Btrfs RAID 5/6: Still Don't
The kernel docs still warn about it. The Btrfs wiki still warns about it. People still build it and lose data. Here's the write hole, why RAID 1/10 are fine, and what to use instead.
Tag: linux
All the articles with the tag "linux".
SnapRAID: Parity Without Real-Time RAID
Your media library doesn't write often enough to justify mdadm or ZFS overhead. SnapRAID calculates parity on a schedule, mixes drive sizes, and pairs with MergerFS for a unified pool. Here's the setup.
mdadm Day-2: Grow, Replace, Scrub
Creating a RAID array is the easy part. The drama starts six months later when one drive starts dying. Here's the survival guide for everything that happens after mdadm --create.
Hardware RAID vs Software RAID in 2026
Hardware RAID controllers used to be necessary. Now they're often a liability. Here's when to flash that LSI card to IT mode, when to keep it, and why ZFS specifically refuses to share.
RAID-Z and dRAID: ZFS Parity Explained
RAID-Z isn't just RAID 5 with a new name. Variable stripe widths, no write hole, and dRAID's distributed spares change the rebuild math entirely.
RAID 50/60: Nested Parity Done Right
RAID 5 and 6 don't scale gracefully past 8 drives. RAID 50 and RAID 60 stripe across multiple parity sub-arrays so rebuilds only stress one group. Here's when nesting actually pays off.
Borgmatic: Borg Backup, Done Right
BorgBackup is great. Borgmatic makes you actually run it: config-driven schedules, hooks, healthchecks, and a backup system that pages you when it breaks.
Bazzite vs Nobara vs CachyOS Gaming
Three Linux gaming distros, three approaches. Immutable Bazzite, tweaked Nobara, performance-tuned CachyOS. Here's which one to pick for gaming Linux.
Flatpak vs Snap vs AppImage in 2026
Flatpak owns desktop. Snap dominates Ubuntu. AppImage is portable. Here's how to pick the right Linux app distribution format for your use case.
Wayland vs X11 in 2026: It's Time
X11 is officially legacy. NVIDIA works, screen share works, color management is here. Here's the actual state of Wayland in 2026 and when X11 is still needed.
COSMIC vs KDE vs GNOME in 2026
Three Linux desktops, three philosophies. COSMIC is opinionated Rust. KDE is maximally customizable. GNOME is workflow-first. Here's how to pick.
BIOS/UEFI Tweaks for Headless Servers
Before you rack that server and walk away forever, these BIOS and UEFI settings will save you from a 3 AM drive to the datacenter or your dusty basement.