Drupal 9.3 quietly introduced support for defining bundle classes in custom entities—a long-awaited feature for developers seeking cleaner architecture. But with sparse documentation and incomplete tooling, implementing it can be frustrating. Hard-earned insights and a working example help navigate this underdeveloped corner of Drupal.

Struggling to remember what the various prefixes mean in Drupal’s t() function? Whether it’s @, %, or :, each plays a specific role in how text is sanitized and rendered. This breakdown clarifies what each one does, when to use them, and why certain older prefixes like ! are no longer supported in modern versions of Drupal.

Setting up OneBusAway on a Debian 8 server? This guide provides step-by-step instructions for building and configuring a permanent installation using Tomcat, Maven, and MySQL. From compiling the codebase to setting up feeds and services, every part of the process is covered to get the system running reliably.

Encountering browser errors like “Content Encoding Error” or “Cannot Decode Raw Data” in a Drupal 7 site? These issues often stem from corrupted compressed output, frequently caused by premature output—such as stray whitespace or closing PHP tags—in critical files like settings.php. Ensuring a clean output buffer before Drupal sends compressed content is key to resolving these problems.​

Cloning an ext4 Linux partition doesn’t have to be complicated. With dd and a few smart tweaks—like piping through pv for progress feedback and setting an appropriate block size—you can create exact drive images or clone partitions directly. Whether you're working locally, over SSH, or between cloud instances in recovery mode, these techniques make the process faster and more transparent.​

Linode Block Storage volumes can only be resized upward—but there’s a workaround for shrinking them. By cloning the original volume, resizing the clone, and transferring the data to a new, smaller volume, you can effectively reduce storage size without data loss. This process involves careful use of Rescue mode, resize2fs, and volume management tools.

Need a live, continuously updating view of a command’s output in Linux? The watch utility makes it easy to monitor system state, resource usage, or custom scripts by rerunning commands at fixed intervals. It’s a simple but powerful tool for staying on top of dynamic data without manually re-executing commands.

Managing email on a self-hosted server can be challenging, especially when EXIM4 queues up undeliverable messages. Tools like mailq help identify frozen messages, and with the right command-line approach, it's possible to unfreeze or discard them efficiently. Monitoring the EXIM4 mainlog can also provide insights into recurring delivery issues.​

Need a live view of a Linux file as it updates? The tail command makes it easy to monitor changes in real time, perfect for watching log files and tracking system activity as it happens.

Console applications don’t have to look plain. Box-drawing characters can add structure and clarity to text-based interfaces, making tools feel more polished without needing a full GUI.