Yaroslav de la Peña Smirnov's weblog

Introduction to Generic Netlink, or How to Talk with the Linux Kernel 2023-02-10

Tux has got some mail!

Are you writing some code in kernel-space and want to communicate with it from the comfort of user-space? You are not writing kernel code, but want to talk with the Linux kernel? Serve yourself some good java (the good hot kind, not the Oracle one), make yourself comfortable and read ahead!

Overcomplicated 2023-01-31

We take it as a fact that life is simpler for man these days than it was even a couple hundred years ago, let alone a thousand years ago. We hear it all the time. If we take a closer look to even what has been happening in the last 20 to 30 years, it might turn out that life might not be getting simpler anymore.

Liberating my X200 2022-10-23

I had wanted to libreboot my trusty old Thinkpad X200 for quite sometime. Only recently did I get around to librebooting mine. Even though the information on how to do it is out there and quite good, some of it is spread throughout the internet and didn't all completely apply to my particular case, hence I decided to write this post on how I went about flashing Libreboot on my X200.

It's time to use crypto 2022-04-15

Cryptocurrencies have been around for well over a decade. Everybody who's ever used the internet has at least some basic understanding of what a cryptocurrency is, yet most people seem to miss the point of cryptocurrencies. Nevertheless, recent events have shown us how important this technology actually is and why it is better than the alternative.

How I debug programs in Vim 2022-01-25

I like to use separate tools for different tasks, and also like it when those tools integrate with the other tools I use. Unfortunately I haven't seen much information online for possible workflows on debugging programs with Vim. There is information but it is all spread out. So I decided to write about the workflow that I've built over the years for writing and debugging programs with Vim.

Why I don't use social media 2021-12-12

Many friends sometimes find it strange that I do not use any social media, besides instant messaging, if that counts. Very often I find that I keep answering the same questions over and over again, so I've decided to write up my thoughts on social media, and the reasons that I don't use such platforms.

New computers suck 2021-04-10

Recently my T480 started having some motherboard problems that prevented the keyboard from working correctly. I needed to repair it, but I couldn't afford to wait while it is being repaired since I need it for my work and studies, and being a motherboard problem, it wasn't even a fact that it could be repaired, without having to replace the entire motherboard. So, I decided to buy a cheap used computer and use that for the time being.

Fixing terminal and remote machine misunderstandings 2021-03-27

If you are like me and use a not-so standard terminal emulator and find yourself frequently ssh'ing into new machines, or maybe you've changed your terminal emulator, then this article might help you get your terminal fully functional over ssh.

A Viral Year 2021-01-17

The year 2020 has come and gone. I can't say that it was a really bad year for me in particular, but I am pretty sure that many, if not most people, are glad it is over. I have never really "reviewed" a year, but the things that happened during this year got me thinking about many things, and so I've decided to write some of my thoughts on what twenty-twenty has brought upon us.

Simple and Minimal Git Server Setup 2020-12-31

The New Year is just around the corner, but there's still a little time to write one last post before the year ends. This time I want to write about my experience setting up a git server. I had already set up before a git server using a free and open source kind of clone of Github called Gitea, but there's a better way to setup a git server, especially if you just want to setup a personal Git server.

Yaroslav's weblog