Michael W. Lucas's Blog, page 28
November 4, 2022
Eight years ago today, my first novel
Eight years? Who celebrates eight years? I missed every previous anniversary, and I will probably miss most of the others, so suck it up.
Anyway, eight years ago today my first novel came out. Immortal Clay is a critical success and a financial sinkhole. Seems that some parts of it were a bit much for people. Mind you, this book did establish my unbroken practice of never writing a normal sex scene, so there’s that. I took “Carpenter’s The Thing, but after we lose” to its logical extreme, so it ...
November 3, 2022
“Prohibition Orcs” Kickstarter signed paperbacks shipped
Today I converted this:
into this:
If you backed the Kickstarter for a signed paperback, these are them. I booked a pickup for tomorrow, but if the postman’s feeling mighty he might take them today.
Note that the piles are not the same size. I ordered 13 of each. They sent me a box with 13 “Prohibition Orcs” and 11 “Frozen Talons,” plus another box with two more “Prohibition Orcs.” It’s like they realized they’d printed the wrong number and ran off two to make it up–but two of the wrong book. ...
November 2, 2022
Two pieces by me in this month’s FreeBSD Journal
Yes, I’m trying to use the blog more, rather than dumping everything to multiple social media outlets. Yes, this is in part in response to Comic Book Supervillain purchasing Twitter and kneecapping the moderation team. If you want me on social media, I’m on the fediverse as @mwlucas@bsd.network.
Anyway.
The latest issue of the FreeBSD Journal has two articles by me: one on PAM tips & tricks, and the other my regular “We Get Letters” “advice” column. With any luck, the Journal’s editorial board w...
November 1, 2022
upgrading PHP 7.4 to PHP 8 on FreeBSD
What, a technical post? It happens. Rarely. Usually, I’m focused on the tech that goes into a book, but sometimes the real world intervenes.
Like PHP. PHP is very much the real world. My site has been running PHP 7.4 for a while, which goes end of life on 28 November. I put this off as long as possible, but it’s time to update.
I run my e-bookstore on Woocommerce, which is built on WordPress, which is built on PHP. What started as a silly experiment has become the center of my business. I need t...
October 31, 2022
Talk on Rat Operated Vehicles
On Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 7PM Detroit time, I’ll be giving a talk for mug.org about Rat Operated Vehicles. If the guys are cooperative, there might be a demo.
(Narrator: It’s a live talk. They will not be cooperative.)
Compared to my last few MUG talks, on topics like TLS and SNMP and other unholiness, this will be light and fluffy.
If you missed my Rat Operated Vehicle, I have a YouTube playlist. I should probably upload some more videos before the talk, though.
October 28, 2022
“OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems” Print/Ebook Bundle Preorder
Until 1 December, I’ll be taking preorders for print copies of OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems. You can even buy two books if you want, because I can cram a second book into a Priority Mail envelope. Just let me know the title of the second one in an order comment.
Every purchase includes ebook versions of OMF (and any other titles you get).
I’ll be ordering your books with the sponsor copies, signing them, and shipping at the same time.
If this works out well, I’ll do it...
October 25, 2022
Sponsorships, Releases, New Books, and Kickstarters
A giant tangle of stuff, and it’s all related. Plus, I want your opinion on two questions.
OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems is at the copyeditor, and due back 15 December. I should have print in stores immediately before Christmas. Barely.
Prohibition Orcs and Frozen Talons are leaking out in ebook right now. If you buy them directly from me, they come with an exclusive bonus–To Serve Orc: Enduring Recipes from the Old Country, Watered Down for America. It’s short, but you won’t find it anywhere exc...
September 19, 2022
“OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems” draft done!
After far too long, I have finished a first draft of OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems. Sponsorships are now closed.
I’m asking tech reviewers to get any comments to me by 15 October 2022. That’s four weeks. It might seem tight, but experience shows that people either get their comments to me immediately, or wait until the last possible weekend. I’m not complaining–I do exactly the same thing. Please return any comments either a) in plain text, with enough context that I can find them when page numbe...
August 29, 2022
“OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems” Status Report
I just finished the ‘non-native filesystems’ part of “OpenBSD Mastery: Filesystems.” I wouldn’t say I’ve finished the hard part, but I have finished the “intertwined to an unholy degree” part.
Why have I spent months on five chapters? Because everything in the core storage system of any Unix is intertwined to a nearly unholy degree. To understand filesystems you must understand partitioning, but to understand why Unix uses partitions as it does you need to understand filesystems. I have to met...
August 25, 2022
Rat Operated Vehicle
That’s it. That’s the post.
And may Dog forgive me for what I have unleashed.
