Last updated on June 6, 2026
This update covers the foundational technical work behind the site: from server setup to ongoing configuration, optimization, and custom development.
Server & Hosting Setup
- Deployed a Debian Linux VPS using Linode.
- Installed and configured the full LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MariaDB, PHP).
- Hardened server access with:
- Cloud firewalls allowing SSH only from personal IP.
- Unattended upgrades enabled.
- SSH certificate-based authentication.
- Disabled root login and created dedicated user account.
WordPress Installation & Configuration
- Installed WordPress and configured the base setup.
- Installed a WordPress theme and created a child theme for custom edits.
- Integrated security tools:
- Wordfence for firewall, login protection, and monitoring.
- Cloudflare for DNS/CDN with custom firewall rules to restrict access to admin areas.
- Optimized Apache settings for VPS resource constraints.
- Restricted site access to only Cloudflare and personal IP.
Backups, Storage & File Management
- Created site backups using remote object storage across two VPS providers.
- Wrote sync systems for automated backups.
- Cleaned up temporary files and old kernels to free space.
Content Development
- Created posts and gradually migrated them into a chapter-based system using Advanced Custom Fields Pro.
- Built supporting site content:
- Site index
- Biographies
- Lexicon
- Plans for tag hubs and dynamic pages
Tools & Automation
- Installed and configured WP-CLI for advanced WordPress management.
- Started using Visual Studio Code as a coding environment.
- Initialized Git to track theme and plugin code changes.
UI / UX Customization
- Created a child theme and began customizing:
- CSS tweaks
- Mobile responsiveness improvements
- Template overrides and conditional rendering
- Ongoing work to replace Cover Blocks with WebP screenshots for consistency and performance.