[{"content":"I was wondering if I could host this blog from my apartment. The monthly hosting cost is basically nothing, but somehow it still annoyed me, and more importantly, I was curious whether I could just do it myself.\nI recently bought an old Dell office computer to experiment with self hosting, so this seemed like a good excuse to try.\nport forwarding: the classic way (I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to) The traditional approach is to forward a port from my router to the computer running the blog. I didn\u0026rsquo;t really like this idea, it means exposing something inside my home network directly to the internet, and I also didn\u0026rsquo;t feel like figuring out all the details around NAT, firewall rules, and securing it properly.\nSo I started looking for another option.\ncloudflare tunnel: connect out instead of letting the world in Cloudflare tunnel turned out to be a surprisingly elegant solution. Instead of opening a port and letting the internet connect directly to my computer, my computer makes an outgoing connection to Cloudflare. So the direction is basically:\nmy computer → Cloudflare → internet rather than:\ninternet → my router → my computer cloudflare then forwards requests for my domain through that tunnel to the web server running on my little Dell machine. No port forwarding required, and nothing on my network is exposed. That felt much nicer.\nso now this blog is running in my apartment The full setup looks like this:\ninternet ↓ Cloudflare ↓ Cloudflare Tunnel ↓ old Dell computer in my apartment ↓ this blog There\u0026rsquo;s something satisfying about knowing that when someone opens this page, the response is coming from a tiny computer sitting somewhere in my apartment.\nwould I recommend this? For learning and experimenting: absolutely. For something important in production: probably not, at least not with my current setup. Right now I have:\nno redundant disks no automatic backups no redundant internet connection one old computer that could simply decide to stop working For a blog, I\u0026rsquo;m fine with all of that. I occasionally export my posts to a JSON file, and if the server goes down for a while, nothing particularly bad happens.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s actually one of the things I like about this experiment: it doesn\u0026rsquo;t need to be production grade. It just needs to work well enough.\nThat\u0026rsquo;s the setup for now. If my apartment loses power, so does this post :)\n","permalink":"https://www.zkanda.io/hosting-my-blog-from-my-apartment/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI was wondering if I could host this blog from my apartment. The monthly hosting cost is basically nothing, but somehow it still annoyed me, and more importantly, I was curious whether I could just do it myself.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI recently bought an old Dell office computer to experiment with self hosting, so this seemed like a good excuse to try.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"port-forwarding-the-classic-way-i-didnt-want-to\"\u003eport forwarding: the classic way (I didn\u0026rsquo;t want to)\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe traditional approach is to forward a port from my router to the computer running the blog. I didn\u0026rsquo;t really like this idea, it means exposing something inside my home network directly to the internet, and I also didn\u0026rsquo;t feel like figuring out all the details around NAT, firewall rules, and securing it properly.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"hosting my blog from my apartment"},{"content":"Finally got the time to install Linux on my new PC.\nWell, actually there\u0026rsquo;s not much to say, other than it works really well. I use an OS called CatchyOS with Gnome, and it just works out of the box with the Nvidia 5080.\nA few notes on my setup, since I didn’t want to install it on the same drive as Windows:\nSeparate Disk I bought a WD SN8100 2TB PCIe Gen 5.0, probably the speediest disk I’ve ever tried.\nRead performance is excellent:\nWrite performance is a bit lower, but I haven’t investigated that much yet.\nRemap keys Another thing I had to update was remapping Caps Lock: Ctrl on long press, Escape on tap. I remember commenting about this issue for Wayland 8 years ago, and I still found the issue. Time flies.\nThankfully, we are in a much better place now with the keyd project. Wish it\u0026rsquo;s only a setting in the settings but I get it that it\u0026rsquo;s a niche use case.\nvim /etc/keyd/default.conf\n[ids] * [main] # Maps capslock to escape when pressed and control when held. capslock = overload(control, esc) Run or Raise vim ~/.config/run-or-raise/shortcuts.conf\n\u0026lt;Alt\u0026gt;m w,com.google.Chrome.desktop,Google-chrome, \u0026lt;Alt\u0026gt;m t,ghostty,ghostty, \u0026lt;Alt\u0026gt;m e,cursor,Cursor, Now I\u0026rsquo;m back to the way I\u0026rsquo;m used to. Time to actually use it as I intended, to make more projects.\n","permalink":"https://www.zkanda.io/linux-pc/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFinally got the time to install Linux on my new PC.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, actually there\u0026rsquo;s not much to say, other than it works really well. I use an OS called CatchyOS with Gnome, and it just works out of the box with the Nvidia 5080.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA few notes on my setup, since I didn’t want to install it on the same drive as Windows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"separate-disk\"\u003eSeparate Disk\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI bought a WD SN8100 2TB PCIe Gen 5.0, probably the speediest disk I’ve ever tried.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Linux \u003c\u003e PC"},{"content":"I went to my doctor for a general checkup, he gave me a list of medicine, I bought them all and realized I need a way to organize all these pills. So I bought a pill organizer.\nSince I recently moved to Spain, they\u0026rsquo;re labeled as Lun, Mar.., which is the same way as we do in my country.\nWith those labels, my head is suddenly singing. Has that ever happened to you? Well, it turned out my girlfriend and her mom have the same thing. It\u0026rsquo;s pretty crazy how we are so wired with songs in our head.\nAnd you know what, I don\u0026rsquo;t even like the song that gets autocompleted in my head, but I heard it so much when I was young that I still(!) know the lyrics. Insane..that was probably 20-30 years ago.\nWell, to not keep you waiting, here\u0026rsquo;s the song:\nWith all that said, isn\u0026rsquo;t it beautiful how we humans get so attached to music? For me at least, so much of my life revolves around it. Thank you Imelda Papin for this roundtrip down memory lane. And for the record, you\u0026rsquo;re an amazing singer.\n","permalink":"https://www.zkanda.io/pills-and-songs/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI went to my doctor for a general checkup, he gave me a list of medicine, I bought them all and realized I need a way to organize all these pills. So I bought a pill organizer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince I recently moved to Spain, they\u0026rsquo;re labeled as Lun, Mar.., which is the same way as we do in my country.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith those labels, my head is suddenly singing. Has that ever happened to you? Well, it turned out my girlfriend and her mom have the same thing. It\u0026rsquo;s pretty crazy how we are so wired with songs in our head.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pills and Songs"},{"content":"After basically nomading for the last couple of years and living in Thailand for the past four years, I now find myself living in Barcelona—at least for the n`ext two years—and, for some reason, I wanted to have a desktop computer.\nNo, I didn’t build it myself; I just asked one of the shops around here that a friend recommended.\nWhat reasons can I think of?\nI can play games again—the last time I played seriously was in 2015, ten years ago! I miss running Linux. I’ve owned various MacBooks for the last decade and enjoyed them, but there’s something raw about using Linux directly. It weirdly resembles some kind of stability. Though I did buy an Nvidia card, which is probably going to be tricky when running Linux, but I’m up for the challenge.\n","permalink":"https://www.zkanda.io/bought-a-pc-desktop/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAfter basically nomading for the last couple of years and living in Thailand for the past four years, I now find myself living in Barcelona—at least for the n`ext two years—and, for some reason, I wanted to have a desktop computer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo, I didn’t build it myself; I just asked one of the shops around here that a friend recommended.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat reasons can I think of?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI can play games again—the last time I played seriously was in 2015, ten years ago!\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eI miss running Linux. I’ve owned various MacBooks for the last decade and enjoyed them, but there’s something raw about using Linux directly.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt weirdly resembles some kind of stability.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough I did buy an Nvidia card, which is probably going to be tricky when running Linux, but I’m up for the challenge.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Bought a PC Desktop"},{"content":"I recently read the friction blog post from Arslan, and I figured I already knew of this idea from the Atomic Habits book.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s me trying to put that into practice.\nHypothesis: If I reduce the steps to post, I will be able to write more blogs.\nExpected Result: 1 blog post 2 week.\nHere\u0026rsquo;s where I think friction is not helping me write more.\nWhen creating a new blog:\nOld Workflow: 7-step friction fest Go to terminal Start the server Run a command to create a new file Write -\u0026gt; 3 steps before I could even write???? Go back and forth between browser and editor to preview Run command/commit to add to repo Push (auto deploys) New Flow: 4-step publishing Go to a bookmarked website Click \u0026ldquo;New post\u0026rdquo; button Write -\u0026gt; 1 step reduce, The editor is already a preview of what I\u0026rsquo;m writing -\u0026gt; another step reduce Publish Reduced from 7 to 4 steps.\nMy old almost not updated blog is: https://zkanda-github-io.pages.dev/\nTop photo is a stunning view during our visit in Park Güell, highly recommended visit.\n","permalink":"https://www.zkanda.io/take-advantage-of-friction/","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI recently read the friction \u003ca href=\"https://arslan.io/2025/04/08/managing-friction/\"\u003eblog post from Arslan\u003c/a\u003e, and I figured I already knew of this idea from the Atomic Habits book.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere\u0026rsquo;s me trying to put that into practice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHypothesis\u003c/strong\u003e: If I reduce the steps to post, I will be able to write more blogs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExpected Result\u003c/strong\u003e: 1 blog post 2 week.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere\u0026rsquo;s where I think friction is not helping me write more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen creating a new blog:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"old-workflow-7-step-friction-fest\"\u003eOld Workflow: 7-step friction fest\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGo to terminal\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStart the server\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun a command to create a new file\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite -\u0026gt; 3 steps before I could even write????\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGo back and forth between browser and editor to preview\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun command/commit to add to repo\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePush (auto deploys)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"new-flow-4-step-publishing\"\u003eNew Flow: 4-step publishing\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGo to a bookmarked website\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClick \u0026ldquo;New post\u0026rdquo; button\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWrite -\u0026gt; 1 step reduce,\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe editor is already a preview of what I\u0026rsquo;m writing -\u0026gt; another step reduce\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublish\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReduced from 7 to 4 steps.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Take advantage of friction"},{"content":"Hello, I\u0026rsquo;m Zakatell Kanda I\u0026rsquo;m a Software Engineer with a passion for technology, problem-solving, and continuous learning. I currently live in Barcelona, where I enjoy both the vibrant tech scene and the rich cultural experiences this beautiful city offers.\nProfessional Background My journey in software development has led me through various technologies and frameworks. I\u0026rsquo;m particularly experienced with:\nLanguages: Go, Python, JS, TypeScript Web Development: Django, FastAPI, Go, React Cloud \u0026amp; DevOps: Kubernetes, AWS, Docker Databases: PostgreSQL I believe in understanding problems deeply before diving into solutions - a methodology that has served me well throughout my career. When approaching new features or bugs, I focus on breaking them down into manageable steps and creating fast feedback loops through testing.\nPersonal Interests Outside of coding, I enjoy:\nDancing - It\u0026rsquo;s become a significant part of my life and a wonderful way to connect with people Travel - Experiencing new cultures and environments keeps me inspired Learning - Whether it\u0026rsquo;s a new programming language or a different skill entirely, I\u0026rsquo;m always curious Philosophy I believe in reaching out and making connections, even when it feels uncomfortable. Some of my most valued friendships and collaborations began with simply overcoming my hesitation and saying hello.\nAs I often remind myself: on the other side of discomfort often lies connection, growth, and unexpected adventures.\nConnect With Me Feel free to reach out or follow my work:\nGitHub: zkanda Thanks for visiting my corner of the internet, where I share the intimacy of my thoughts and experiences in technology and life.\n","permalink":"https://www.zkanda.io/about/","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"hello-im-zakatell-kanda\"\u003eHello, I\u0026rsquo;m Zakatell Kanda\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m a Software Engineer with a passion for technology, problem-solving, and continuous learning. I currently live in Barcelona, where I enjoy both the vibrant tech scene and the rich cultural experiences this beautiful city offers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"professional-background\"\u003eProfessional Background\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy journey in software development has led me through various technologies and frameworks. I\u0026rsquo;m particularly experienced with:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguages\u003c/strong\u003e: Go, Python, JS, TypeScript\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeb Development\u003c/strong\u003e: Django, FastAPI, Go, React\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCloud \u0026amp; DevOps\u003c/strong\u003e: Kubernetes, AWS, Docker\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDatabases\u003c/strong\u003e: PostgreSQL\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI believe in understanding problems deeply before diving into solutions - a methodology that has served me well throughout my career. When approaching new features or bugs, I focus on breaking them down into manageable steps and creating fast feedback loops through testing.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"About"}]