https://zixianchen.com/blog Blog posts by Zixian Chen. en https://zixianchen.com/blog/apologize-only-if-you-actually-did-something-wrong https://zixianchen.com/blog/apologize-only-if-you-actually-did-something-wrong Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Why we apologize for taking leave or asking someone to do their job, and how the habit reinforces deference at work. Work https://zixianchen.com/blog/blocking-scanner-noise-with-cloudflare-waf https://zixianchen.com/blog/blocking-scanner-noise-with-cloudflare-waf Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT I don't run PHP or WordPress, so I used Cloudflare WAF to stop those probes from reaching my server and cluttering its logs. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/staff-work-is-everyones-problem https://zixianchen.com/blog/staff-work-is-everyones-problem Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Officers need to learn from comments. Managers need to know how to guide, teach and learn too, because decisions depend on the work. Work https://zixianchen.com/blog/gpt-4-6-sol-fix-coolify-deployments-oracle-cloud https://zixianchen.com/blog/gpt-4-6-sol-fix-coolify-deployments-oracle-cloud Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A reboot restored a tangled iptables snapshot that blocked Docker container traffic. Here is how GPT 4.6 Sol helped me diagnose and clean it up. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/staff-work-small-stuff-is-still-part-of-staff-work https://zixianchen.com/blog/staff-work-small-stuff-is-still-part-of-staff-work Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A practical guide to preparing papers, emails, slides and records, and checking the actual package before it goes up. Work https://zixianchen.com/blog/staff-work-make-it-make-sense-before-it-goes-up https://zixianchen.com/blog/staff-work-make-it-make-sense-before-it-goes-up Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A practical reference guide to thinking through staff work, communicating upwards, and making a clear recommendation. Work https://zixianchen.com/blog/wireless-sgx-stuck-scanning-sim-swap-pixel-reset-network-settings https://zixianchen.com/blog/wireless-sgx-stuck-scanning-sim-swap-pixel-reset-network-settings Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT A new SIM left my Pixel stuck scanning for Wireless@SGx and my home Wi-Fi. Resetting Android’s network settings fixed both on the first try. Life https://zixianchen.com/blog/excluding-node-modules-from-backblaze-backups-windows https://zixianchen.com/blog/excluding-node-modules-from-backblaze-backups-windows Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT The Backblaze exclusion rules that finally worked for my node_modules, SvelteKit caches, Go build caches, and other development folders on Windows. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/how-ai-changed-the-way-i-write https://zixianchen.com/blog/how-ai-changed-the-way-i-write Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT On soulless AI prose, the writing habits I've had to abandon, and the weird mental shift of writing defensively against your own tools. Life https://zixianchen.com/blog/wireless-sgx-not-working-linux-mint-connected-no-internet https://zixianchen.com/blog/wireless-sgx-not-working-linux-mint-connected-no-internet Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Wireless@SGx authenticated on Linux Mint but TCP was blocked. Setting NetworkManager to use a stable cloned MAC fixed it after hours of wrong DNS turns. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/feeling-some-ai-coding-fomo https://zixianchen.com/blog/feeling-some-ai-coding-fomo Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Just writing down how I've been feeling about AI coding tools lately. Life https://zixianchen.com/blog/coolify-postgres-18-pgdata-restart https://zixianchen.com/blog/coolify-postgres-18-pgdata-restart Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Postgres 18 Alpine changed the default PGDATA path, silently breaking Coolify storage mounts that worked fine on Postgres 16. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/google-photos-20k-photos-album-limit-workaround https://zixianchen.com/blog/google-photos-20k-photos-album-limit-workaround Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT A workaround for auto-adding Google Photos albums to continue where the last one left off. Life https://zixianchen.com/blog/migrating-sveltekit-static-site-adapter-static-cloudflare-pages-workers https://zixianchen.com/blog/migrating-sveltekit-static-site-adapter-static-cloudflare-pages-workers Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT I moved an adapter-static SvelteKit site from Cloudflare Pages to Workers with a static-assets Wrangler config and three deployment settings. Dev https://zixianchen.com/blog/pocketbase-setup-first-time-superuser-creation https://zixianchen.com/blog/pocketbase-setup-first-time-superuser-creation Sun, 15 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT I created PocketBase’s first superuser on Coolify with the installer URL in the service logs. The current CLI command works too. Dev https://zixianchen.com/blog/coolify-docker-compose-build-failures-alpinelinux-cdn-temporary-error https://zixianchen.com/blog/coolify-docker-compose-build-failures-alpinelinux-cdn-temporary-error Sat, 29 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT My Coolify Docker Compose build on Oracle Cloud could not reach the Alpine Linux CDN. Using the host network fixed it, with a security trade-off. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/troubleshooting-astro-5-upgrade-picture-error https://zixianchen.com/blog/troubleshooting-astro-5-upgrade-picture-error Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT My Astro 5 build failed with “Cannot access $$Picture before initialization.” The fix was replacing the legacy Picture import with astro:assets. Dev https://zixianchen.com/blog/finally-connecting-docker-compose-app-postgres-db-coolify https://zixianchen.com/blog/finally-connecting-docker-compose-app-postgres-db-coolify Sat, 16 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT I connected a Docker Compose app to a separate Coolify Postgres service by enabling the predefined network and using the internal database URL. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/using-resend-com-smtp-saas-provider-pocketbase-emails https://zixianchen.com/blog/using-resend-com-smtp-saas-provider-pocketbase-emails Sun, 13 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT I configured Resend SMTP in PocketBase for verification and account emails, including the DNS, API key, sender, and application URL settings. Dev https://zixianchen.com/blog/adding-backblaze-b2-bucket-to-coolify https://zixianchen.com/blog/adding-backblaze-b2-bucket-to-coolify Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT Config to add a Backblaze B2 bucket to Coolify's S3 storages for backup. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/adding-delay-to-css-loader-when-using-htmx-swaps https://zixianchen.com/blog/adding-delay-to-css-loader-when-using-htmx-swaps Sat, 10 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT I tried three ways to stop HTMX's hx-indicator from flashing: request events, a CSS delay, and the Loading States extension. Dev https://zixianchen.com/blog/oracle-cloud-infrastructure-oci-resize-extend-boot-volume-size https://zixianchen.com/blog/oracle-cloud-infrastructure-oci-resize-extend-boot-volume-size Sun, 07 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT I resized my boot volume on Oracle Cloud using growpart, not oci-growfs. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/using-postgres-coolify-internal-database-url https://zixianchen.com/blog/using-postgres-coolify-internal-database-url Sat, 29 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT I found Coolify’s internal Postgres URL for an app in the same project, then used the public port only when I needed remote database access. Systems https://zixianchen.com/blog/making-pagefind-work-sveltekit https://zixianchen.com/blog/making-pagefind-work-sveltekit Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT A current setup for making Pagefind search work in both local development and production on SvelteKit. Dev