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Tech Log Entry — Configuring PowerChute Serial Shutdown Email Alerts (on Schneider Electric APC Back-UPS 1350)

Tech Log Entry — Configuring Email Alerts (app: PowerChute Serial Shutdown; device: Schneider Electric APC Back-UPS 1350) Initial Task Configure Schneider Electric PowerChute Serial Shutdown to send email alerts for important APC Back-UPS events. Use a dedicated Gmail account as the sender and a professional Gmail account as the recipient. Keep the alert account separate from personal, professional, and hobby email accounts. Hardware and Software APC Back-UPS 1350 uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Schneider Electric PowerChute Serial Shutdown application. PowerChute local web interface at localhost:6547/emailsettings. Windows desktop connected to the UPS. Google Gmail account with 2-Step Verification enabled. Required Email Settings SMTP server: smtp.gmail.com Port: 587 Connection security: TLS / STARTTLS Server Identity Check: Enabled Server username: Full dedicated Gmail address Server password: Google-generated 16-character App Password Sender address: Same dedicated Gmail address...
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Tech Log Entry--Local User Account Security Audit (Windows 11)

  Local User Account Security Audit (Windows 11) (Disabling Unused Accounts & the PostgreSQL Service Account) 1. Problem Identified During IT coursework, the PowerShell cmdlet Get-LocalUser was used to audit all local user accounts on a Windows 11 home desktop. The results revealed an unexpected enabled account: postgres , a service account created by a prior PostgreSQL database installation. PostgreSQL had been briefly installed for coursework purposes, then uninstalled — but the uninstaller process left the user account behind in an enabled state. No PostgreSQL service or processes were found to be running at the time of discovery. 2. Investigation & Learning The following PowerShell commands were used to investigate the system's account and service state: Get-LocalUser | Select-Object Name, Enabled, LastLogon, PasswordLastSet Get-Service -Name postgresql* Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like "*postgres*" } Get-Process | Where-Object { $_.Name -li...
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Tech Log Entry--Linux Learning Progress Synopsis

  Linux Learning Progress Synopsis Personal Study: Linux Mint → Linux Tails → Linux Kali  Date: May and June, 2026 Background & Starting Point Actively learning Linux Mint for several months, achieving basic comfort with terminal navigation, filesystem structure, and standard Linux commands (ls, cd, mkdir, rm, cat, grep, man, etc.). The goal is a structured progression: Linux Mint for general familiarity → Linux Tails for privacy/anonymity concepts → Linux Kali for cybersecurity offense/defense studies. Linux Tails — Concepts Covered What Tails Is. Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a Debian-based, privacy-focused Linux distribution that boots entirely from a USB stick, routes all traffic through the Tor anonymity network, and leaves zero trace on the host machine at shutdown. It is now maintained under the Tor Project umbrella. Current version: 7.8. Key Concepts Learned: Amnesia vs. Persistence: The core Tails principle. Everything outside the Persistent fold...
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Tech Log Entry — VPN Deployment: ProtonVPN Across Windows, Linux, and iOS

  Tech Log Entry — VPN Deployment: ProtonVPN Across Windows, Linux, and iOS Background and Context With the three-machine homelab LAN and automated backup infrastructure complete, the next security priority was VPN coverage, particularly for using the portable Linux laptop during travels. This entry documents the evaluation, selection, installation, and configuration of ProtonVPN put on all personal computing devices: one Windows 11 desktop, two Linux Mint laptops, and an iPhone. Prior state: BitDefender Premium VPN was active on the desktop only. Neither Linux laptop had VPN coverage. The iPhone had no VPN. BitDefender does not support Linux for consumer devices, making it unable to serve as a cross-platform solution. Goals Replace BitDefender Premium VPN with a cross-platform solution covering all devices Prioritize Linux Mint compatibility for both laptops Have VPN operational on the travel laptop before an upcoming trip (~2.5 weeks away) Evaluate free tier before committing to ...
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