I recently started experimenting with Tailscale, a tool that has significantly simplified the way I manage my personal network across devices. In this blog post, I’ll share how I discovered Tailscale, its core features, and my personal setup that leverages this powerful tool. Discovering Tailscale Through WebVM My journey with Tailscale began when I came across WebVM, an impressive project that allows you to run a virtual machine directly in your browser. Intrigued by the possibilities, I delved deeper and discovered that Tailscale could help me create a seamless, private network across all my devices. ...

Vietnam is a vibrant country with a rich culture, friendly people, and stunning landscapes. Recently, I spent some time exploring Vietnam, and I wanted to share some of my experiences and tips to help fellow travelers make the most of their visit. Internet Access and Blocked Websites Slow Access to Twitter: If you’re an avid Twitter user, be prepared for slower connection speeds. The platform doesn’t perform as well in Vietnam. Inaccessible Websites: Certain websites are blocked in Vietnam, including: Medium Some porn websites Tip: If you rely on any of these platforms, consider downloading content beforehand or using a VPN to access them during your stay. Visa Process for Chinese Citizens E-Visa Conversion: Travelers from China holding an E-Visa need to convert it into a paper visa upon arrival. Bring Two Photos: Ensure you have two passport-sized photos ready for the visa conversion process. Carry Cash for Tips: It’s customary to offer tips during the visa processing, so have some cash (preferably small denominations) on hand. Exploring Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) City Vibes: Saigon reminded me of a blend between Shanghai and Qingdao. Cleanliness: While the city is bustling with energy, it’s not as clean as Shanghai or Qingdao. Abundance of Coffee Shops: Vietnam is famous for its coffee culture. You’ll find numerous coffee shops on almost every street corner. Must-Try: Don’t miss out on traditional Vietnamese iced coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá). Affordability Cheaper Than Bangkok: Compared to cities like Bangkok, Saigon is significantly more affordable. Hotels: Accommodation can be about half the price of equivalent hotels in Bangkok. General Expenses: Food, transportation, and entertainment are also reasonably priced. Currency and Payments Accepted Currencies: Vietnamese Dong (VND) is the official currency. US Dollars (USD) are widely accepted and sometimes preferred. Chinese RMB can be used in some places, but USD is more commonly accepted. Tip: Carrying USD can be convenient, but always have some local currency for small purchases. Local Customs and Observations Clothing Choices: You’ll notice many locals wearing long-sleeved clothing and pants, even in hot weather. Reason: This is to prevent sunburn and protect their skin from the sun. Hardworking People: The Vietnamese are known for their strong work ethic. Streets are lively with activity from early morning until late at night. Affordable Goods: Many items, from street food to souvenirs, are priced affordably. Non-Spicy Cuisine: Similar to Cantonese Food: The flavors are mild and focus on the freshness of ingredients. Must-Try Dishes: Pho (noodle soup), Banh Mi (baguette sandwich), and fresh spring rolls. Final Thoughts Vietnam offers a captivating blend of cultural experiences, historical sites, and modern attractions. Whether you’re sipping coffee in a cozy café, exploring bustling markets, or simply taking in the sights and sounds of the city, there’s something for every traveler. ...

Note: All prices mentioned are in RMB. Introduction Over the years, I’ve gathered a lot of experience in fishing, especially in selecting the right gear. Choosing the appropriate rod, reel, line, and lure can significantly impact your fishing success. In this blog, I want to share my insights to help you make informed decisions when selecting fishing equipment. Rod Selection Understanding Rod Actions L (Light) Action Rods: Best for casting lures weighing 4-5g. Ideal for using lures within half of the rod’s lure weight range (e.g., for a rod rated 2-7g, the optimal lure weight is around 4-5g). UL (Ultra-Light) Action Rods: Suitable for casting lures weighing 3g or less. One-Piece vs. Multi-Piece Rods One-Piece Rods: Offer better sensitivity and casting performance. However, they are less portable and harder to transport. Not as easy to sell if you decide to upgrade. Multi-Piece Rods: More convenient for travel. Slight trade-off in sensitivity compared to one-piece rods. Recommended Action The best action for spinning cast rods is Light (L) action. Reel Selection Spinning Reels vs. Baitcasting Reels Spinning Reels: Easier for casting, especially for beginners. Better suited for saltwater fishing than baitcasting reels. Can use heavier action rods to cast small lures effectively. Baitcasting Reels: Look cool and offer precision, but have a steeper learning curve. Not as user-friendly for casting light lures. Reel Size and Line Compatibility For a 2500S reel: 0.8 PE line is sufficient. Using 0.6 PE line on a 2500S reel may require too much line to fill the spool. For a 2000S reel: 0.6 PE line is appropriate. It’s not common to use PE lines smaller than 0.6, as they are less widely available. Light Weight Reels Always choose lightweight reels for better balance and less fatigue during fishing. Line Selection PE Line vs. Fluorocarbon Casting Difficulty: 1.5 PE and fluorocarbon lines offer similar casting challenges. PE Line Advantages: Thinner diameter for the same strength compared to fluorocarbon. Essential for longer casting distances. Avoiding Line Connections: Use a Carolina rig to eliminate the need to connect PE line and fluorocarbon leader. Recommended Lines YGK PE Line: Highly recommended for its quality. Performs much better than Sufix lines. Consider using 0.6 or 0.8 PE from YGK. Fluorocarbon Line: 1.5 Fluorocarbon can be used as a leader if necessary. Rigs and Lures Carolina Rig: Allows you to use PE line without needing to connect it to a fluorocarbon leader. Effective for various fishing conditions. Recommendations Final Gear Choices Rod: L Action Spinning Rod with multiple pieces for portability. Reel: 2000S or 2500S spinning reel, prioritize lightweight models. Line: 0.6 or 0.8 YGK PE line (lean towards 0.6 for more capacity). Optional 1.5 Fluorocarbon leader. Rig: Use a Carolina rig setup. Brands and Models Chinese Domestic Market (CDM) Rods Few high-quality CDM spinning rods are available. The best CDM spinning rod is the 翠鸟 (Kingfisher) from 钓之屋 (Fishing House). The 游侠 (the larger version of 翠鸟) is not as good. Example: A 2500S reel on a 游侠 lacks proper rod skewness, affecting casting performance. Shimano Rods and Reels Shimano spinning rods and reels are superior in performance. The reels have features that prevent accidental rolling after opening the bail, allowing you to stop the line with your finger for better control. Reels I’ve Used Shimano Vanquish 2500S (2023 model): Extremely lightweight and smooth. Feels almost too slim, raising concerns about durability. The infinite loop system is excellent. Shimano Stradic 2500S (2023 model): Heavier compared to Vanquish. Handle design is not as comfortable. Appearance gives a sense of reliability. Shimano Vanford C2000SHG (2020 model): Great performance but similar concerns about durability due to plastic components. Feels less robust than the Stradic but is lighter. Price Comparison (in RMB) 钓之屋 翠鸟 (Kingfisher): 360 Shimano Stradic: 900 Shimano Vanford: 1,100 Shimano Vanquish: 2,600 Shimano Stella: 3,800 Conclusion Choosing the right fishing gear is crucial for an enjoyable and successful fishing experience. By considering the rod action, reel type and size, line selection, and the right rigs, you can optimize your setup for the best performance. While high-end brands like Shimano offer top-quality equipment, there are also cost-effective options available. Remember to prioritize what suits your fishing style and comfort. ...

Today, I planned to use Warp to select an IP exit for my VPS, following the Cloudflare official documentation. When executing the warp-cli connect step, the server immediately lost connection, and the problem persisted even after rebooting. After researching, I found that this problem is not unique. For instance, in a discussion on V2EX, many users encountered similar issues. The solution is to run warp-cli set-mode proxy before executing warp-cli connect to bypass the local address. Surprisingly, Cloudflare’s official documentation does not mention this crucial step, undoubtedly increasing the complexity and risk of configuration. ...

Background Many customers have TLS enabled, which is different from the lab environment. Curl Curl requires a specified CA certificate, otherwise it will report an error. curl --cacert ca.crt https://127.0.0.1:10080/status Wget Many containers do not have curl, so wget is used instead. Wget is better as it does not require a CA certificate. wget --no-check-certificate http://127.0.0.1:10080/status

Background After moving house, there are many more devices at home that need internet access. However, I don’t want to configure a proxy on each device, so I thought of using a transparent gateway. Transparent Gateway After some research, I found that the easiest way is to use the premium version of Clash, although I didn’t know when Clash released a premium version. I mainly referred to this article. It’s much simpler than setting up iptables. ...

Background Recently, both of my kids have become interested in Minecraft, and some of their peers are also playing it. We previously bought the Switch version, but its online capabilities are quite poor, and the device performance is subpar, resulting in a less-than-ideal experience. Thus, I began considering the idea of setting up our own server. Of course, you can play in multiplayer with friends, but the game ends as soon as the host goes offline, which is not as good as having a server that is always online. ...

Background One day, I impulsively turned on GitHub’s Vigilant mode. As a result, all my commits started looking like this. To figure out how to make them Verified, I found the following method. Method I actually referred to this link. However, it wasn’t quite enough, as there might be authentication-related issues on MacBooks that lead to commit errors. So, I found this solution. In summary, to verify, you need to enter a password. The issue on a Mac is the prompt for entering the password, which needs to be replaced with pinentry-mac, which most people install via homebrew. ...

Background During the Chinese New Year holiday, I spent some time at home playing on the Switch with my child, and I ended up purchasing Minecraft (Bedrock Edition). In order to play together, I also bought the Windows version. Additionally, I wanted to test if the GitHub Actions for this blog are still working properly. Preparation You need two Microsoft accounts, so I dug out my wife’s long-unused Hotmail account. ...

Background Recently, I encountered a problem where a user wanted to synchronize data from PostgreSQL to TiDB (which uses the same protocol as MySQL) and wanted to know whether the data after synchronization is consistent. I hadn’t dealt with this kind of issue before, so I did a bit of research. Typically, to verify data consistency, you compute a checksum on both sides and compare them. TiDB (MySQL) Side For the verification of a specific table, the following SQL is used: ...