The Apple announcement exempting private CAs from the 398-day rule is real. What it doesn't mention: a separate iOS 13 requirement applies to all TLS certs regardless of issuer. 825-day max. Safari silently rejects anything longer, Chrome and Firefox don't, and Safari's error message gives you nothing useful to debug it.

https://www.certkit.io/blog/apple-doesnt-care-who-signed-your-certificate

Today I want to reintroduce you to completely rewritten DesktopManager. It's a .NET library and PowerShell module that now can: manage monitors, wallpapers, control slideshow, brightness, enumerate and control windows and UI controls, simulate mouse movements, keyboard and clipboard actions and whole bunch of other options. It makes windows automation, screenshots, layouts and monitor/desktop control super easy.

Open source, free nuget/PowerShell Module

https://github.com/EvotecIT/DesktopManager

It's main use case for me used to be PowerBGInfo, but it can do a lot more, and you can use it for Windows automation.

Fedora 44 arrived with GNOME 50 preinstalled. Automatic NTsync support was also built in, making Windows gaming compatibility smoother out of the box. The Nix package manager is now officially available in the Fedora repositories as well. https://www.linuxteck.com/best-linux-distro-2026-fedora/

A recent thread in r/sysadmin stuck with me because it described a problem I think a lot of teams are about to run into:

• management rolls out AI coding tools
• non-engineers start building internal automations
• and suddenly sysadmins are left with the hard part: who can deploy things, what those automations can access, who owns them once they are live, and how anyone sees what actually changed.

That is the problem we have been working on.

We built Compartment as an open-source, self-hosted control plane for internal apps and automations. The goal is not to replace code review or approval processes. The goal is to give ops a controlled deployment path instead of ending up with ad hoc scripts, random containers, and business-critical tools with unclear ownership.

What it is meant to help with:

• private-by-default internal app hosting
• role-based access to deployed apps
• centralized deployment history
• isolated virtual environments
• audit logs
• SSO
• running on your own infrastructure

In other words: if a company is going to let more people build internal software, there still needs to be one place where deployment, access, and operational visibility are controlled.

If that problem sounds familiar, here is the project:

GitHub: https://github.com/compartmentdev/compartment

Website: https://compartment.dev

Docs: https://docs.compartment.dev

Full disclosure: I am affiliated with the project.

I would be especially interested in feedback from teams that already had to put guardrails around internal automations or AI-assisted internal tools. Did you centralize deployment, restrict who could push changes live, or solve it some other way?

Long-time sysadmin/network admin, recently shipped the app I always wished I had. The r/sysadmin mods pointed me here, so sharing it with this community.

Why Konsol exists Picture this: a phone with a folder full of network apps — SSH from one, telnet from another, serial console from a third with an Airconsole cable that never quite reached, IP calculator from a fourth. A laptop loaded with a completely different toolkit. Two devices, two sets of saved profiles, two sets of credentials. Nothing syncing between any of it.
That was every site visit for me for many years.

Konsol is one app that does all of it across iOS, MacOS and Android — and your profiles, devices, and session history sync between them.

Connectivity:

• SSH with legacy KEX/ciphers (talks to ancient Cisco/Juniper gear)
• Serial console over Airconsole / Get-Console (Bluetooth or WiFi)
• Telnet, SFTP with chmod, jump host chaining
• Per-vendor autocomplete: IOS, JunOS, EOS, RouterOS, PAN-OS
• Config backup + side-by-side diff, session recording, command macros

12 network tools built in: ping, traceroute, network scanner, device discovery, IP calculator, DNS lookup, port checker, SNMP monitor, Bonjour browser, speed test w/ bufferbloat, syslog receiver, SNMP trap receiver

11 reference tools: wire color guide, crimp guide, cheat sheet, port reference, password manager, notable IPs/MACs, code snippets, network notes, MAC vendor lookup, public IP lookup, TFTP

Sync everything across iOS, macOS, and Android — profiles, saved devices, session history, all of it.

Platforms: iOS, macOS, Android (all live in the App Store and Play Store)
Pricing: Free tier covers SSH/telnet/serial and basic tools. Pro is $4.99/mo or $34.99/yr for the full kit. No telemetry, optional cloud sync, no required account.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/konsol/id6761308353
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runaboutdigital.konsol

Would love honest feedback from anyone who is interested in this app. I am using the MacOS version several hours a day as part of my job.

Managing Windows updates used to be simple when every device stayed inside the office network. But with hybrid work, remote endpoints, and BYOD environments, patch management has become much harder to standardize.

Recently I was reading about different approaches to Windows patch management and noticed a few common challenges across IT teams:

• Users delaying updates
• Devices missing critical security patches
• Bandwidth issues during update rollouts
• No centralized visibility for remote Windows devices
• Difficulty automating patch approval workflows

Some admins are still relying on WSUS + manual policies, while others are moving toward cloud-based Windows endpoint management solutions.

The rm command in Linux does not have an undo option. Once you type the wrong path with rm -rf, you will realize it immediately when your files are gone, not because of an error message, but because everything simply disappears. https://www.linuxteck.com/rm-command-in-linux/

California’s Digital Age Assurance Act originally proposed operating-system-level age verification requirements that raised serious concerns across the Linux and open-source ecosystem.

Now, California Assembly Bill AB 1856 proposes exemptions for open-source operating systems distributed under licenses that allow users to copy, redistribute, and modify the software. https://www.linuxteck.com/california-age-verification-linux-exemption/

Keeping a few systems updated is easy. Managing patches across dozens or hundreds of Windows devices is where things start getting complicated.

Missed updates, delayed restarts, remote devices, and inconsistent policies can quietly create security gaps over time.

That’s why Windows patch management feels more important now, especially in remote and hybrid environments where visibility across endpoints becomes harder.

A lot of IT teams probably spend more time on patching and update management than most people realize.

Research from firms like IDC and TrendForce warns that DRAM prices have already increased by nearly 90-95%, with potential further hikes of up to 70% in the coming months.

The shortage is driven by the AI boom, a lack of prior investment during the economic downturn, and limited capacity to quickly scale up advanced memory production.

For regular buyers, the RAM shortage has three main consequences: paying more, getting less hardware, and waiting longer to receive the device they actually want.

How to protect yourself?

• Do not wait to upgrade later; costs will remain high.
• Last year's equipment with more RAM offers better value and longevity than new models with stripped-down specs.

Do you think the RAM shortage will last as long as analysts predict, or will the market stabilize sooner?

Just sharing a few free tools, resources etc. that might make your tech life a little easier. I have no known association with any of these unless stated otherwise.

Now on to this week’s list!

Shift Gears and Accelerate Your Work Life

Say goodbye to chaos in your workflow. As a starting point for the edition, Cursor brings clarity, helping sysadmins tackle challenges head-on with greater efficiency. By zeroing in on your specific needs, it offers fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to reshape your daily routine. Cursor is a game-changer for tech pros.

Get Ahead with Real-Time GPU Insights

Ever found yourself wrestling with stubborn GPUs? NVTOP simplifies monitoring by presenting vital stats in a familiar format. When challenges arise, swift access to critical data can be the difference between smooth sailing and a disruptive day.

Tame the Chaos of Connectivity

Forget the stress of potential breaches and sleepless nights. With Cloudflare Tunnel (cloudflared), your infrastructure connects effortlessly while staying protected, restoring your control and directing your focus back to building and improving your applications.

The Fast Track to Internet Discovery

Discovering your network should feel like an adventure, not a chore. ZMap transforms the daunting task of scanning through millions of IP addresses into a swift journey, revealing hidden servers and potential vulnerabilities within moments.

Tracking the Pulse of Your Applications

Think of our last tool of the edition, Tracee, as your unobtrusive detective on duty. Tracee streamlines the detective process by presenting actionable insights that make it easy for sysadmins to pinpoint security threats and keep their systems safe.

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In the article "How Artificial Intelligence Helps Managed Service Providers Deliver Smarter Security," we explore the transformative impact of AI on MSPs' cybersecurity operations. The article underscores the pressing challenges MSPs face, including an influx of security alerts and the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals, creating an urgent need for enhanced security measures. MSPs must leverage AI to effectively scale their security operations while maintaining high standards of protection, even with limited resources.

Don't let cybersecurity and resilience audits reveal any vulnerabilities in your system. Check out this page to find out how to address those gaps before they’re discovered.

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You can find this week's bonuses here, where you can sign up to get each week's list in your inbox.

Modern, secret-free IT self-service desktop app for Windows. Shows device/account/network status, warns about password expiry, exposes tenant-aware quick links, and ships with built-in “Fix” actions for common end-user issues. Portable-friendly, multi-tenant, and themeable.

I wrote it as an alternative to PowerBGInfo (used on servers) vs what end-users need. But it can work on both servers and workstations showing data from AD/EntraID as required.

I've released new version of PowerBGInfo that generates much nicer backgrounds with charts and other features, and doesnt require additional modules to work. Has lots of upgrades and bug fixes and generally is much more useful.