2.5 Admins 275: G-word

2.5 Admins 275: G-word

Author: The Late Night Linux Family November 27, 2025 Duration: 25:51

Google kept collecting sensor data even after bricking Nest thermostats, FreeBSD’s container support gets serious, and where to find cheap (or even dirt cheap) used hardware.

 

Plugs

Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes

How to Set Up a Highly Available ZFS Pool Using Mirroring and iSCSI

December Webinar: The 12 Days of ZFS: Tips, Tricks, and Treats

 

News/discussion

Google is collecting troves of data from downgraded Nest thermostats

FreeBSD Officially Supported in OCI Runtime Specification v1.3

 

Free consulting

We were asked about where to find cheap (or even dirt cheap) used hardware.

 

 

 

 

 

Tailscale

Tailscale is an easy to deploy, zero-config, no-fuss VPN that allows you to build simple networks across complex infrastructure. Go to tailscale.com/25a and try Tailscale out for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users, with no credit card required. Use code LATENIGHTLINUX for three free months of any Tailscale paid plan.

 

 

See our contact page for ways to get in touch.

 


Ever wondered what happens when two seasoned system administrators and a producer who knows just enough to be dangerous get together for a weekly chat? That’s the premise behind 2.5 Admins, a refreshingly honest tech podcast from The Late Night Linux Family. Hosts Allan Jude and Jim Salter bring their deep, real-world expertise to the table, while Joe Ressington-the “0.5” who can configure a Samba share on a good day-keeps the conversation grounded and relatable. Each episode feels like eavesdropping on a lively breakroom discussion, where the latest headlines in technology are dissected not with sterile analysis, but with the practical, sometimes weary perspective of people who keep the digital lights on. You’ll hear them tackle listener-submitted admin questions, offering solutions that are tried and tested rather than purely theoretical. This isn’t about hype or buzzwords; it’s about the tools, headaches, and occasional triumphs that define life in IT. The chemistry between the hosts makes complex topics accessible, and the blend of professional insight with Joe’s every-user viewpoint creates a uniquely balanced listen. If you’re looking for a tech podcast that feels like talking shop with knowledgeable friends, this is it.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

2.5 Admins
Podcast Episodes
2.5 Admins 261: Worms and Baskets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:01
Why you can’t rely on a single cloud provider, Jim discovers AI that spreads itself like a worm, and configuring all-flash arrays. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Fre…
2.5 Admins 260: Watery Email [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:36
AMD’s recent mobile-class processors impress us with their power to performance ratio, the UK government suggests a preposterous way to save water, setting up verified boot with snapshots, and the best way to configure Z…
2.5 Admins 259: New Web? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:15
The Web is a mess of tracking and AI scraping so do we need a new one, would it even be possible, or is this the wrong question? Plus setting up servers in a garage where dusty woodworking is happening. Plug Support us o…
2.5 Admins 258: Artificial Dirtbag [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:02
Jim is concerned that although over-anthropomorphising LLMs is a mistake, we should be cautious about some of their human-like behaviour. Plus how to maintain old ZFS pools, and accessibility in the BSDs. Plug Support us…
2.5 Admins 257: Outage365 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:00
Two recent outages were handled very differently but show the dangers of centralisation, Let’s Encrypt is introducing certificates for IP addresses, and the differences between backup and production systems. Plug Support…
2.5 Admins 256: Why ZFS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:16
To celebrate the 256 milestone we devote the whole episode to explaining why we use ZFS. We explain about data safety, data retention, data portability, and ease of administration. Plugs Support us on patreon and get an…
2.5 Admins 255: Copyright Your Face [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:04
Microsoft offers Windows 10 updates in return for your settings data, Denmark wants to protect against deepfakes using copyright, someone is wrong on the Internet about RAID, and getting a sysadmin job in your late 40s.…
2.5 Admins 254: chrudo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:47
A vulnerability in sudo brings up concerns about feature-creep, and makes us consider alternatives. Plus Broadcom starts auditing VMware customers, and how to decide which outbound ports to open on a large network’s fire…
2.5 Admins 253: ImpossibleFS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:55
Jim is concerned that we might not see another next-gen filesystem that can compete with ZFS, no matter how much we all want one. Plus whether you should switch to third-party firmware on your router. Plugs Support us on…
2.5 Admins 252: Nintendon’t Back Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
Nintendo cuts off Switches that dare to play backed up games, more Microsoft AI exploits, why you shouldn’t regularly spin down hard drives, and securing applications on a home server. Plugs Support us on patreon and get…