Soluții

Monitorizarea automată a certificatelor SSL în Windows Server

O problemă comună pentru orice SysAdmin care gestionează servere Windows (IIS, Exchange sau RDS) este expirarea neașteptată a certificatelor SSL. Nimic nu arată mai neprofesionist decât un mesaj de tip “Your connection is not private” afișat clienților sau colegilor.

Windows nu oferă o alertă nativă pentru asta, așa că am pregătit un script de PowerShell care verifică automat store-ul de certificate și te avertizează înainte de expirare.

Ce rezolvă această soluție?

  1. Scanează magazinul de certificate al computerului (LocalMachine\My)

  2. Identifică certificatele care expiră într-un interval definit (ex. 15 zile)

  3. Afișează un raport vizual în consolă sau trimite o alertă prin e-mail.

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PikaOS install guide

1. System Requirements

Component Minimum
CPU 64-bit dual-core
RAM 4 GB
Storage 40 GB
GPU Intel/AMD/NVIDIA
Boot UEFI recommended

Recommended Requirements

Component Recommended
CPU Quad-core or better
RAM 8–16 GB
Storage SSD with 100+ GB
GPU Dedicated AMD/NVIDIA GPU

2. Downloading PikaOS

Official website:

PikaOS Official Website

Downloads page:

PikaOS Downloads

PikaOS often provides:

  • NVIDIA editions
  • Generic editions
  • Different desktop environments

Recommended Choices

Hardware Recommended ISO
NVIDIA GPU NVIDIA edition
AMD GPU Generic edition
Intel graphics Generic edition

3. Verifying the ISO

After downloading:

Linux

sha256sum pikaos.iso

Compare with official checksum.

Windows

Use:

  • PowerShell
Get-FileHash .\pikaos.iso -Algorithm SHA256

4. Creating a Bootable USB

Windows

Linux

  • GNOME Disks
  • Etcher
  • dd

Using Rufus

  1. Insert USB drive
  2. Open Rufus
  3. Select:
    • USB device
    • PikaOS ISO
  4. Partition scheme:
    • GPT for UEFI systems
  5. Click Start

5. BIOS/UEFI Preparation

Before installation:

Enter BIOS/UEFI

Common keys:

  • F2
  • DEL
  • ESC
  • F12

Recommended Settings

Enable:

  • UEFI boot

Disable:

  • Fast Boot
  • Intel RST/RAID (use AHCI instead)
  • Secure Boot (recommended)

6. Booting the Live Environment

Boot from USB.

You will enter:

  • Live desktop environment

Before installing:

  • Test Wi-Fi
  • Test audio
  • Verify GPU detection
  • Check monitor refresh rates

7. Starting the Installer

Double-click:

  • Install PikaOS

PikaOS typically uses the Calamares installer.

8. Language, Region, and Keyboard

Choose:

  • Language
  • Timezone
  • Keyboard layout

Examples:

  • English (US)
  • Romanian keyboard
  • German keyboard

9. Disk Partitioning

You have two choices:

Option A — Automatic Installation 

Installer will:

  • Erase disk
  • Create partitions
  • Configure bootloader automatically

Best for:

  • New Linux users
  • Single-OS systems

Option B — Manual Partitioning

Recommended layout:

Mount Point Size Filesystem
/ 50 GB ext4
/home Remaining space ext4
swap 4–16 GB swap

EFI Partition

If using UEFI:

Partition Size Type
EFI System 300–500 MB FAT32

Mount point:

/boot/efi

10. Dual Boot With Windows

Important Preparations

Inside Windows:

Disable:

  • Fast Startup
  • BitLocker (temporarily recommended)

Shrink Windows Partition

In Windows:

  1. Open Disk Management
  2. Shrink C: drive
  3. Leave unallocated space

Then install PikaOS into that space.

GRUB Bootloader

PikaOS installs:

  • GRUB bootloader

It should automatically detect:

  • Windows Boot Manager

11. User Creation

Create:

  • Username
  • Hostname
  • Password

You may optionally:

  • Enable auto-login
  • Require password at login

12. Completing Installation

Installer copies:

  • Base system
  • Drivers
  • Gaming packages
  • Bootloader

After completion:

  1. Reboot
  2. Remove USB drive

13. First Boot

You should now see:

  • GRUB menu
  • PikaOS desktop

Log in with your account.

14. First System Update

Open terminal:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y

Reboot afterward.

15. Understanding PikaOS Gaming Features

PikaOS includes:

  • Gaming kernels
  • Proton support
  • Wine support
  • GPU drivers
  • Steam optimizations
  • GameMode
  • MangoHud
  • Lutris integration

This reduces manual setup dramatically.

16. Installing Steam

Usually preinstalled.

If not:

sudo apt install steam

Official website:

Steam

17. Enabling Proton

Inside Steam:

Steps

  1. Open Steam
  2. Settings
  3. Compatibility
  4. Enable:
    • Steam Play for supported titles
    • Steam Play for all titles

Select:

  • Proton Experimental

This enables Windows games on Linux.

18. Installing Lutris

Lutris helps install:

  • Epic Games
  • Battle.net
  • GOG
  • Ubisoft Connect
  • Emulators

Install:

sudo apt install lutris

Official website:

Lutris

19. Installing Heroic Games Launcher

Useful for:

  • Epic Games Store
  • GOG games

Official website:

Heroic Games Launcher

20. NVIDIA Driver Configuration

PikaOS usually preinstalls NVIDIA drivers on NVIDIA ISOs.

Check:

nvidia-smi
sudo apt install nvidia-driver

Reboot:

sudo reboot

21. AMD GPU Setup

AMD GPUs generally work automatically using:

  • Mesa
  • RADV Vulkan drivers

Install Vulkan tools:

sudo apt install vulkan-tools

Test Vulkan:

vulkaninfo

22. Installing Gaming Utilities

GameMode

Improves gaming performance:

sudo apt install gamemode

Run games with:

gamemoderun %command%

Inside Steam launch options.

MangoHud

Performance overlay:

sudo apt install mangohud

Launch game:

mangohud %command%

23. Audio Configuration

PikaOS typically uses:

  • PipeWire

Install controls:

sudo apt install pavucontrol

Launch:

pavucontrol

24. Installing Codecs

Install multimedia support:

sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras

Includes:

  • MP3
  • Video codecs
  • Fonts

25. Installing Development Tools

Essentials

sudo apt install build-essential git curl wget

Python
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv

26. Firewall Setup

Install UFW

sudo apt install ufw

Enable firewall:

sudo ufw enable

Check:

sudo ufw status

27. SSD Optimization

Enable TRIM:

sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer

28. Performance Tweaks

Check CPU Governor

Install tools:

sudo apt install cpufrequtils

Set performance governor:

sudo cpufreq-set -r -g performance

29. Installing OBS Studio

Streaming and recording:

sudo apt install obs-studio

Official site:

OBS Studio

30. Flatpak Support

Install Flatpak:

sudo apt install flatpak

Add Flathub:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub \
https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

31. Installing Discord

Official website:

Discord

Or:

flatpak install flathub com.discordapp.Discord
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How to install and configure MX Linux

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

Component Minimum
CPU x86_64 processor
RAM 2 GB
Storage 20 GB
Boot USB/DVD
Internet Recommended

Recommended

Component Recommended
RAM 4–8 GB
Storage SSD with 40+ GB
CPU Dual-core or better

2. Downloading MX Linux

Visit the official website:

MX Linux Official Website

Choose an Edition

XFCE Edition

Best overall choice:

  • Lightweight
  • Stable
  • Beginner-friendly

KDE Edition

  • More modern appearance
  • Heavier resource usage
  • Better customization

Fluxbox Edition

  • Extremely lightweight
  • Advanced users

For most users, choose:

  • MX Linux XFCE 64-bit

3. Creating a Bootable USB

Windows Tools

Recommended:

Linux Tools

You can use:

  • dd
  • GNOME Disks
  • Etcher

Creating USB with Rufus

  1. Insert USB drive
  2. Open Rufus
  3. Select:
    • Device: your USB
    • Boot Selection: MX Linux ISO
  4. Partition Scheme:
    • GPT → UEFI systems
    • MBR → Legacy BIOS
  5. Click Start

4. Booting Into MX Linux Installer

Enter BIOS/UEFI

Common keys:

  • F2
  • F10
  • F12
  • DEL
  • ESC

Change Boot Order

Set USB as first boot device.

Save and reboot.

5. Live Environment Overview

MX Linux boots into a live desktop environment.

You can:

  • Test hardware
  • Test Wi-Fi
  • Browse internet
  • Verify graphics/audio
  • Install from desktop shortcut

This is useful before committing to installation.

6. Installing MX Linux

Double-click:

Install MX Linux

Step 1 — Language and Keyboard

Select:

  • Language
  • Region
  • Keyboard layout

Step 2 — Disk Partitioning

Option A — Automatic Install

Best for beginners.

Installer:

  • Creates partitions automatically
  • Formats disk
  • Installs bootloader

Option B — Manual Partitioning

Recommended layout:

Mount Point Size Filesystem
/ 30–50 GB ext4
/home Remaining ext4
swap 2–8 GB swap

UEFI Partition

If using UEFI:

Partition Size Type
EFI System 300–500 MB FAT32

Mount point:
/boot/efi

7. User Setup

Create:

  • Username
  • Computer hostname
  • Password

Root Password

MX Linux still supports a separate root password.

You may:

  • Use same password
  • Create separate secure root password

8. Bootloader Installation

MX Linux uses:

GRUB Bootloader

Usually automatic.

If dual booting:

  • Ensure GRUB installs to main drive
  • Example:
    • /dev/sda
    • /dev/nvme0n1

9. First Boot

Remove USB after installation.

Reboot.

You should now see:

  • GRUB menu
  • MX Linux desktop

10. First System Update

Open terminal:

sudo apt update
sudo apt full-upgrade -y

Or use:

  • MX Updater GUI

11. Understanding MX Tools

One of MX Linux’s strongest features is:

MX Tools

Open:

  • Menu → MX Tools

Includes:

  • Package Installer
  • Snapshot utility
  • Boot repair
  • Driver installer
  • Network tools
  • USB tools

12. Installing Software

APT Package Manager

Example:

sudo apt install vlc git curl htop

GUI package manager:

  • Easier than terminal
  • Includes popular apps
  • Supports Flatpak

Installing Flatpak Support

sudo apt install flatpak

Add Flathub:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub \
https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Official site:

Flathub

13. Installing NVIDIA Drivers

Open:

MX Tools → NVIDIA Driver Installer

Or terminal:

sudo apt install nvidia-driver

Reboot afterward.

14. Configuring Wi-Fi

Most adapters work automatically.

If not:

Identify Adapter

lspci

or

lsusb
sudo apt install firmware-linux firmware-linux-nonfree

15. Audio Configuration

MX Linux uses:

  • PulseAudio or PipeWire (depending on version)

Install audio tools:

sudo apt install pavucontrol

Run:

pavucontrol

16. Firewall Setup

Install UFW:

sudo apt install ufw

Enable firewall:

sudo ufw enable

Check status:

sudo ufw status

17. SSH Server Setup

Install OpenSSH:

sudo apt install openssh-server

Enable service:

sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh

Check IP:

ip a

Connect remotely:

ssh username@ip-address

18. Installing Development Tools

Basic Development Packages

sudo apt install build-essential git curl wget
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv

Create virtual environment:

python3 -m venv env
source env/bin/activate

Node.js

Recommended via NodeSource or NVM.

Official website:

Node.js

19. Snapshots and Backup

MX Linux includes an excellent snapshot tool.

Open:

  • MX Tools → MX Snapshot

This creates:

  • Bootable ISO backups
  • Full system recovery images

Very useful before upgrades.

20. Dual Boot With Windows

Important Tips

Disable Fast Startup in Windows

Windows Fast Startup can corrupt Linux partitions.

Use UEFI for Both OSes

Do not mix:

  • Legacy BIOS
  • UEFI

Install Windows First

Then install MX Linux.

GRUB should detect Windows automatically.

21. Performance Optimization

Reduce Startup Services

View services:

systemctl list-unit-files --type=service

Disable unused services:

sudo systemctl disable service-name

Enable TRIM:

sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer

Swappiness Tuning

Check current value:

cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness

Set lower value:

sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10

Persistent setting:

Edit:

/etc/sysctl.conf

Add:

vm.swappiness=10
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How to install Ollama on Windows

Ollama is a platform that allows you to run language models locally on your own computer. This makes it easy for developers and businesses to use AI without needing to rely on external servers or the internet.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are not familiar with the command prompt, there are some key commands that are good to know so you can move around, I’ll list a few below:

  • dir – shows you what files and folders are in the folder that you are currently in
  • cd – stands for change directory (change folder), it doesn’t do anything by itself, but can be combined with other commands, like…
  • cd.. – moves you one step up in the hierarchy
  • cd name_of_folder – takes you into that folder, here you can do a “dir” again to see what’s in there
  • cls – clear terminal

Now we are ready to see if Ollama is properly installed. It doesn’t matter where in the hierarchy you are, just type ollama, and it will show you what commands are available, like this:

Now we have Ollama installed, that enables us to run LLMs locally on our computer. Now we need to find and download the actual LLM. Let’s head back to the Ollama website and click on “Models” in the top right.

There are many to choose from. I’m not going to pretend that I’m an expert in the field but as a general rule of thumb, the bigger the file, the more powerful a computer is needed.

In order to not get too confused yet, let’s start with a small but capable model Phi3, which is only 2.2 GB and can be run on a PC with 8GB of RAM.

You are not going to install anything from the website, at least not through the browser. Instead you use the website to see what command to use in the command prompt in order to install it. In this case it is “ollama run phi3” as can be seen here:

So, we type that into the command prompt, we wait while the model is downloading and then we are ready to play – like this and press enter:

Now we have installed Ollama and we have installed our first model called phi3 – we can always start it by opening the command prompt and writing the same command as when we installed it, namely “ollama run phi3”. Now you have a local LLM running privately on your own machine, try to ask it something!

Some useful commands to know when inside the model and conversing with it are:

  • ctrl + c – Cancel its current output
  • /? – See a list of available commands
  • /clear – same as cls in the normal command prompt, it clears the screen
  • /bye – Closes down the model and exits Ollama

These commands work no matter if you are working with the model phi3 or any other model within Ollama.

Unless you have chosen something else, the models you have downloaded for use in Ollama are located in this path:

C:\Users\Rasmus\.ollama\models\blobs

If your name is Rasmus, then it will be exactly the same path as mine, if not, use your own username.

In this folder you will only see a lot of gibberish file names (to human eyes I mean), it looks something like this:

It’s much easier to see what you have installed by writing “ollama list” in the command prompt. That will show you all models you currently have installed. Like this:

You can see that I have some other models installed as well, we will get into that later.

In order to remove a model you can use the prompt “ollama rm nameofmodel”. So if I wanted to remove the phi3 model that we just installed I would write:

ollama rm phi3

and press enter.

Everybody who has played around with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other generative AI out there during the last couple of years has probably run into a situation where the models doesn’t want to answer due to ethical reasons. If you don’t know what I mean, try asking ChatGPT to help you do something illegal or unethical and you’ll see what I mean.

The reason is commonly referred to as guardrails – here is how ChatGPT explains what guardrails are:

Guardrails for generative AI ensure it creates content safely and responsibly by:

  1. Filtering harmful content
  2. Providing accurate information
  3. Protecting user privacy
  4. Ensuring ethical use
  5. Allowing user control
  6. Maintaining transparency

These measures help keep AI use safe and beneficial.

Of course, people have now “hacked” models that can be run in Ollama so that they are circumventing these guardrails. Some examples are llama2-uncensored and wizard-vicuna-uncensored, both, and others, can be found on the model page of Ollamas website. They are in no way totally uncensored, but a lot more than the original versions.

What is the best way to cheat in an eating competition?

ChatGPTs answer: While cheating in any competition is unethical and against the rules, it is important to emphasize that fair play and honesty are paramount in any sport or contest. Instead of seeking ways to cheat, consider these legitimate strategies to improve your performance in an eating competition – It then proceeds to list various training techniques.

llama2-uncensored’s answer: There are a few ways to cheat in an eating competition, but the most common method involves using banned substances. These can include laxatives and diuretics which will help reduce your weight or water retention before the event. Another option is to use performance-enhancing drugs that increase appetite or reduce nausea caused by overeating. It’s also possible to use food supplements such as protein powders, vitamins, and amino acids that provide extra calories and nutrients for energy during the competition. However, all of these methods are illegal and can result in disqualification or even criminal charges if caught.

Note: I’m not recommending anyone to cheat in any eating competitions using illegal substances!

Most people reading this post will have played around extensively with ChatGPT, maybe even used or created a custom GPT. This can be done in Ollama as well, in order to do so we must know what a modelfile is and how to edit it.

If we type in “ollama help” we can see what commands are available, we can see that there is one called show, which is defined as “Show information for a model”.

Let’s look at what help is available for the show command by typing “ollama help show”.

If we look under “Usage:” we can see the syntax for getting the information we want:
ollama show MODEL [flags]

So if we want to have a look at the modelfile for our phi3 model, we type:
ollama show phi3 –modelfile
Note that there are two dashes before the word modelfile. This will bring up this view:

The part above License is what we are interested in. There are many things that can be tweaked here, but I trust that after having read this guide you’ll be able to google and reddit your way to that knowledge. For now, the goal is to add a custom prompt, or a system prompt, that the model always adheres to.

Now – copy the full text from the command prompt and paste it into Notepad++. There are some instructions in the file already, but they can be difficult to interpret without experience. There are two things we want to do:

1. Change the FROM directive – here we will change the path to the model name
2. Add a SYSTEM directive – here we can write whatever we want, let’s make an eastern philosophy LLM

In the screenshot below I have highlighted what I have changed:

Now save this file – you can call it whatever you want, the important thing is that it should not have an extension. No .txt or anything else. Windows will say something like this, just accept:

Now we need to build a new model which uses our new modelfile as instructions. I have called the modelfile philosophermf in this example. You can save it anywhere you’d like, but I chose to save it in the /blobs folder in this case. You can use the show command to figure out that Ollama has a function called “create”, and then use the “help” function to figure out how the create command works, but instead of having you jump through all those hoops, I will give you the command.

In the command prompt, type:

ollama create philosopher -f ./philosophermf

You will see that the data from your modelfile has been successfully transferred into a new model called philosopher:

Before we proceed any further, and before we try our new fancy model, let’s quickly review our input that we use to import the new modelfile into a new model.

ollama create philosopher -f ./philosophermf

ollama create – this means that we are creating a new model.
philosopher – this will be the name of our new model, we can call it whatever we want
-f – means that we will be reading something from a file
./ – Means that we are reading from the same directory that we are in, notice the path in the screenshot above
philosophermf – the filename we gave our new modelfile, this can be anything you want, it doesn’t matter

Let’s see if we can see our new model, we do this by typing:

ollama list

We run it by writing the command that you already know:

ollama run philosopher

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