The order of files within /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/ directly impacts how OpenSSH's sshd daemon interprets its configuration. The daemon reads files alphabetically, applying settings sequentially. This means later files can override earlier ones, leading to unexpected behavior if not carefully managed. A common example is setting PasswordAuthentication no in a later file, negating an earlier file's Match block intended to allow password logins for specific users or groups. Therefore, understanding and controlling file order in this directory is crucial for predictable and reliable SSH configuration.
Christian Tietze reflects on the "software rake," a metaphor for accumulating small, seemingly insignificant tasks that eventually hinder progress on larger, more important work. He breaks down the rake's "prongs" into categories like maintenance, distractions, context switching, and unexpected issues. These prongs snatch time and attention, creating a sense of being busy but unproductive. Tietze advocates for consciously identifying and addressing these prongs through techniques like timeboxing, focused work sessions, and ruthless prioritization to clear the way for meaningful progress on significant projects.
Hacker News users discussed the various "prongs" of the Rake, agreeing with the author's general premise about complexity in software. Several commenters shared their own experiences wrestling with similar issues, particularly around build systems and dependency management. One pointed out the irony of Rake itself being a complex build system, while another suggested that embracing complexity is sometimes unavoidable, especially as projects mature. The impact of "worse is better" philosophy was debated, with some arguing it contributes to the problem and others suggesting it's a pragmatic necessity. A few users highlighted specific prongs they found particularly relevant, including the struggle to maintain compatibility and the pressure to adopt new technologies. Some offered alternative solutions, like focusing on smaller, composable tools and simpler languages, while others emphasized the importance of careful planning and design upfront to mitigate future complexity. There was also discussion about the role of organizational structure and communication in exacerbating these issues.
The blog post "Nginx: try_files is evil too" argues against using the try_files directive in Nginx configurations, especially for serving static files. While seemingly simple, its behavior can be unpredictable and lead to unexpected errors, particularly when dealing with rewritten URLs or if file existence checks are bypassed due to caching. The author advocates for using simpler, more explicit location blocks to define how different types of requests should be handled, leading to improved clarity, maintainability, and potentially better performance. They suggest separate location blocks for specific file types and a final catch-all block for dynamic requests, promoting a more transparent and less error-prone approach to configuration.
Hacker News commenters largely disagree with the article's premise that try_files is inherently "evil." Several point out that the author's proposed alternative using location blocks with regular expressions is less performant and more complex, especially for simpler use cases. Some argue that the author mischaracterizes try_files's purpose, which is primarily for serving static files efficiently, not complex routing. Others agree that try_files can be misused, leading to confusing configurations, but contend that when used appropriately, it's a valuable tool. The discussion also touches on alternative approaches, such as using a separate frontend proxy or load balancer for more intricate routing logic. A few commenters express appreciation for the article prompting a re-evaluation of their Nginx configurations, even if they don't fully agree with the author's conclusions.
Setting up and troubleshooting IPv6 can be surprisingly complex, despite its seemingly straightforward design. The author highlights several unexpected challenges, including difficulty in accurately determining the active IPv6 address among multiple assigned addresses, the intricacies of address assignment and prefix delegation within local networks, and the nuances of configuring firewalls and services to correctly handle both IPv6 and IPv4 traffic. These complexities often lead to subtle bugs and unpredictable behavior, making IPv6 adoption and maintenance more demanding than anticipated, especially when integrating with existing IPv4 infrastructure. The post emphasizes that while IPv6 is crucial for the future of the internet, its implementation requires a deeper understanding than simply plugging in a router and expecting everything to work seamlessly.
HN commenters generally agree that IPv6 deployment is complex, echoing the article's sentiment. Several point out that the complexity arises not from the protocol itself, but from the interaction and coexistence with IPv4, necessitating awkward transition mechanisms. Some commenters highlight specific pain points, such as difficulty in troubleshooting, firewall configuration, and the lack of robust monitoring tools compared to IPv4. Others offer counterpoints, suggesting that IPv6 is conceptually simpler than IPv4 in some aspects, like autoconfiguration, and argue that the perceived difficulty is primarily due to a lack of familiarity and experience. A recurring theme is the need for better educational resources and tools to streamline the IPv6 transition process. Some discuss the security implications of IPv6, with differing opinions on whether it improves or worsens the security landscape.
Kanata is a cross-platform keyboard remapping tool that supports creating complex, layered keymaps. It allows users to define multiple layers, activate them with various methods (like modifier keys or keyboard shortcuts), and apply remappings specific to each layer. The configuration is text-based and highly customizable, offering fine-grained control over individual keys and combinations. Kanata is designed to be lightweight and portable, working across different operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Hacker News users discussed Kanata's potential, praising its cross-platform compatibility and advanced features like multi-layer keymaps and scripting. Some expressed excitement about finally having a viable alternative to Karabiner on Windows and Linux. Concerns were raised about the project's early stage of development, documentation gaps, and reliance on Node.js for some core functionality. A few commenters questioned the necessity of Node.js, suggesting a native implementation could improve performance and reduce dependencies. Others shared their personal use cases and desired features, like integration with existing configuration tools and support for specific keyboard layouts. The overall sentiment was positive, with many users eager to try Kanata and contribute to its development.
This blog post details the author's highly automated Vim setup, emphasizing speed and efficiency. Leveraging plugins like vim-plug for plugin management and a variety of others for features like fuzzy finding, Git integration, and syntax highlighting, the author creates a streamlined coding environment. The post focuses on specific configurations and keybindings for tasks such as file navigation, code completion, compiling, and debugging, showcasing a personalized workflow built around minimizing friction and maximizing productivity within Vim. The ultimate goal is to achieve a near-IDE experience using Vim's powerful extensibility.
Hacker News users generally praised the author's approach to Vim automation, emphasizing the balance between leveraging Vim's powerful features and avoiding over-complication. Several commenters shared their own preferred plugins and workflows, highlighting tools like fzf, vim-projectionist, and CtrlP for file navigation, and luasnip and UltiSnips for snippets. Some appreciated the author's philosophy of learning Vim gradually and organically, rather than attempting to master everything at once. A few commenters discussed the trade-offs between using a highly configured Vim setup versus a more minimalist approach, and the potential drawbacks of relying too heavily on plugins. There was also a brief discussion about the relative merits of using language servers and other external tools within Vim.
Hardcoding feature flags, particularly for kill switches or short-lived A/B tests, is often a pragmatic and acceptable approach. While dynamic feature flag management systems offer flexibility, they introduce complexity and potential points of failure. For simple scenarios, the overhead of a dedicated system can outweigh the benefits. Directly embedding feature flags in the code allows for quicker implementation, easier understanding, and improved performance, especially when the flag's lifespan is short or its purpose highly specific. This simplicity can make code cleaner and easier to maintain in the long run, as opposed to relying on external dependencies that may eventually become obsolete.
Hacker News users generally agree with the author's premise that hardcoding feature flags for small, non-A/B tested features is acceptable. Several commenters emphasize the importance of cleaning up technical debt by removing these flags once the feature is fully launched. Some suggest using tools or techniques to automate this process or integrate it into the development workflow. A few caution against overuse for complex or long-term features where a more robust feature flag management system would be beneficial. Others discuss specific implementation details, like using enums or constants, and the importance of clear naming conventions for clarity and maintainability. A recurring sentiment is that the complexity of feature flag management should be proportional to the complexity and longevity of the feature itself.
This Twitter thread details a comprehensive guide to setting up Deepseek-R1, a retrieval-based question-answering system, on a local machine. It outlines the necessary hardware, recommending a powerful GPU (like an RTX 4090) with substantial VRAM (24GB+) for optimal performance and a hefty amount of RAM (128GB or more). The guide covers software prerequisites, including CUDA, cuDNN, Python, and various libraries, along with the steps to download and install Deepseek's specific dependencies. Finally, it provides instructions on how to download and convert the Large Language Model (LLM) and retriever components, offering different options depending on available hardware resources. The thread also includes tips on configuring the setup and troubleshooting potential issues.
HN users discuss the practicality and cost of running the Deepseek-R1 model locally, given its substantial hardware requirements (8x A100 GPUs). Some express skepticism about the feasibility for most individuals, highlighting the significant upfront investment and ongoing electricity costs. Others suggest cloud computing as a more accessible alternative, albeit with its own expense. The discussion also touches on the potential for smaller, quantized models to offer a compromise between performance and resource requirements, with some expressing interest in seeing benchmarks comparing different model sizes. A few commenters question the necessity of such a large model for certain tasks and suggest exploring alternative approaches. Overall, the sentiment leans toward acknowledging the impressive technical achievement while remaining pragmatic about the accessibility challenges for average users.
Keon is a new serialization/deserialization (serde) format designed for human readability and writability, drawing heavy inspiration from Rust's syntax. It aims to be a simple and efficient alternative to formats like JSON and TOML, offering features like strongly typed data structures, enums, and tagged unions. Keon emphasizes being easy to learn and use, particularly for those familiar with Rust, and focuses on providing a compact and clear representation of data. The project is actively being developed and explores potential use cases like configuration files, data exchange, and data persistence.
Hacker News users discuss KEON, a human-readable serialization format resembling Rust. Several commenters express interest, praising its readability and potential as a configuration language. Some compare it favorably to TOML and JSON, highlighting its expressiveness and Rust-like syntax. Concerns arise regarding its verbosity compared to more established formats, particularly for simple data structures, and the potential niche appeal due to the Rust syntax. A few suggest potential improvements, including a more formal specification, tools for generating parsers in other languages, and exploring the benefits over existing formats like Serde. The overall sentiment leans towards cautious optimism, acknowledging the project's potential but questioning its practical advantages and broader adoption prospects.
Summary of Comments ( 83 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43573507
Hacker News users discuss the implications of sshd_config.d file ordering, mostly agreeing it's a surprising but important detail. Several commenters highlight the potential for misconfigurations and debugging difficulties due to this behavior. One user shares a personal anecdote of troubleshooting an issue caused by this very problem, emphasizing the practical impact. Others point out the lack of clear documentation on this behavior in the man pages, suggesting it's a common pitfall. The discussion also touches upon alternative configuration approaches, like using a single file or employing tools like Puppet or Ansible to manage configurations more predictably. Some users express surprise that later files override earlier ones, contrary to their expectations. The overall sentiment reinforces the importance of awareness and careful management of sshd configuration files.
The Hacker News post discussing the importance of file order in
/etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/has generated several insightful comments. Many users shared their experiences and perspectives on how this seemingly minor detail can lead to significant configuration issues.One of the most compelling comments highlights the often-overlooked fact that this directory functions similarly to how
/etc/profile.d/and/etc/apache2/conf-enabled/(and similar directories) operate. It emphasizes that the order matters because later files can override settings from earlier ones. This comment served as a good reminder for users familiar with these other directory structures, connecting the concept across different system configurations.Another interesting point raised by a commenter is the importance of documentation and explicit ordering within the
sshd_config.ddirectory. They suggested using numbered prefixes, similar to systemd's approach, to ensure predictable and maintainable configuration loading. This proposition sparked further discussion about the best practices for managing configuration snippets in this directory, with some users advocating for explicitIncludedirectives within the mainsshd_configfile for maximum clarity and control.Several commenters shared anecdotal experiences where an unexpected file order in
sshd_config.dcaused problems in their SSH configurations. These stories provided practical examples of how seemingly minor ordering issues can lead to debugging headaches, reinforcing the blog post's central argument.One user mentioned the potential benefits and drawbacks of using an include directory like this. While acknowledging the potential for order-related issues, they pointed out that it allows for more modular and manageable configuration, especially when dealing with multiple contributors or automated configuration management tools.
The discussion also briefly touched upon the use of configuration management tools like Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or Salt. A commenter suggested that these tools could further complicate the ordering issue if not handled carefully, adding another layer of complexity to the configuration management process.
Finally, there was a comment acknowledging that while the blog post's information isn't entirely new, it serves as a valuable reminder of a potential pitfall that can easily be overlooked. This reinforces the importance of such discussions in raising awareness and promoting best practices within the system administration community.