0x7ff3a2b8c000
mov rdi, rsp
call _start
jmp 0xdeadbeef
xor eax, eax
push rbp
syscall
ret
nop
int 0x80
root@pattie ~

notes from the terminal

A sysadmin and cybersecurity learning log. Documenting labs, CTFs, HackerBox builds, and the occasional late-night rabbit hole.
about this site
notes + writeups from a sysadmin learning offensive security
expect: lab builds, ctf writeups, hardening guides, and the occasional rabbit hole. no fluff.
session.sh
$ whoami
craven
sysadmin learning
offensive security
$
$ cat ~/.philosophy
break things on purpose
break them better
next time
$
$ ls -la /lab
rhel9-homelab/
pentest-rig/
firewall-bench/
$
$ history | tail -3
nmap -sV target
journalctl -f
vim sshd_config
$
$ tail /var/log/learning
[OK] zero trust documented
[WARN] root login disabled
[OK] still curious
$
0xDEADBEEFsudo systemctl restart sshd192.168.1.50:22chmod 27700x7FF3A2B8C000nmap -sV -sC target10.10.14.12:4444uid=0(root)0xCAFEBABEdocker compose up -d172.16.0.1:8080-rwxrws---0xDEADBEEFsudo systemctl restart sshd192.168.1.50:22chmod 27700x7FF3A2B8C000nmap -sV -sC target10.10.14.12:4444uid=0(root)
// browse by category
sysadmin 35 posts cybersecurity 5 posts
tryhackme coming soon
hackerbox coming soon
devops 4 posts thoughts 1 post
// latest transmissions
sysadmin · Jul 24, 2026 · 13 min read
Stratis pools, filesystems, and snapshots

The last ticket in the queue. A proof of concept for Stratis as a modern alternative to LVM plus XFS: build a pool, a filesystem, take a snapshot, and see how it differs from the LVM workflow.

read more →
sysadmin · Jul 22, 2026 · 15 min read
Containers that survive reboot: systemd units and pods

Yesterday's containers vanished after a reboot. Wrap them as systemd user units so they auto-start even when nobody is logged in, and build a three-container pod for the API stack.

read more →
sysadmin · Jul 20, 2026 · 15 min read
Rootless containers with podman: volumes, ports, and SELinux

The dev team's stack is moving to containers. Stand up rootless nginx and redis under an unprivileged user, with a bind-mount, a persistent volume, and SELinux staying enforcing.

read more →
/dev/random
"The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear."
— Kali Linux MOTD
"Talk is cheap. Show me the code."
— Linus Torvalds
"Amateurs hack systems, professionals hack people."
— Bruce Schneier
"There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works."
— Alan J. Perlis
"Security is always excessive until it's not enough."
— Robbie Sinclair
"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not."
— Yogi Berra
"Programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute."
— Harold Abelson
"The most likely way for the world to be destroyed is by accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents."
— Nathaniel Borenstein
// follow the work
no spam, no algorithm. just labs and writeups.
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