
Alexander is a writer, traveler, and serial digital entrepreneur. He’s the founder of the Tushi, the Gen X personal growth newsletter Further, and offers small business advice at Unemployable.

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Director and Chief Evangelist

Alexander Hipp


Anil is a content-obsessed marketer who loves driving organic traffic for outstanding companies. He is also the creator of Hack the Content, co-host of The Runner, and owner of several digital commerce sites.

Managing Partner

Anil Vugels


Monika is a writer, musician, and content strategist with a passion for language. When she isn’t helping clients, you can find her writing songs, hiking in a northern forest, or furiously journaling.

Director of Operations

Ann Monika

Programmer / Founder / Student

Tim Schupp



In light of Twilio Video Calls reaching its end of life, the quest for a new video call service provider - for our startup [Little World](https://little-world.com) - is essential for seamless communication experiences. This comparison focuses on technical capabilities, overlooking aspects such as server hosting locations and GDPR compliance which are beyond the scope of this review.

I've experimented & compiled the following table, to compare various services based on criteria essential for React-based web and native applications. These criteria include unique authentication for rooms, server-side token generation, webhooks, device detection and permissions, compatibility across platforms, mobile redirection capabilities, pricing, React SDK availability, self-hosting possibilities, and practical implementation tests.

| Feature / Service | [LiveKit](https://docs.livekit.io/realtime/) | [Dyte.io](https://dyte.io/) | [Jitsi Meet Self Hosted](https://jitsi.org/) | [Jitsi 8x8 Conferencing](https://8x8.vc/) | [Zoom](https://zoom.us/) |
|-------------------|:--------------------------------------------:|:-------------------------:|:-------------------------------------------:|:-----------------------------------------:|:-----------------------:|
| Unique Authentication Required Rooms | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server-side Token Generation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks (Join/Leave) | Yes | Yes | [No #1](#1) | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Device Detection & Permissions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-Platform Compatibility | [Yes (React Native) #2](#2) | [Partially (No WebView) #3](#3) | [Yes #5](#5) | [Yes #5](#5) | [Partially #5](#4) |
| Mobile Redirect for App Calls | No | [Uncertain #5](#5) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Affordable & Scalable Pricing | Yes | Yes | Not really (Consider Maintenance) | [No #6](#6) | [Yes #7](#7) |
| React SDK Availability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | [No #8](#8) |
| Self-Hosting Capability | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Practical Implementation Test | Not yet | No | Yes but no sockets! | Yes | Yes |

###### Notes:

- <a id="1"></a>**#1 Jitsi Meet Self Hosted**: Webhooks would require custom implementation.
- <a id="2"></a>**#2 LiveKit**: Exclusive React Native integrations for Android and iOS.
- <a id="3"></a>**#3 Dyte.io**: Limited to native apps, lacks in-browser video call support.
- <a id="4"></a>**#4 Zoom**: Compatibility issues noted with WebView; [native or react-native Zoom clients necessary](https://developers.zoom.us/docs/video-sdk/react-native/)
- <a id="5"></a>**#5 Jitsi**: Even has mobile webview / capacitor support ( no need for native / react native )
- <a id="6"></a>**#6 Jitsi 8x8 Conferencing**: Expensive for broader usage.
- <a id="7"></a>**#7 Zoom**: Pricing model based on usage; but specificly low entry pricing / many free minutes per month
- <a id="8"></a>**#8 Zoom**: The SDK constrains customization options, offering default Zoom UI.

For developers seeking to replace Twilio Video Calls, this comparison sheds light on several viable alternatives. Each service offers a unique blend of features and constraints, making it crucial to align the choice with the specific needs of your application and user base. 

Further exploration and prototypes are valuable steps toward identifying the most suitable video call service. Additionally, reviewing discussions and feedback, such as those found in [community forums](https://www.reddit.com/r/node/comments/18bain4/list_of_top_twilio_video_alternatives/), can provide insights and considerations from a broader development community.

#### Conclusion

To me, it seems that LiveKit is the most promising solution. It allows full UI customization, has the required socket integrations, React Native SDKs, and can even be self-hosted. I was surprised to see how difficult and annoying it is to use the Zoom SDK with a custom video call UI; other than that, it's probably the best in terms of pricing. Jitsi is also quite good in this regard, but the missing WebSocket integrations (offered by 8x8 Conferencing) make it hard to use for web applications.

Dyte also looks fairly strong, but I haven't investigated it as much. In my opinion, it loses to LiveKit for not being open-source or self-hostable.

This comparison is not exhaustive in any regard, please contact me for comments or improvements!


#### Additional Options To Consider:

- https://docs.videosdk.live/
- https://www.daily.co/


A comprehensive comparison of leading video call service providers focusing on cross-platform compatibility for React-based web and native applications.

Comparison of Video Call Services for Cross-Platform React Web/Native Apps


### Full Setup Lenovo Yoga 9 Pro Regolith Linux (Ubuntu 23.10 + i3)

This is my setup guide for Linux on my new laptop. I'm using the newest 23.10 Ubuntu because I want to.
This blog intends to report how I got things set up & the open issues I still have.

> Don't hesitate to contact me if you have possible solutions or questions regarding my setup, cheers :)

This is the labtop in question: https://geizhals.de/lenovo-yoga-pro-7-14aph8-storm-grey-82y80020ge-a3000891.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

- 14.5", 2560x1600 (WQXGA), 16:10, 208ppi, 90Hz, non-glare (matt), IPS, 350cd/​m², Blaulichtfilter, Dolby Vision, 1.500:1, 100% sRGB 
- AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, 8C/16T, 3.80-5.10GHz, 16MB+8MB Cache, 35W TDP, 54W cTDP, Codename "Phoenix" (Zen 4, TSMC 4nm) 
- AMD Radeon 780M (iGPU), 12CU/768SP, 2.70GHz, Architektur "RDNA 3" (Phoenix) ( no additional GPU )
- 32GB LPDDR5X-6400 (32GB verlötet, nicht erweiterbar) 


## Open Issues:

1. Keyboard backlight levels not working correctly
It goes from bright to medium to bright to out. But medium is also very bright.
2. Master sound level not working (generally sound seems off)
I've also played with a lot of different output options in `pavucontrol`,
some seem to be completely broken and sound super metallic, while others sound pretty good at full volume but then start sounding weird when leveling down the audio.
This is significantly annoying but ok since it can be worked around by leveling the specific output sound level instead of using the volume buttons.

## Initial setup

The laptop comes with Windows originally. So I:

- create a boot USB with Ubuntu 23.10.
- disable BitLocker in PowerShell
- disable hibernation in PowerShell
- in Windows prepare an unformatted partition of the hard drive
- in BIOS disable secure boot
- boot & install Ubuntu 23.10
- install regolith-desktop using package: https://regolith-desktop.com/

## Configuring Regolith

Basic Regolith / i3 looks can be configured in `~/.config/regolith3/Xresources`.
E.g.: I like to adjust gap and border sizes & colors:

```
wm.gaps.inner.size: 1
wm.window.border.size: 3
wm.client.focused.color.child_border: #AAD3E9
```

## Resolution

- Falsely detected out of the box required xrandr adjustments.
- issues with fractional scaling if not on Ubuntu desktop (so i3)

I found that the i3 window header and bar sizes seem to depend on the dpi set in `~/.Xresources`.
`Xft.dpi: 100`. Weirdly, a higher value causes bigger i3 bar and UI and a lower one smaller.

> I found the cursor size set here to have no effect `Xcursor.size: 5`

To view the current resolution config `xdpyinfo | grep -B 2 resolution`:

```
screen #0:
  dimensions:    2560x1600 pixels (677x423 millimeters)
  resolution:    96x96 dots per inch
```

## External Monitors (& USB monitors)

At first, I thought the external monitors were not working but I soon realized that they were detected but not set to `active`, simply going into `arandr`, setting them to active, and then applying the configuration made all external monitors work as expected.

### Persisting xrandr settings using autorandr

`sudo apt install autorandr` just set the correct settings using `xrandr` or a UI like `arandr`,
then save the profile as default `autorandr --save default`

### Gnome Scaling Factor

I wasn't yet able to get fractional scaling working on Ubuntu yet.
But I found that the overall scale can be set from the command line using:

```bash
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.xsettings overrides  "[{'Gdk/WindowScalingFactor', <1>}]"
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface scaling-factor 1
```

It accepts scaling factors `1`, `2`, `3`

## Setting up Keepmenu as password manager

I love using Keepmenu to easily manage a local password database.

- https://github.com/firecat53/keepmenu

I use it with `rofi`; this is my config: `~/.config/keepmenu/config.ini`:

```ini
[dmenu]
dmenu_command = rofi -show drun -dpi 1

[dmenu_passphrase]
nf = #222222
nb = #222222
rofi_obscure = True

[database]
database_1 = XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
keyfile_1 = 
pw_cache_period_min = 30
autotype_default = {USERNAME}{TAB}{PASSWORD}{ENTER}
```

### Setting up the keybinding

The easiest way is to just use the GNOME system keybindings like described in: https://regolith-desktop.com/docs/using-regolith/configuration/

Just open the GNOME settings `Super+c` & open the keybindings editor in the 'Keyboard' settings.

You could also set it up using an i3 config e.g.:

```bash
bindsym $mod+Shift+K exec "DO SOMETHING"
```

## Setup screenshot command

`sudo apt install gnome-screenshot`

I like to map it to `Super+Shift+U`

Then setup a keyboard shortcut like this: `gnome-screenshot -acf /tmp/test && cat /tmp/test | xclip -i -selection clipboard -target image/png`
[as per this stack overflow answer](https://askubuntu.com/questions/1196914/gnome-screenshot-cant-copy-to-clipboard-in-ubuntu-18-04).

I saw only this stategy working, copying directly with `-acf` wan't working for me.


A comprehensive setup guide for setting up a Lenovo Yoga 9 Pro with Ubuntu 23.10 and Regolith i3, including resolution and external monitors configuration, and workarounds for common issues.

Full Setup Guide: Lenovo Yoga 9 Pro with Regolith Linux (Ubuntu 23.10 + i3)


- [the python script](https://github.com/tbscode/tims-blog-posts/blob/main/assets/send_slack_message.py)

Need to notify your team about deployment status on Slack? Automate the process using the slack_sdk Python package with GitHub Actions. Here's how to set it up step by step:

### Creating Your Slack App for Notifications

1. **Create a Slack App**: Go to the [Slack API](https://api.slack.com/apps) section, select 'Create New App', input a name, and choose your workspace.

2. **Set Permissions**: In the Slack app settings, navigate to 'Features' > 'OAuth & Permissions'. Under 'Scopes', add `chat:write` for your bot to send messages. Once you save changes, click 'Install to Workspace'.

3. **Retrieve Your Slack Bot Token**: After installing the app to your workspace, grab your 'Bot User OAuth Token' from the 'OAuth & Permissions' page. Securely store this token as it will be used to authenticate your GitHub Actions script.

### Setting Up GitHub Actions to Send Slack Notifications

First, include your Slack API token as a secret in your GitHub repository:

1. In your GitHub repo, go to 'Settings', then 'Secrets'.
2. Select 'New Repository Secret', and add your Slack API token under `SLACK_API_TOKEN`.

Now, integrate the `send_slack_message.py` script with your deployment process:

```python
# send_slack_message.py
import os
from slack_sdk import WebClient

client = WebClient(token=os.environ["SLACK_API_TOKEN"])

response = client.chat_postMessage(
    channel=os.environ["CHANNEL_ID"],
    mrkdwn=True,
    text=os.environ["MESSAGE"],
)

print(response["message"]["text"])
```

Add a GitHub Actions step in your workflow to execute the notification script:

```yaml
jobs:
  deployment:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      # ... previous steps for deployment ...
      
      - name: Notify Slack Channel
        env:
          SLACK_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SLACK_API_TOKEN }}
          CHANNEL_ID: 'your-channel-id'
          MESSAGE: "*Deployment Update*\nImage: ${{ steps.build.outputs.IMAGE_URL }}\nURL: ${{ steps.deploy.outputs.WEBSITE_URL }}"
        run: |
          pip install slack_sdk
          wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tbscode/tims-blog-posts/main/assets/send_slack_message.py | python3 -
```

Replace `your-channel-id` with the actual Slack channel ID where you wish to send notifications. 

> Replace the script url with a self hosted fork of [send_slack_message.py](https://github.com/tbscode/tims-blog-posts/blob/main/assets/send_slack_message.py)

Remember to update the `MESSAGE` variable with relevant details for your deployment, such as image URL or site URL.

Executing the GitHub Action with these configurations will automatically send your predefined message to the designated Slack channel, informing your team about the latest deployment status.

Your GitHub Actions workflow now works seamlessly with Slack for real-time notifications!

Set up Slack notifications for deployments using GitHub Actions and the Python slack_sdk package, keeping your team updated automatically.

Send Slack Notifications on Deployments with GitHub Actions


# Solid Authentication Overview

> A presentation prepared for the
> 'Data Ecosystems Lab'

## Content

This blog article delves into several key aspects of Solid authentication and OpenID Connect, providing insights into the mechanisms and practical implementation details:

- **Introduction to Solid and OpenID Connect**: An overview of the Solid framework and how OpenID Connect (OIDC) serves as a foundational technology for secure authentication.
- **The Solid Community Server's Authentication Process**: A closer look at how the Solid Community Server implements OIDC and the intricacies involved in user verification.
- **Reverse Engineering Authentication with Python**: Step-by-step guidance on how to reverse engineer client authentication processes using the Python `requests` library.
- **Jupyter Notebook Demonstration**: A practical example showcasing the authentication flow within a Jupyter notebook, accessible for interactive learning and experimentation.
- **Flow Charts and Visual Aids**: The inclusion of original and comprehensive flow charts to visualize the authentication sequence as defined by the Solid project.

> If you want to deploy solid on a self hosted kubernetes cluster [checkout this blog post](todo)

## Presentation Slides

<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vR9IbBdC5t9iGfPpiIm6voYEIJvfLBghO4rQoI1J57_cqfim40nndh1kjCajXyoTt77bQVvMgLaLkDJ/embed?start=false&loop=true&delayms=5000" frameborder="0" width="960" height="569" allowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true"></iframe>

## Flow Chart

- To view the original flow chart as published by the Solid project, please visit this link: [Solid OIDC Flow Chart](https://solidproject.org/TR/oidc)
- For a full-size preview of the flow chart, click here: [Full Size Flow Chart Preview](https://viewer.diagrams.net/?tags=%7B%7D&highlight=0000ff&edit=_blank&layers=1&nav=1&title=diagramm.xml#R7V3bcptIGn6WuVDV7oUozodLW46SbM3UeOKkUnuVQqIlsUFqBpDszNNvNydB8yNAAoRkchHbTQMN%2Ff3nAxNptn376Jnu5g9sIWci8tbbRHqaiKKgqgb5QUd%2BRSOywUcDa8%2B24knHgRf7HxQPJtP2toX83MQAYyew3fzgEu92aBnkxkzPw6%2F5aSvs5O%2FqmmtUGHhZmk5x9LttBZtoVFf44%2FgnZK83yZ0FPj6yNZPJ8YC%2FMS38mhmSPkykmYdxEP22fZshh7685L1E581LjqYL89AuqHOC%2BYfh%2FTpIbwdNdP%2FGb389ffn0YRpf5WA6%2B%2FiBJ6LqkOs9rjC5LHlh5jI6oP69pyt9nOHtCnuBaR6H6PaagTmlp0x9b5mbvwkCulUPdGHinE7xuTXGaweZru1zS7wlw0ufTJmvzK3tUJyA91DX9Oc3H3nJEuPrJYfi1xz8SvaOvHGX%2FrrfOr%2FbK%2BTYO%2FLXo4s8e4sCchnpyYmHn49jj68bO0AvbvTcrwTV4UNsHfKXQH4lQAtMcgo9nSd%2FWx52v5reGgXxwBI7jun69iJcBh3x0HLv%2BfYBfUF%2BBHA6ivcBvfUsBS4ddMljkxE%2F8Mg96CAy%2FeAV%2BfT5duj1g0XAmTyg9nh8PSg9cHxj9J2nx50Fzpydea0zZlLJBQ7IC2xCFiWnkgc8ICt3Lp%2Bb4OH9zirM0J4yh6L3W4R1glGyAvSWGYph%2FhFhsnXeLzIlPipLnCBFJyVcJ6bB1yMJp4S6yZCvnhCrGbONdXrxI2WRX2LiakBoIkBoDFwzIHMx2f1wCcrjRHliUEswssFrvDOdLG5BPAUhMl8oIfhFSniHYCvC6yRfrI85JQc4DQJcEW%2Ba0hXelCrG3gPHrik8Iu79SGX1yNvvjNxa5%2B0iL3K6UMncxV6Zu3ZrxEbePyU1%2FjtafLbqklyGUBLEPDj2ekfGFjgIyErpha0HqnXTMQcvf%2BbgSxCfh2oCS%2BkphWAKt5i8Uvzwp%2FDj470XP%2F1J8RskxFw2T43m0TWfRKOHHDMgVJ%2B3NwBcxac%2BU4F%2BRLFg5MWFIDHQjB4oPuuITvJuzV%2BZabGeUHqfVOgk91EYG4Fdl8rMl0%2FPT2kPvj75JVoxc3ayfLxa%2BSiYsOSXvufzKVJvpG7VgTN20Y6KBNPfpPyMHI4tVv0KQN8j5eXpBf81fVlMZ%2Fajo60%2B4uTBuwawqDIAVhkAR5R2MYAlFpBqLYAlSplYscoSMjsDhac243bkQiwP%2BGcPH2zrqI0tvGTGw57IWJF%2FQQS7wGGiBUUILZ8yanh3rOHFb0g5ycQaWFWyxuVJGFL2JEjZ41tQ9kCiNhqJltGS78%2BSP8mDa2OOlThGPVNeEFoA3M7531ravL18M5T%2FPqFv%2F3w7vO6nYjNlZkRct4grIKkuCE8gjpPyJq0hJmyvAnWJ26l1LidADstB6y4e%2BntP8ZdatfwTXu63KFQx7t7AjQ3XrIF7kpn0biCwns6WLFxJOcsCLTMQ2FWWmDEdmbIwJd6cd%2BlIiX9%2BnpFTaHB2Za%2FPNwXujDBPqZWd06WWpxexK7pkPENihSdJUhRwXTXpmL3bEOm40htAbE%2Fs5YhsIkp8%2BC9Hi0fKSAYj4g9tL0LrvMC7bxF5NSXg%2FgL5Hz98nVCH%2FNxCWzx1MRHYc9fDK5tqffOl6ZEBaYuaegsIiZqOgxy89swto%2FvmjjVwGqzsN5Q4%2BqK%2FHWeW7pW00pdouaTGb%2BDhnyhzZKErclumsGjAgi6rIYpQTLsNuwQEtHiDgmlt%2B1HkY%2BbYGc1wFEkDEklSR8EQiYnRJ%2Fc5T1UsrHIAIqahp%2BCOwh5GEdLXjO%2BxTqRUG2o7PMJoTZLcCNISfHZf4ZGEgkaNKJQxz3%2B%2BxCoRh%2B0l1YeIvBr1nwTqYomUyKV9pOGCXjQgSaoCcBPtxN7ZgenQ10yAH6snvBnG2zrRSXY49OS2yL99wtYCVuUJB%2Be2kyyNrCD%2Ba1gpHTHOeI7n4yVcmuTBM4g1utFrROY%2BMl%2BR5CE2nK8p4HPUEzKiUvEWBqA3SVBMrz9BNDQzKX9XHzu2pXA%2BYSSmMyX35Sx0CA%2BNkimiH0HnGBKBYoZ6v7JJrpRN7wrTzLMP9ZmixXIcV0pdt%2B8vsxSkWzJElbq4kFT1QqpM%2FGPCAGhQbosGz4G675q7M6EeXSjYutO9701DCTCR%2Ba1pO1wgbLktPfMr8gNBlH7LIC6643lpXvcHxPjoVJBY8SDLxei%2BmJnWCzgVyPpuxaLox1mUMzZiN1XW1uDr2xqMbVDDqBDhLb%2FQYmCywuWaqnJTg0HQNPA%2BdRX6Qk5eTcOmLXVdaZaCdztuzu7dkuzW1Q2UNve1S%2BB96kFMYSzaukHq1vzorTkmh6MGV%2BsBRokakEZquVfy7qY%2Fd%2FiVSPk5JRnbmka5HXuP4BLvbkDo9xSt1QtCH0pd7ixgC%2Bd%2BVaH6ltCql6A1ahBAKxioaURYVL7IrXmkN5%2FgXgG%2BEpwAaCp3dKscE2rUgVzQEm2xjRJHEDuV3oQ7ws4HWh1JkfM7XtvUhJp5yPJvCEHF%2FgcqYAx3CKFTjvgxjX0QaeyXibeCDSCI9RLWRa2rjHV5LMy5Y3zJIsDBIOWJLfFsD18j%2F7obfCl8AV9gi6Be8VWZTtnECUwAsfO3Nj3NibUYqqF1lEoQxvq%2Fbuxdu46SnIsvdi6Wu%2FhOdhjp37Ui6zSVIPNPzV%2BzraxGNvofOxFLE%2B2ZlhCyXjHfYOc38%2BQUnYWMAjCA%2BL9y3Vjp0BLRyGTbcsn%2FMecYQ%2F3HVJsCnFVI7%2B01jlMZZOwyeFhmStM%2BEeQ9Ex4f0Hy2bNtG0IA%2BJ3R4hl19YV%2FB%2FN6nburs3iu97v1YUwQyrtAp7W1H1nWKdSlQhkRXrMvfLIld8pNoerP51zfnO7%2F7tAe7z16miA4yjpdPZgXfhNSRUlqIQiiSwWmMJto45leqLCp8rRt2HR%2BubH55DYn4Ja2KnkXcKY6Y8XNMnc5JQRr%2FsFwi%2F7S3%2BSaEpViEAuTD0cCUrDac0CChiW1CIxUz79SorizLSnyylaWGcm%2BFWUVU1mwK19gwl%2FKGs6JVVMDrOiugGzW7g3hvza58HdnaIAEOkjd%2F3tmBHdbeWGTWV6KF0ct9QZbtUUfszfNiRWBjyooG2K2i2FV6LAiFcoenZR9qb%2FHCXP5ch290Ghs7dKftaEcjAyQz7q0X%2F4o8zXzy49%2BxMUOhklgZD6GYTnB3PF4ja3aiPEq8RF3%2BSS2ftSQ%2Fo0IuYo%2FIE%2B0xKu%2F64cUA%2B7H3bOrbPo0qEH65N%2FXebBpB4TlVqsR1NqWin84ILX1Wo2UmZ1GHzIo8nmpu6XbuFj79kWqeX8L2CEkmF%2F9hZ7mRWLgpZifoeU4H9uKHvDRt6Jxw55cbasbfBryStk%2BffX9%2FSQfYayNHAJEDJTV0lXVVzkdccKtoVHiarCzcLLIyBRZT12dIrofoflGpbO4simR%2BohJhbaEfyw2VSjtiDFAVlieHo4PEUAnoGEfVtE2opS32tkOPJmHOvedcrrClw26b6Lwoq4tFpwQ0AAL5GtuopD0xN5YYMmSRJC9kBOkPdBSjxxOG7pO2TKSvQP1NXeposWqJ4WqFXFewdFbtrGwP5Lo31NfqfOb7gpzQtOXnYQUpMW%2BoF3LvOti0ehXZLSdLaxCA%2Bs6Wruwn0ISvuB7euuFJ0U754c5lqi067142oE4hhdBKfay019mDqdPTtG48iIIgc%2FCdyr%2FfYrBnNPIhFvMuC8%2FWrwsR1orfaeXqOdhvGel6PxWpWqMkMwC17DrbizjCiIRyg89m%2BDGfT2Qxb1Fwjry%2BtTZRoDPa6Et2sDxd7yj%2BxLaF0qu%2B%2FSXI4LpOyJpT129Ms4X3MIDEULHSc3dnlisNVqRuu9sxV1VZU3UNMlclQZYUOd6WbIAi%2FNeOGctSGvjJGOiLlJ1ZsNW9xocGQTuNwGZceRMxjN5BvRBvt2PzFbQ4oDghcRS23mOZFW%2FJnc6uF2BXOgQD5C4akAwDiGq97W3eGbkARPVCILIr7dimAIPIo5Xbg5UrCwaX9K%2FpuvXS8VZnd18CVttxgq1cmd%2FQWuCn2JRmcKpLU4vgOo%2FUQmvXpC15ksokzeM8phAsp5pWDsdS6CkxSSwk3MlAv3LR6DewlUiQdtxUx898HTX0XO766Jmq9kxdw%2BPUVcazYLDRB6XKhyQ0PkMrPM2FfqcrJ0nDhAplVoy6X8GTe73enErNuNilCiJTNdAc3TVjk60hF6pGvkPTuE7xi9oJEKkNrec%2FF6wkdTatG9ECl7StYG5V14qWyy7QASDLKyvHCmmgQnoZ6mxjhfSJCmnoG0P9Vkg3UwTGplMDbzrFMG4NBFgRX%2ByH2doLFDUT1yO%2BusXXRbmQRZe1XrOpWWfV1mNLxiGh6%2BKWjAz3UsEGIgC82uiZB%2BKrWUvGgRob59sWBUOlh4Cd0tFHKYoBO6XRZykUvmKdHdsZQke%2B1cSlygdRVfo7bTXRB9ALypnBaUItEDUFuyzznFR6t9IOEUrxLKX6LKF4llx9lnjWCjWt%2Bl6VhGywPgNoJwbQyqK6rvdd%2BRZy3y8Oex40Yll3718Q9CKwIQ1K7jMkCNl%2F91Nh7JF3ZKMDzSmcqLEo%2FRGhMlNXTLYwqlvPFBjT9xZK3U1YcmXSLyvSty%2FyC0RWnf3O4g0XFLPMWoU6dHXVKwHmqa19eukuMrPDDA1Cb6YTbKam6xZzNaJcWWlOy%2BYnYRYGTcOIGnxE%2F0eQvpUEjZ4qj4XCN1JUoJur1OFHGUF2XF5HdA%2Fs%2BNjwgXBY2iEYe%2FY%2FUbuZkOM%2Bmr69TNkyGXt6xs%2FRoU%2FItMKP8tw822WrBVQd4LmSAHYs6qxgGaoXuDlHypUSmlmzsWY%2ByTkOkpJb1faQVK616zrJ%2B25os%2FRQ1O7c3S%2BcDCdzPfsQHfjPd2oi%2FUS%2F7pGRQQ1p%2BmZkJ9xw94CwKgkaCsy7F6BigY9BFXe9Q68y1aQJYp6%2FUU7BloKnfuH34AZumoV1KgSZzRo8EQnvQEEwuJJC6dadysyXfZLob5mzVpZFToCXVu6BLp5S1dZYKJ5SkeMric0XphkVd6lSjgSeM%2BTT%2BzSAxGDQ5XyHinqesE%2Bmrpzb2eFiwlY5QTCO%2F9jUi9ohi%2BaGAM9JWtnd6toCwolr9JYsfEOd1iIJG39Lmn5e%2BmBbx%2BamVYKYaDtBXhHKu7diqZj1hcVDZky6NFszdK%2BxNL21LSukREjzylOfh4NIV5SejCM1Xpx0xChjApB1lNiZbfelhGFV2X5taLB6ADsbvCDCR73i%2BAg6Ajo5w3oZwQ11fO4VgMmFRwDeMQAZrpf2qbga6CqLskfQ3T7o%2BFKNU5OuDcBy19tAAfgFxVaGyI%2BoO0%2FWQinm%2FaKu0us2HNSd7%2FfN%2BQGR9dv5QO3bW6tInCAapVwr7fqXwY%2FWXbdmMJlauu5XVIeDz5o5J2MOSXRULeTzCVD%2BlN5Wkw%2Fyp4fpVh19MOTNbP7AFqIz%2Fg8%3D)


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## Jupyter Notebook

- For a hands-on demonstration of the reverse-engineered authentication using the Python `requests` library, access the Jupyter Notebook here: [Presentation: Reverse-Engineered Authentication Notebook](https://colab.research.google.com/drive/17H9eaPhxgqb4yonFpfEle39pQjWghL_o?usp=sharing)


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Exploring the workings of OpenID Connect, the Solid Community Server implementation, and reverse-engineering client authentication with Python requests.

Understanding Solid Authentication


## Intro 

Sentry is an incredibly nice error tracking tool; it can significantly increase the speed of bug fixing and debugging. It also offers a bunch of other features. You should also check out [their service](https://sentry.io)

Since I like to know how the stuff works and willing to take it appart; I would always prefer to self-host if I can. This also gives me more comfort about controlling my own data which by the way also aids GDPR compliance (though this is also possible using Sentry's service directly).

Fortunately, there [still is a Helm chart](https://github.com/sentry-kubernetes/charts/tree/develop). 
'Still', because for example: [the deprecated Posthog chart](https://github.com/PostHog/charts-clickhouse), but also the originally (officially maintained?) [sentry chart](https://github.com/helm/charts/tree/master/stable/sentry) seems deprecated now.

## Setup

I prepared a script that will:

1. Configure an ingress with a cluster issuer annotation to serve under a specific `$HOSTNAME`
2. Configure a Postgres password
3. Enable session recordings and its interface

## Installation

Use the following script to install Sentry:

```bash
./install_sentry_microk8s.sh \
  K8_NAMESPACE="<installation-namespace>" \
  RELEASE_NAME="<release-name>" \
  SENTRY_HOSTNAME="<...>" \
  SENTRY_HOSTNAME="<...>" \
  POSTGRES_PASSWORD="<...>" \
  SMTP_USERNAME="<...>" \
  SMTP_PASSWORD="<...>" \
  SMTP_PORT="<...>" \
  SMTP_FROM_EMAIL="<...>" \
  SENTRY_ADMIN_EMAIL="<...>" \
  SENTRY_ADMIN_PASSWORD="<...>"
```

I found out about having to set and update the admin Postgres password using a secret; [in this Github issue](https://github.com/sentry-kubernetes/charts/issues/554).
That's why we create a simple secret for the Postgres-password here:

```bash
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: postgres
  namespace: $K8_NAMESPACE
stringData:
  postgres-password: "$POSTGRES_PASSWORD"
```

For enabling the session feature and directly setting the Python config, I read [over here](https://github.com/getsentry/self-hosted/issues/2057) and [here](https://github.com/getsentry/self-hosted/blob/master/sentry/sentry.conf.example.py) and [here](https://github.com/sentry-kubernetes/charts/issues/918), ending up with:

```yaml
config:
  sentryConfPy: |
    SENTRY_FEATURES["organizations:session-replay"] = True
    SENTRY_FEATURES["organizations:session-replay-ui"] = True
```

Ingress setup follows a pretty standard procedure:

```yaml
nginx:
  ingress:
    annotations:
      cert-manager.io/cluster-issuer: "letsencrypt-prod"
    enabled: true
    hostname: $SENTRY_HOSTNAME
    ingressClassName: "public"
    tls: true
    extraTls:
      - hosts:
          - $SENTRY_HOSTNAME
        secretName: sentry-tls
```

As in some of my other scripts, I like to assume the cluster issuer is named `"letsencrypt-prod"`. To me, that's a reasonable sacrifice for adding fewer inputs ;).

Also, **to get the install to succeed** I needed to increase the `hooks.activeDeadlineSeconds`; otherwise, it would time out and the installation would fail.

```yaml
hooks:
  activeDeadlineSeconds: 3500
```

## Open Issues

Currently, I still experience one of the metrics services failing. I'm not sure about the impact yet, but tracking seems to work just fine:

```bash
microk8s kubectl logs sentry-snuba-metrics-consumer -n sentry
snuba.clickhouse.errors.ClickhouseWriterError: Method write is not supported by storage Distributed with more than one shard and no sharding key provided (version 21.8.13.6 (official build))
```

seems like an issue with my storage provisioning possibly; no impact seen so-far.


Self Hosted Error Tracking and Reporting using Sentry Kubernetes and Helm

Self Host Sentry using Helm


Since launching [Msgmate.io](https://msgmate.io) at the end of March, we've seen a lot of activity and received a myriad of feedback regarding its services and development.

However, the development of the direct Msgmate feature has been quite restricted. As a result, the updates that are visible to the public have also been very limited. Therefore, I am writing this article to shed some light on what's in store for Msgmate's future.

Please note that this article is somewhat technical in nature!

### Statistics

<div style="
    display: flex;
    flex-wrap: wrap;
    justify-content: space-around;
">
    <div style="
        background-color: #2C333A;
        padding: 20px;
        border-radius: 10px;
        width: 20%;
        text-align: center;
        min-width: 320px;
    ">
        <h2 style="color: #E88388; font-size: 24px;">
            <strong>Registered Users:</strong>
        </h2>
        <p>300</p>
    </div>
    <div style="
        background-color: #2C333A;
        padding: 20px;
        border-radius: 10px;
        width: 20%;
        text-align: center;
        min-width: 320px;
    ">
        <h2 style="color: #E88388; font-size: 24px;">
            <strong>Messages Exchanged:</strong>
        </h2>
        <p>6,331</p>
    </div>
    <div style="
        background-color: #2C333A;
        padding: 20px;
        border-radius: 10px;
        width: 20%;
        text-align: center;
        min-width: 320px;
    ">
        <h2 style="color: #E88388; font-size: 24px;">
            <strong>Tokens Used:</strong>
        </h2>
        <p>579,807+</p>
    </div>
    <div style="
        background-color: #2C333A;
        padding: 20px;
        border-radius: 10px;
        width: 20%;
        text-align: center;
        min-width: 320px;
        margin-bottom: 0 !important;
    ">
        <h2 style="color: #E88388; font-size: 24px;">
            <strong>Images Generated:</strong>
        </h2>
        <p>192</p>
    </div>
</div>

Since the alpha launch in March, we've had 300 users register. A total of 6,331 messages have been exchanged, using over 579,807+ tokens for prompts and completions. Furthermore, a total of 192 images have been generated.

> I've received feedback indicating interest in such a service.
> However, there were also critical comments concerning the current reliability and limited range of features available.

Rest assured, I am taking all feedback seriously and am actively working to bring you a better and enhanced user experience.

<strong style="color: red;">For now we limited msgmate.io alpha registrations untill we scaled our bot service to handle more chats in paralel</strong>


### Development in the Software Stack

My interest in large language models and their immediate applications in everyday life led me to initiate Msgmate as an experiment. Having considerable experience in development operations and infrastructure, I've managed to evolve my stack through several iterations based on the backend + infrastructure definitions I've developed over the years.

**Here's a look at the evolution of the stack:**

|Iteration|Link|Description|
|--|--|--|
|1|[Django Clean Slate](https://github.com/tbscode/django-clean-slate)|First stack iteration which involved Django + Webpack + React.|
|2|[Django NextJS Setup](https://github.com/tbscode/django_nextjssetup)|First experimental combination of Django + NextJS + React.|
|3|[Tiny Django](https://github.com/tbscode/tiny-django)|Evolution into the first version of 'Tim's Stack' initially dubbed 'tiny-django'.|
|4|[AnySearch Stack](https://github.com/tbscode/anysearch-stack)|First Live application using the stack for a submission to the tum.ai hackathon. The stack proved to be instantly viable for rapid development and easy deployment to microk8s Kubernetes clusters.|
|5|[Tim's Stack Anystack](https://github.com/tbscode/tims-stack-anystack)|Clean re-write of the stack, adding automation documentation, and more. During the Bunnyshell Jamstack Hackathon, I had the unique opportunity to|
|6|[Tim's Stack V2](https://github.com/tbscode/tims-stack-v2)|Dawn of a new age ;) Finalization work on the stack has started with the objective of making it out-of-the-box ready, usable state.|

All these updated work towards shaping the backend that msgmate.io uses and making it more robust and scalable! The bigger beta update planned for msgmate will be using the update Tims Stack V2 and there are plans for launching an android and ios app along side the new backend and interface.

### The Stack Won 2. Place!

As mentioned in the Above list [I've participated in a Hackathon using my Stack](https://blog.t1m.me/blog/tims-stack). 

> 🥳 Checkout [the hackathon page](https://devpost.com/software/tim-s-stack-anystack).

My efforts in the Bunnyshell hackathon didn't go to waste, as we managed to secure second place and win `$4000`, which I'll be reinvesting in the development of Msgmate.io!

### Msgmate.io Vision

I envision msgmate.io as the premier platform for innovators and casual users a like - who wish to engage with large language models - automated agents - and seamlessly incorporate them into their applications and everyday life. 
Msgmate should provide user-friendly developer APIs, websockets, and client applications. Fundamentally, interaction with language models and agents should be as straightforward as possible. Yet beneath the surface, the platform should offer abundant interfaces and configuration options.

### Development in the Team

Given my commitments to other projects, the time I can invest in Msgmate development is limited.
So, to advance this service further, I need more development power!

Using the prize money from the hackathon, I've already hired a NextJS + React developer to help me revamp the Msgmate interface. 

**However, I still need more developers motivated to work on LLm tooling and software.**

> I am looking for motivated (self) taught developers or students who have experience working on their own projects.
> You need to be a fast learner. Having knowledge of Docker, NextJS, React, Django would be advantageous but not a requirement.
> If you are interested in collaborating with us, get in touch at tim.timschupp@gmail.com

### Want to Stay Updated? Have Feedback or Issues to Report?

We've set up a simple form over at [`msgmate.io/newsletter`](https://msgmate.io/newsletter/). By signing up, you'll receive the next update straight to your inbox.

Feel free to add a comment to the signup request for any feedback or bugs. You can fill out the newsletter request as often as you like! Happy messaging with Msgmate.io!

A progress and state update on the development of my msgmate.io plattform

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Msgmate.io Development Update Oct 2023