Blog

Got a topic you’d like me to cover? Feel free to reach out!

The Proxmox Utility Toolkit: Stop Cloning That VM by Hand featured image

The Proxmox Utility Toolkit: Stop Cloning That VM by Hand

A tour of my open-source Proxmox utility toolkit — scripts, docs, and learning paths for homelabbers and enterprise engineers who are tired of repeating themselves.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
Build Your Personalized AI System Prompt featured image

Build Your Personalized AI System Prompt

The secret to a great AI assistant isn't the model — it's what you tell it about yourself. Here's the framework for building a system prompt that makes AI actually useful.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
Qwen3.5 Showdown: 27B Q8 vs 35B-A3B Q8 — Real-World Testing for Local AI featured image

Qwen3.5 Showdown: 27B Q8 vs 35B-A3B Q8 — Real-World Testing for Local AI

A real-world comparison of Qwen3.5 27B Q8 and 35B-A3B Q8 running locally on a dual RTX 3090 homelab — which one actually belongs in your daily workflow?

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
One Year Later: The Agentic CLI Revolution Revisited featured image

One Year Later: The Agentic CLI Revolution Revisited

A year ago, I predicted CLI AI tools would transform development. Here's what actually happened—the good, the unexpected, and the 'wait, what?' moments.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
Homelab Database Decisions: Boring Is Brilliant featured image

Homelab Database Decisions: Boring Is Brilliant

A practical field guide for picking stable, boring databases that keep your homelab calm at 2 a.m.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
Navigating Input Overload in Engineering and Leadership featured image

Navigating Input Overload in Engineering and Leadership

Practical strategies for managing the overwhelming flow of information, requests, and responsibilities in senior engineering and leadership roles.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
From Google Skills to AI Skills: The Evolution of Information Discovery featured image

From Google Skills to AI Skills: The Evolution of Information Discovery

The art of crafting perfect search queries has evolved into the skill of prompt engineering. Learn how mastering AI interactions is the next generation of being a master Googler.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
Nagios: A 10-Year Retrospective on Infrastructure Monitoring featured image

Nagios: A 10-Year Retrospective on Infrastructure Monitoring

A decade-long retrospective on implementing Nagios for enterprise infrastructure monitoring, from homelab validation to production deployment at scale.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
AI's Hidden Vulnerability: The Rising Threat of Prompt Injection Attacks featured image

AI's Hidden Vulnerability: The Rising Threat of Prompt Injection Attacks

How adversaries manipulate AI by embedding instructions into data sources and what defenders must do to respond.

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more
Raycast: The All-Apple Productivity Powerhouse featured image

Raycast: The All-Apple Productivity Powerhouse

Discover how Raycast transforms your Mac into a productivity powerhouse with lightning-fast access to everything—from your IDE to your reminders, all with privacy-first design and …

Derek Armstrong portrait
Derek Armstrong
Read more

Showing 1-10 of 52 posts (Page 1 of 6)