Michael Dexter @dexter@bsd.network
Dexter's Law: Only proprietary software vendors want proprietary software and only fascists want fascism. Toots are my own. Self-employed. Father of three.
I aim to keep this to technical topics relating to bhyve and OpenZFS, and the occasional humor and Latvia.
Joined Apr 2018
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Dexter’s second law: The pendulum that swings twice as high lasts half as long.
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Having spent days making PkgBase easy on #FreeBSD…
The (highly opinionated) Sum Total of computer history:
0. BSD Unix
1. Macintosh
2. Packaged Base in Red Hat 5.2
3. Squiggly underline spell check
4. FreeBSD Jail to manage the fustercluck that are RPMs on Red Hat
5. Two-finger scrolling
6. Hardware-assisted virtualization
7. ZFS v28
8. NVMe
TCP/IP is taken for granted, as it is not vendor/platform-specific.
Flat screen displays are a TV crossover technology, as are WiFi, GPS, and fancy batteries.
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Call For Testing: Major #OccamBSD updates
occambsd.sh - More-consistent syntax
propagate.sh - Propagate PkgBase installs
imagine.sh - Image boot images from the others and upstream
sideload.sh - Push (much of) a #FreeBSD configuration to a new installation
rc.local.sh - Semi-idempotently configure basic aspects of a system
They’re never done, never perfect, but they do exactly what I have envisioned in various ways and given talks about for 20+ years.
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Emerging observations on how lockdown was great for #opensource:
Work from home was blessed as a valid thing
Sci-fi-like casual video conferencing without hesitation around the world is now the norm for some of us, only limited by time zones and languages.
Group video chat is equally familiar and commonplace, with excellent self-policing of audio quality and behavior.
Events are focusing on quality over quantity, complimenting the above.
Basically, the “open source seems to be where drunk guys pinch your butt while mansplaining you” factors were globally nipped in the bud.
Good work everyone!
These are delightful times!
❤️❤️❤️
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Repost: It took time, but #bhyve #hypervisor development is back to a robust pace on both #FreeBSD and #illumos with a good balance of new features and subtle refinement.
I have begun posting recordings of the weekly Jails/Zones, #OpenZFS, and bhyve Production Users calls:
https://youtube.com/@callfortesting
The running minutes documents are linked from https://callfortesting.org
Heads-up: There are many ways to participate and lots to do!
Michael Dexter
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Sees 10 responses. Picks different battle.
The words, “Game Over” have been flying around today. You be the judge of why.
It was a good day.
Michael Dexter
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Grrrr.
Are there any PCIe gen 4 switch ASICs that are a) purchasable in single units from a distributor like digikey and b) I can get a datasheet for without an NDA?
All I'm finding is ultra locked up Microchip/Switchtek and Broadcom parts.
Michael Dexter
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#OpenZFS includes arcstat, their standard tool to interrogate ARC stats.
It's in python, so #FreeBSD doesn't install it.
It'd be really nice to have this as a package before #openzfsmastery comes out.
Michael Dexter
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"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. "The Answer to the Great Question, of Life, the Universe and Everything"
That quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is.
Michael Dexter
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I hope all the parents remembered to double-check their kids' #Halloween candy. There are some sick, sick people out there.
Michael Dexter
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Latvia takes the helm of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) throughout November, the first time ever that it has had that responsibility. https://eng.lsm.lv/article/features/video/03.11.2026-watch-latvia-lays-out-its-plans-for-the-united-nations-security-council.a670330/?utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss&utm_medium=links
Michael Dexter
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FOSDEM 2027 DNS Devroom Call For Presentations
https://blog.powerdns.com/fosdem-2027-dns-devroom-call-for-presentations
The November 3rd, 2026 Jail/Zones Production User Call is up:
We discussed OCI container/#bhyve integration, a CPU caching surprise, #Sylve/Daemonless integration, Sylve/TrueNAS comparisons, secrets management in container environments, moving from s6rc to #FreeBSD rcd(8), and more!
"Don't forget to slam those Like and Subscribe buttons."
You can support all Call For Testing efforts via BSD Fund: https://bsdfund.org
This content is not AI generated
Michael Dexter
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Antonius Marie ⚧
Weird how when decent famous people die, no one feels the need to tell everyone to not speak ill of the dead.
Michael Dexter
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If you are intimidated at a polling place, call 866-OUR-VOTE for immediate advice
Michael Dexter
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Oregon coast town celebrating 56th anniversary of the exploding whale this month
https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2026/11/oregon-coast-town-celebrating-56th-anniversary-of-the-exploding-whale-this-month.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into things to do in portland & oregon @things-to-do-in-portland-oregon-TheOregonian
Michael Dexter
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databases are a good example of software where the correctness depends on a lot of factors that are not easily observable externally. you cannot build software like this by filtering random output through a set of e2e tests. you *have* to design the internals very carefully
Michael Dexter
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Been saying this sort of thing would happen 😩
New Data Centers in the US Set to Wipe Out 15 Years of Greenhouse Gas Reductions
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/data-centers-us-greenhouse-gas-reductions-emissions
Michael Dexter
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Since being diagnosed with lupus, my biggest symptom is post exertional malaise. Only that's not a symptom of lupus - it's a symptom of long covid. This week I pressed both my rheum and my kidney doc for answers.
My rheum shrugged away the question, but my kidney doc's answer blew my mind: "It's because you had long covid when you first came in. Your lupus is a manifestation of long covid, and you have symptoms for both."
#lupus #longCovid #Covid #autoimmune
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Michael Dexter
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@dexter I think a policy of LLM attribution in commits should be the first step for several reasons and it’s such a softball. A ‘I am human and I understand this change’ checkbox for PRs should be close behind, and again this is IMHO very unjudgey and merely enforcing a baseline of sanity and the barest of transparency.
The more weighty decisions on where/when/how/if LLMs should be used in the project should follow and I Have Opinions but seems premature without the above established.
I was worried that the tech industry had created a lifetime supply of villains but there you go. The innovation continues.
Michael Dexter
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you ever write code so inefficient you have to start complaining about the global allocation of RAM
Michael Dexter
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November 1st, 2026 is an historic day in Latvian diplomatic history as for the first time ever Latvia will hold the presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC). During this month, Latvia will chair all informal and formal UNSC meetings. https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/diplomacy/01.11.2026-latvia-takes-charge-of-the-united-nations-security-council-for-first-time.a670070/?utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss&utm_medium=links
Dexter's Law: Only proprietary software vendors want proprietary software and only fascists want fascism. Toots are my own. Self-employed. Father of three.
I aim to keep this to technical topics relating to bhyve and OpenZFS, and the occasional humor and Latvia.
Joined Apr 2018
