them out, and ordering photo albums (my traditional Christmas present to family).

I typically have between 600 and 900 photos per month (1000+ in the summer), in between my smartphone and 3 professional cameras. It's a HUGE undertaking each year.

Nobody in my family prints out photos anymore, I feel like it's my responsibility to be the curator of family memories.

Parents and extended family members keep their photos on smartphones only, some locked inside messaging apps and not even downloaded to their photo albums.

Meanwhile, I spend two weeks a year curating photos and creating albums.

I love going through them with my little one and with family and friends.

The number one reason why I love photography so much is that a photo can freeze a moment in time and make it everlasting. Flipping through the pages of my photo albums is like going back in time... which is really bittersweet but also magical.

Maybe one day I'll write about my photo organization system... how to free oneself from the clutches of Big Tech platforms and reclaim power over photos and videos. (I say this because I have several friends and family members who won't quit Big Tech apps because they hold their photos).

YunoHost writeup first. And then maybe photo / video management tutorial in January.

Wishing you all a great day!

#BTFree #digitalSovereignty #media #photos #videos

Good morning Fedi friends!

I set up my alarm at 6:20am - as usual - to have at least an hour to myself before the little one wakes up. Yes, even on a Sunday.

I looked up videos about how to flash LineageOS on my Nexus 7 (2012)... And discovered a charming tutorial about TWRP recovery loader... done by a kid - I'm guessing in his early teens - some 8 years ago. The kids are alright!

If my little one started making videos about jailbreaking devices / installing custom ROMs 10 years from now, I would be so proud ☺️​

Anyway, wishing you all a great day!

#MySoCalledSudoLife #customROMs #Nexus7 #LineageOS

Good morning Fedi friends,

I hope you've had a lovely week thus far.

I've been busy with creative projects... and I also have been resurrecting, repurposing and/or jailbreaking old devices:

📱​ I wiped my iPhone 6 which has an AMAZING form factor + standard audio jack, put my entire music library on it and essentially turned it into an iPod (no need for a self-hosted music server... for now)

📱​ I jailbroke two Kindles v4 (2011-2012)

📱​ I resurrected my Google #Nexus7 (2012 edition) which had been my first and most favorite tablet to date – its form factor is also incredible - and I'm looking into flashing Lineage OS on it... because it won't install anything and is pretty sluggish as is

📱​ I got a #GooglePixel 9a and immediately installed #GrapheneOS on it.

In case you've been wondering what I've been up to... not much self-hosting but a lot of tweaking of devices 🤗​

Wishing you all a great weekend!

#MySoCalledSudoLife