Post ACYn2ixsB40MDSkcLZ by hans_w@federate.hopto.org
 (DIR) More posts by hans_w@federate.hopto.org
 (DIR) Post #ACYjWZlUXwmaYRwFo8 by freemo@qoto.org
       2021-10-20T14:58:09Z
       
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       I tend to keep a lot of reminders about system/network maintance I need to do. Things that are every few weeks or months like updating the system or renewing certs.Sometimes I find that there is a bit of a mental hurdle to do a task when it comes in. Even though its not much it can feel daunting when you dont remember the exact steps and need to pull up a how-to again or remember where you stored your notes, if you even have any.So what im doing now is when i create a reminder I actually copy and paste the step-by step instructions from the documentation into the comments itself. So when the reminder comes in I literally just copy and paste them into a terminal, hit enter, and im done.I also add the links to the documentation and my personal notes in the reminder itself. That way if something doesnt go as planed I dont need to start digging around for the complete instructions, its all right there for me.This has cut down my procrastination significantly. Instead of waiting a day or two and maybe forgetting to do the task at all I now have it over and done with after like 5 minutes max from seeing the alert.
       
 (DIR) Post #ACYjqSTjLaCbkQ6yo4 by icedquinn@blob.cat
       2021-10-20T15:01:51.829339Z
       
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       @freemo cron :blobcatgift:
       
 (DIR) Post #ACYmQx2VOq8QrcuFPs by freemo@qoto.org
       2021-10-20T15:30:50Z
       
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       @icedquinn cron is a great tool but really doesnt fill the niche int he examples I gave. The issue with using cron is that if your doing system updates or certificate renewals or anything system critical then if it fails your system may go down until you respond to it. For this reason it shouldnt ever be used on anything mission critical like the aforementioned examples. Doing it by hand means you can fix it quickly (hopefully) when it fails with minimal downtime.Now something like a backup that wont break things if it fails, yea by all means stick that on a cron job.
       
 (DIR) Post #ACYn2ixsB40MDSkcLZ by hans_w@federate.hopto.org
       2021-10-20T15:37:35Z
       
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       We solved that by monitoring certificates and updates so there always was a technician available to fix it. Warning where set a week before it so we would get a warning and we get messages as soon as something went wrong (filesystem growth, certs, database checks, etc...)At home I only automated it but that is less important
       
 (DIR) Post #ACYnD46CSIXKeuZooq by freemo@qoto.org
       2021-10-20T15:39:26Z
       
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       @hans_w As long as there is an engineer sitting at the ready watching the automated update and ready to jump in should it break then yea, I see no problem.But if thats the case then why schedule the update to happen automatically at all. If someone is already required to be present and alert at the time why not just have them push the buttom that starts the update just so the system verifies a human is present for the process. Almost like a deadman's switch.@icedquinn