Categories

Jacar categories — explore the topics A rocket whose eyes follow your cursor.
Technology

Vector: A Log Agent Worth Trying

Vector is the Datadog observability agent, written in Rust with its own transformation language VRL. Typically 30-100 MB memory, handling logs, metrics, and traces from dozens of sources. The right choice when pipelines are too complex for Fluent Bit and a modern alternative to Logstash.

Technology

Docker Scout: Vulnerabilities from Build to Registry

Docker Scout continuously scans container images against CVE databases including NVD and ecosystem-specific advisories, and recommends base-image changes to remove vulnerabilities. Built into Docker Desktop and Hub, it competes with Trivy, Grype and Snyk. Best fit for teams already running end-to-end on the Docker ecosystem.

Technology

Grafana Beyla: Auto-Instrumentation Without Touching Code

Grafana Beyla is an eBPF agent that automatically instruments existing applications without touching their code: it observes kernel syscalls and generates OpenTelemetry traces and RED metrics for services written in Go, Java, Python, Node, and Rust. It gives broad, immediate coverage, but it does not replace the manual SDK for business metrics and internal logic.

Methodologies

Ansible and Pulumi: Two Automation Philosophies Coexisting

Ansible and Pulumi solve different problems and are not competitors: Ansible manages configuration inside a server (packages, users, services); Pulumi defines, with real code in TypeScript, Python, Go or .NET, which cloud infrastructure exists (VPCs, instances, databases). Combining them, with Pulumi's dynamic inventory feeding Ansible, is the most productive pattern for automating a stack that includes servers in the cloud.

Tools

Fluent Bit: Lightweight Log Collection in Production

Fluent Bit is the CNCF's lightweight log collector: a ~1.5 MB C binary that rarely tops 30 MB of memory in production. It beats Promtail, Vector, and Filebeat when several destinations or resource-constrained nodes are in play, thanks to a pipeline of inputs, parsers, filters, and outputs that stays easy to reason about and debug.

Tools

Semaphore: Ansible UI When the Team Grows

Semaphore is the open-source Ansible web UI that solves the four scaling problems: audit trails, role-based permissions, execution history, and centralised secrets. It consumes ~500 MB versus AWX at ~4 GB. The pragmatic choice for mid-size teams that have outgrown running playbooks from a shared terminal.

How to Install

How to Install Traefik on Docker Swarm with Certificates

Traefik is the default reverse proxy for Docker Swarm: automatic service discovery via labels, Let's Encrypt certificates with DNS challenge, and reusable middleware chains. This guide covers the overlay network, static and dynamic configuration, certificate storage for multi-manager setups, and the production decisions that actually matter.

Software Development

Zed: A Modern Editor Built for Collaboration

Zed is the editor built by Atom's creators, rebuilt in Rust with a native GPU-rendering UI framework and no Electron. It delivers ~8 ms latency, real-time collaboration with integrated voice and shared cursors, and an open license (GPL v3 + Apache 2.0). A serious VS Code alternative for pairs and small teams.

Software Development

Cursor: The Editor Built Around AI

Cursor is a VS Code fork that puts artificial intelligence at the core of the editor instead of bolting it on as a plugin. It offers inline completion, a chat that understands full project context, and Composer, multi-file editing from a short brief. The Pro plan costs $20 a month and it competes directly with GitHub Copilot.