In this enlightening conversation, Alex Tran, a key figure behind Immich, shares an update on their innovative self-hosted photo backup solution. He dives into the evolution of personal projects into professional open-source initiatives, emphasizing community collaboration and user feedback. The discussion also touches on the importance of optimizing digital management tools while navigating the challenges of sustaining open-source projects. Perfect for tech enthusiasts eager to dive into the future of self-hosting!
NetData's new limitations on node displays for local dashboards have sparked user concerns about a potential trend towards more restrictive practices in tech.
Tiny Feed offers a streamlined approach to consuming digital content by generating static HTML pages from RSS feeds, promoting community collaboration on shared starter packs.
The introduction of RAID-Z expansion in OpenZFS 2.3 significantly enhances storage flexibility for home users, although caution is advised for mission-critical deployments.
Deep dives
Changes to NetData's Node Limitations
NetData has recently instituted a limit on the number of nodes that can be displayed on local dashboards, capping it at five unless users opt for the cloud product. This alteration raised concerns among current users regarding the company’s direction, particularly as it reflects a shift from their original value proposition. While NetData remains a prominent tool for system insights, the community now faces the challenge of balancing its comprehensive features against these newly enforced limitations. Users are beginning to question whether this indicates the start of a trend towards more restrictive practices similar to those seen in other tech firms.
Introducing Tiny Feed for Simplified Information Management
Tiny Feed is a new command-line tool that allows users to generate static HTML pages from a collection of RSS feeds. This tool is valuable for those looking to streamline their digital consumption and enhance their control over information intake. The simplicity of setting up a scheduled job to fetch updates makes it an appealing alternative to traditional RSS readers, which can often be bogged down by ineffective algorithms. The podcast delves into the potential for creating shared RSS starter packs for users, encouraging collaboration within the self-hosting community.
OpenZFS 2.3 Release and RAID-Z Expansion
The release of OpenZFS 2.3 marks a significant milestone, introducing RAID-Z expansion capabilities that allow users to add extra drives to existing RAID-Z VDEVs. This enhancement addresses long-standing user demands and promotes flexibility for home users managing storage arrays. However, it is important to note that this feature is specifically for RAID-Z setups and will pause if a disk fails, resuming once the disk is recovered. While promising for home users, caution is advised regarding its deployment in mission-critical production environments.
Plex Media Server's Technical Challenges with HEVC
Recent discussions revealed that the Plex Media Server struggled to incorporate HEVC support, primarily because it was originally designed to transcode only H.264 formats. The complexity of adding HEVC stemmed from various technical difficulties related to licensing and the server’s design. Meanwhile, Plex's plans to implement QuickSync-based HEVC encoding highlight ongoing efforts to evolve the software amidst these challenges. These technical discussions further illustrate the contrasts between Jellyfin and Plex in terms of their underlying architecture and adaptability.
Bamboo Labs' New Authentication and Community Reactions
Bamboo Labs implemented a new authentication system for their 3D printers, raising concerns about functionality even when operating in LAN-only mode. This system mandates authentication for various operations, contradictory to the principles of openness in the 3D printing community. The reaction from users has been largely negative, with accusations of 'n-ification' and monopolistic practices emerging as the community fear losing the flexibility that has traditionally defined their ecosystem. Following backlash and a leaked firmware exploit, some users are exploring ways to jailbreak their printers to regain control and functionality.
Bambu Labs teaches us how to lose friends and alienate people. Then, Alex Tran from Immich joins us for a project update, and we shared some dreams for a community RSS project.
🇨🇦 Bitcoin Well — Empowering sovereign ownership with free automatic self-custody 🔒
🎉 Boost with Fountain FM — Fountain 1.1 with Nostr support, upgrades, and super simple Strike integration for easy Boosts. You can also Boost from the Web via their site.
Local dashboard is limited to 5 nodes - Help - Netdata — All of a sudden, when I access the Web UI on 19999 on the central node, I see all the node names, but no graphs. If I hover over one of the hostnames I get “Locked! Local dashboard is limited to 5 nodes”. 1 of the nodes DOES show up, and I can navigate to it, etc. But only 1, not 5.
Bambu Lab Authorization Control System - Consumer Action Taskforce — On January 16, 2025, the 3D-printer manufacturer Bambu Lab announced that future firmwares for their 3D printers would introduce an authorization and authentication protection mechanism for their connection and control, in the name of security. Bambu has stated the following:
Immich — Easily back up, organize, and manage your photos on your own server. Immich helps you browse, search and organize your photos and videos with ease, without sacrificing your privacy.