What is Microsoft’s Coreutils

It is a Microsoft-maintained build of uutils/coreutils, findutils, and grep packaged as a single multi-call binary for Windows. The goal is to make moving between Linux, macOS, WSL, containers, and Windows frictionless: the same commands, flags, and pipelines work the same way, so existing scripts carry over without translation.

Each command supports the standard --help flag for full syntax and options.

Don’t We Already Have These?

I know what some of you might be saying is, well I use PowerShell and many of these commands work. You would be correct in saying that however many of the commands aren’t native, they are often Powershell Aliases. They also don’t always work the same as the original commands.

CMD

Powershell

Install Coreutils

I recommend the winget install. Here is what it will look like:

Run (in your terminal)

winget install Microsoft.coreutils

A prompt will open up:

Click yes and then try out the commands: uutils/coreutils, findutils, and grep.

How to Convert Powershell Aliases to Coreutils

Save this text and save it as Set-CoreutilsAliases.ps1

#Set-Alias cat C:\"Program Files"\coreutils\bin\cat.exe
#if (Test-Path 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\cp.exe') {
#       Remove-Item Alias:cp -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
#       Set-Alias -Name cp -Value C:\"Program Files"\coreutils\bin\cp.exe -Option AllScope
#}
#Set-Alias ls C:\"Program Files"\coreutils\bin\ls.exe

Remove-Item Alias:cp -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item Alias:echo -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item Alias:sort -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item Alias:sleep -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item Alias:tee -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Set-Alias arch 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\arch.exe'
Set-Alias b2sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\b2sum.exe'
Set-Alias base32 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\base32.exe'
Set-Alias base64 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\base64.exe'
Set-Alias basename 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\basename.exe'
Set-Alias basenc 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\basenc.exe'
Set-Alias cat 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\cat.exe'
Set-Alias cksum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\cksum.exe'
Set-Alias comm 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\comm.exe'
Set-Alias cp 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\cp.exe' -Option AllScope
Set-Alias csplit 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\csplit.exe'
Set-Alias cut 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\cut.exe'
Set-Alias date 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\date.exe'
Set-Alias df 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\df.exe'
Set-Alias dirname 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\dirname.exe'
Set-Alias du 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\du.exe'
Set-Alias echo 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\echo.exe' -Option AllScope
Set-Alias env 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\env.exe'
Set-Alias expr 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\expr.exe'
Set-Alias factor 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\factor.exe'
Set-Alias false 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\false.exe'
Set-Alias find 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\find.exe'
Set-Alias fmt 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\fmt.exe'
Set-Alias fold 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\fold.exe'
Set-Alias grep 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\grep.exe'
Set-Alias head 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\head.exe'
Set-Alias hostname 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\hostname.exe'
Set-Alias join 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\join.exe'
Set-Alias link 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\link.exe'
Set-Alias ln 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\ln.exe'
Set-Alias ls 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\ls.exe'
Set-Alias md5sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\md5sum.exe'
Set-Alias mkdir 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\mkdir.exe'
Set-Alias mktemp 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\mktemp.exe'
Set-Alias mv 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\mv.exe'
Set-Alias nl 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\nl.exe'
Set-Alias nproc 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\nproc.exe'
Set-Alias numfmt 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\numfmt.exe'
Set-Alias od 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\od.exe'
Set-Alias pathchk 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\pathchk.exe'
Set-Alias pr 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\pr.exe'
Set-Alias printenv 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\printenv.exe'
Set-Alias printf 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\printf.exe'
Set-Alias ptx 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\ptx.exe'
Set-Alias pwd 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\pwd.exe'
Set-Alias readlink 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\readlink.exe'
Set-Alias realpath 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\realpath.exe'
Set-Alias rm 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\rm.exe'
Set-Alias rmdir 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\rmdir.exe'
Set-Alias seq 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\seq.exe'
Set-Alias sha1sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sha1sum.exe'
Set-Alias sha224sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sha224sum.exe'
Set-Alias sha256sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sha256sum.exe'
Set-Alias sha384sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sha384sum.exe'
Set-Alias sha512sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sha512sum.exe'
Set-Alias shuf 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\shuf.exe'
Set-Alias sleep 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sleep.exe' -Option AllScope
Set-Alias sort 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sort.exe' -Option AllScope
Set-Alias split 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\split.exe'
Set-Alias stat 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\stat.exe'
Set-Alias sum 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\sum.exe'
Set-Alias tac 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\tac.exe'
Set-Alias tail 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\tail.exe'
Set-Alias tee 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\tee.exe' -Option AllScope
Set-Alias test 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\test.exe'
Set-Alias touch 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\touch.exe'
Set-Alias tr 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\tr.exe'
Set-Alias true 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\true.exe'
Set-Alias truncate 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\truncate.exe'
Set-Alias tsort 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\tsort.exe'
Set-Alias unexpand 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\unexpand.exe'
Set-Alias uniq 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\uniq.exe'
Set-Alias unlink 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\unlink.exe'
Set-Alias uptime 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\uptime.exe'
Set-Alias wc 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\wc.exe'
Set-Alias xargs 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\xargs.exe'
Set-Alias yes 'C:\Program Files\coreutils\bin\yes.exe'

Unfortunately, Docker itself doesn’t record which docker-compose.yaml file was used to create a container. However, you can usually infer it using labels, container metadata, and directory conventions.

Here’s how to track it down:

Run this command

docker ps --format '{{.Names}}\t{{.Label "com.docker.compose.project"}}\t{{.Label "com.docker.compose.project.working_dir"}}' \
  | sort -t $'\t' -k2,2 -k1,1 \
  | column -t -s $'\t'

You will see something like this. The Last column is normally where the Docker Compose file resides or used to reside.

Note:

• The output is sorted by Path, then by Container name.

• This allows “Docker Stack” apps to be listed and sorted by their Docker Compose files.

Create Bash File

Copy and paste the script below into your terminal. It will not only create the shell script but also add executable permissions to the file.

cat << 'EOF' > createfolders.sh
#!/usr/bin/env bash

BASE="/home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose"

declare -A DIRS=(
  # Core infrastructure
  ["$BASE/core"]="traefik step-ca dockhand portainer homarr"

  # Management
  ["$BASE/management/monitoring"]="qdirstat speedtest-tracker speedtest"
  ["$BASE/management/admin"]="netbox copyparty scanopy code-server"

  # Productivity
  ["$BASE/productivity"]="Bentopdf Rackula Mermaid calibre excalidraw drawio"

  # Media
  ["$BASE/media"]="jellyfin plex jdownloader transcoding"

  # Servarr stack
  ["$BASE/servarr"]="gluetun qbittorrent bazarr prowlarr sonarr radarr"

  # Test area
  ["$BASE/test"]="whoami templates"
)

echo "Creating Docker folder structure under: $BASE"
echo

for parent in "${!DIRS[@]}"; do
    echo "Creating: $parent"
    mkdir -p "$parent"

    for child in ${DIRS[$parent]}; do
        echo "  └── $child"
        mkdir -p "$parent/$child"
        mkdir -p "$parent/$child/data"
        mkdir -p "$parent/$child/config"
        mkdir -p "$parent/$child/logs"
    done

    echo
done

echo "All folders created successfully."
EOF
chmod +x createfolders.sh

The magic in the script is handled mostly by the command:

declare -A DIRS ( BUNCH OF ASSOCIATIVE ARRAYS )

This line is Bash’s way of creating an associative array. It is:

• Basically, a dictionary or key‑value map

• Similar to objects in JavaScript or hash tables in PowerShell.

Each section has something like this

# Core infrastructure
  ["$BASE/core"]="traefik step-ca dockhand portainer homarr"

It uses the BASE variable at the top of the script, creates the folder named “core,” and then proceeds to create a folder for each of the words between the quotes.

NOTE - Each folder name must be separated by a space! That means the folders can’t contain spaces.

Run the Script To Create Folder Structure

To run the script to make the folder structure, you just need to type:

./createfolders.sh

This will create all the folders needed for the project. Here is the output of the script

Creating Docker folder structure under: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/core
  └── traefik
  └── step-ca
  └── dockhand
  └── portainer
  └── homarr

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/test
  └── whoami
  └── templates

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/media
  └── jellyfin
  └── plex
  └── jdownloader
  └── transcoding

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/servarr
  └── gluetun
  └── qbittorrent
  └── bazarr
  └── prowlarr
  └── sonarr
  └── radarr

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/management/admin
  └── netbox
  └── copyparty
  └── scanopy
  └── code-server

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/productivity
  └── Bentopdf
  └── Rackula
  └── Mermaid
  └── calibre
  └── excalidraw
  └── drawio

Creating: /home/homeservarr/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose/management/monitoring
  └── qdirstat
  └── speedtest-tracker
  └── speedtest

All folders created successfully.

For the People that Want To Know Why I Made This Script

When I first started my self-hosting journey, I wasn’t 100% what I wanted or needed. I know that I wanted:

• To call the project “Homeservarr”.

  • This was a play off of the Application Stack known as the “Arr Stack”.

• That it was easy enough to use by non-technical Family Members

• That is reliable

However, the apps that I wanted to include really changed over time as I learned more about what works and what doesn’t. Now that I am mostly done testing, these are the apps that Homeservarr will eventually contain on its release:

/config/git/homeServarr/dockerCompose
├── core/
│   ├── traefik/
│   ├── step-ca/
│   ├── portainer/
│   └── dockhand/
├── management/
│   ├── monitoring/
│   │   ├── qdirstat/
│   │   ├── speedtest-tracker/
│   │   └── speedtest/
│   └── admin/
│       ├── netbox/
│       ├── copyparty/
│       ├── scanopy/
│       └── code-server/
├── productivity/
│   ├── bentopdf/
│   ├── rackula/
│   ├── mermaid/
│   ├── calibre/
│   ├── excalidraw/
│   └── drawio/
├── media/
│   ├── jellyfin/
│   ├── plex/
│   ├── jdownloader/
│   └── transcoding/
├── servarr/
│   ├── gluetun/
│   ├── qbittorrent/
│   ├── bazarr/
│   ├── prowlarr/
│   ├── sonarr/
│   └── radarr/
└── test/
    ├── whoami/
    └── templates/

Hope this helps you automate your next project.

Did you just boot up your Linux box and get this message?

1 device has a firmware upgrade available.
Run `fwupdmgr get-upgrades` for more information.

Well, if you run the command, it will output a bunch of info about the upgrade(s) you need, but it doesn’t install the firmware.

How To Install Firmware Using fwupdmgr

Run these commands:

sudo fwupdmgr refresh --force
sudo fwupdmgr get-upgrades
sudo fwupdmgr update

These 3 commands do the following

1. Forces the machine to download the latest Meta metadata from the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS)

2. Then it lists all the updates needed by the firmware in your system

3. Then it applies/updates all the firmware

Example:

Successfully downloaded new metadata:

• 12 devices are updatable

• 1 device is supported in the enabled remotes

  • An update has been published

So what update did it apply?

In my case, I had the “UEFI dbx from 20250507 to 20250902” firmware update. The Get-Upgrades command showed me these items didn’t need updating:

1. UEFI Secure Boot DB

2. UEFI Secure Boot KEK

3. Internal SPI Controller (BIOS)

4. Internal SPI Controller (Gigabit Ethernet)

5. KEK CA

6. SBAT

7. SATA HD Model Name (Removed name)

8. System Firmware

9. UEFI CA

10. SSD HD Model Name (Removed name)

11. Windows Production PCA

As you can see, the utility is pretty powerful!

It is essentially a terminal version of the web app TypeMonkey. The program isn’t very complex. It helps you practice your keyboarding.

In the screenshot below I am using the monokai theme. If you have done any development work or have used an IDE you most likely have heard that theme name before.

Practicing with software like this can easily push your speed past 80 to 100+ words per minute (WPM). However, the exact gain depends on whether you focus on blindly boosting raw speed or properly training your muscle memory.

Using the right practice strategy can yield excellent results:

What to Expect & How It Works

• Initial Gains (15 to 30+ WPM boost): If you naturally hunt-and-peck (using 4 fingers), learning proper touch-typing and practicing daily for 10–15 minutes will skyrocket your baseline. Many users jump from an average of 40–50 WPM to 70+ WPM simply by building muscle memory and never looking at the keyboard.

• Raw Speed vs. Realistic Typing: These software tools are incredibly effective at teaching you where to put your fingers and improving overall dexterity. However, your WPM on random, lowercase words will likely be 10 to 20 WPM higher than your real-world speed. This is because real-world typing requires pausing to think, typing capital letters, and using punctuation.

• Plateauing: Once you reach the 80–100 WPM range, gains become much slower. Breaking past this threshold requires fixing minor mistakes and improving burst speeds (how fast your fingers can fly between sentences).

The Best Settings for Real-World Speed

To ensure your practice directly translates to faster typing at work or in daily tasks, you should tailor your settings instead of sticking to the defaults:

• Always chase accuracy over speed: Slow down enough to maintain at least a 95% accuracy threshold. The speed will naturally follow as you make fewer backspacing mistakes.

• Add Punctuation: Toggle the punctuation setting to require commas, periods, and capitals, which will better simulate real sentences.

• Use Larger Word Pools: Switch from the default 200 words to “English 1K” or “English 10K” to practice a wider variety of vocabulary.

Go to:

1. https://account.microsoft.com

2. Security (Click Left Menu)

3. View my Sign-in Activity (Click Link)

Reason For Post

Someone tried to access my account remotely the other day. Someone who might not pay attention as much to their account might have fallen prey to the “scam”. This would have been much less apparent if I hadn’t had 2FA enabled.

Using 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) is a must-have. You can no longer rely on a single password for protection. Actually, you haven’t been able to rely on a single password for some time.

I often tell people about the site:

You might be amazed at how many data leaks your account info has been a part of. Often, these passwords have been used and should never be reused because your info is now out on the internet.

In the last week, I have had 3 requests to log into my account from a source I didn’t recognize. It is important for you to “Deny” these requests; otherwise, you just essentially give the attackers the keys to the kingdom remotely!

What Happens If I Don’t Recognize The Logins?

If there are items in there you don’t recognize, follow these steps:

Sign out everywhere

If you think someone might have unauthorized access to your account, we can protect you by signing you out from your trusted devices. You will be signed out of browsers, apps and anywhere else your account is used to sign in, where possible, within 24 hours.

• Sign out everywhere

Windows Hello lets you sign in to your device apps, online services and networks using your face, fingerprint or a PIN. You can also reset Windows Hello so that nobody can use it to access your Microsoft account services, including Xbox cloud services. You will still be able to unlock your devices.

• Reset Windows Hello on all of my Windows devices

Recovery code

You can use this code to access your account if you lose access to your sign-in info. Print this out and keep it in a safe place or take a picture of it.

• Generate a new code

If you think someone might have unauthorized access to your account, we can protect you by signing you out from your trusted devices. You will be signed out of browsers, apps and anywhere else your account is used to sign in, where possible, within 24 hours. We can’t sign you out of Xbox.

• Sign out everywhere

Windows Hello lets you sign in to your device apps, online services and networks using your face, fingerprint or a PIN. You can also reset Windows Hello so that nobody can use it to access your Microsoft account services, including Xbox cloud services. You will still be able to unlock your devices.

• Reset Windows Hello on all of my Windows devices

Recovery code

You can use this code to access your account if you lose access to your sign-in info. Print this out and keep it in a safe place, or take a picture of it.

• Generate a new code

You should also look at turning these items on as well:

• Learn more about removing your password

• Learn more about two-step verification

The PC version of God Of War was on sale at the Epic Store so I finally got it. Here are the default Keyboard, Mouse and Controller settings:

God of War (PC) is a critically acclaimed, single-player action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and ported to PC by Jetpack Interactive. I was extremely pleased to find out they are Canadian Developers.

It shifts the series from Greek antiquity to a gritty, pre-Viking Norse realm, focusing on a deeply personal narrative of fatherhood and survival.

Game Overview

• The Story:

  • Kratos, having left his bloody past in Greece behind, lives as a man in Scandinavia.

  • Following the death of his wife, he must journey with his estranged young son, Atreus, to the highest peak in the realms to scatter her ashes.

  • Along the way, Kratos struggles to control his legendary rage while teaching Atreus how to survive a hostile world filled with Norse gods and mythical monsters.

• The Gameplay:

  • The game features an over-the-shoulder, third-person perspective and is famous for its “one-shot” camera technique, which presents the entire journey with absolutely no camera cuts or loading screens.

• Combat:

  • Fights are visceral, heavy, and tactical.

  • Kratos uses the magical Leviathan Axe, which can be hurled at enemies and recalled to his hand at will, alongside his classic shield and fists.

  • Atreus acts as a vital combat companion, firing arrows and stunning enemies on command.

• Exploration and Puzzles:

  • The world uses a Metroidvania-style semi-open structure.

  • Players navigate ancient ruins by boat, solve environmental puzzles utilizing Kratos’ immense strength, and unlock hidden areas as they acquire new abilities.

Definitive PC Features

The PC version provides significant technical enhancements over the original console versions:

• True 4K & Unlocked Framerates:

  • Supports native 4K resolution and high framerates (60 to 120+ FPS) for exceptionally smooth gameplay.

• Performance Enhancements:

  • Features full integration for NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR to boost performance, alongside NVIDIA Reflex for lower latency and sharper response times.

• Ultra-Wide Support:

  • Immerses players via a 21:9 panoramic aspect ratio.

• Flexible Controls:

  • Offers fully customizable mouse and keyboard keybindings alongside native support for DualSense and DualShock controllers.

Ingame Screenshot

I took this right after beating “The Stranger” using a rear naked choke with a full body lock. The Stranger’s real name is Baldur Odinson who is the Norse Aesir God of Light.

Some other looks

If you have any team issues, you should definitely look into the Microsoft Teams Network Assessment Tool.

Run Teams Network Assessment Tool

Steps

Open CMD and run this command

"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Teams Network Assessment Tool\NetworkAssessmentTool.exe"

Wait, and the output log file will be shared in the terminal on the last line. It will look something like this:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft Teams Network Assessment Tool\222606050333332826_service_connectivity_check_results.txt

This site is also a great page to better understand some of the Team’s Socket error codes:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/winsock/windows-sockets-error-codes-2

Also, this error and the host are often at the heart of issues with Teams communication.

Host

• api-noam.flightproxy.teams.microsoft.com

Error

WSAEACCES (10013 – Permission denied)

Specifically, the error code WSAEACCES (10013 – Permission denied) suggests that access to the socket is being restricted by network/security controls.

This can occur when:

• Firewall or security policies block the connection

• Network traffic is restricted or filtered

• Another application or service is using the same address with exclusive access

Links

1. setsockopt function (winsock.h) - Win32 apps

2. sendto function (winsock.h) - Win32 apps

3. SO_EXCLUSIVEADDRUSE socket option (Winsock2.h)

I understand why they are doing this and it will cut down on multiple reports and abilities and consolodate them into one package. This also means that what used to be may now be put into different price tiers. So it’s a Win-Win for Microsoft but a slight-medium loss to the small business owners who may not have wanted or needed some of the “higher-end” functionality.

As of June 3rd, 2026 here are all the items that have Migrated out of Exchange Online and into other Microsoft Products.

Currently you can find this list in Exchange under “Other Features”

winget install LizardByte.Sunshine

Click on the Start Menu and type “sunshine” and select the app to load the Web Admin page

The Web UI will prompt you to create a username and password. Make sure not to loose them!

Once you created the username you will see:

You may or may not have any driver issues. First try re-installing them using the “Fix Now” button.

Click on “Install” button.

You will then see it gets installed.

Reboot your Gaming PC and log back into Sunshine. There won’t be any driver issues and everything should look good.

On your TV/ TV Box/ TV Dongle - Install “Moon Light” client by opening the Google Play Store.

After the install, open Moonlight. This will allow you to connect to the Sunshine streaming server you installed on your powerful Gaming desktop.

After you open the Moonlight app, it will search your network for a Sunshine Server and should find it! It will tell you to enter the PIN on your Gaming Desktop.

Go Back to your Gaming PC. On the PC go back in the Sunshine Web UI, click on PIN

Enter the Pin and a name you want to call your gaming PC on the next screen.

NOTE - Sorry I didn’t take the screenshot for that screen!!!

Go back to your TV.

On your TV select “Desktop” and your device will start streaming from your Gaming Desktop. Now you can play your PC games up on your large screen TV or Even on your Nintendo Switch! Anything you can install Moonlight on can play the game remotely!!

I use an Xbox 360 Controller using Bluetooth and I can play the games on my TV in the next room with essentially no noticeable lag.

Both my Gaming PC and nVidea Shield are using Gigabit networking to help ensure as little lag as possible. Below is a screenshot from Red Dead Rising II from very early on in the game.

API URL

Whatever the URL is of the Mealie site, you just need to add this:

/user/profile/api-tokens

Example:

https://mealie.domain.com/user/profile/api-tokens

Mealie API Token Page

This is what the API token page will look like:

Note: This token was created only for this post and deleted right afterwards.

This post is not sponsored.

I’ve had a great experience with Comvault. It allows you to easily backup O365 data and it has multiple ways to export and restore data. This post will go over all the options for exporting the data from Exchange Online Data and why you might want to select different options.

Comvault Exchange Online - Export Options

Below is the screen you will see when you go to export data from Comvault.

Exports options Rated

I have created a table based on the different options based on what is important to you or the purpose of the export. I have selected all the items with 5 stars in Red for a better visual queue.

Export Type: PST vs CAB

Please Note - File Size Considerations

• There is a hard limit of 25GB for both PST and CAB files.

• If you select more than 25GB you will get an error from Comvault.

• If you are interested why there is this limit I will be creating a second post but will link to it from here.

PST (Portable Storage Table)

A single Outlook mailbox file containing all exported items. PST files preserve metadata, but because they are container databases, they can obscure or alter certain low‑level properties during export, migration, or Outlook‑driven operations.

Pros

• Directly usable in Outlook

  • PSTs can be opened or imported into Outlook for full mailbox viewing, including folders, contacts, calendar, and notes.

• Single file

  • Convenient for migration or handoff.

• Preserves mailbox structure automatically.

Cons

• Large file handling

  • PSTs can become unstable or slow when large

  • File Size Limitations

• Not ideal for e‑discovery

  • PSTs require Outlook or specialized tools to inspect.

• Combines multiple mailboxes

  • It will combine multiple inboxes into one PST if you selected multiple mailboxes to exports at once, which may be undesirable.

• Less granular

  • Extracting individual messages requires Outlook or third‑party tools.

CAB (Cabinet File)

It is a compressed archive containing individual messages in either format

• EML

• MSG

Pros

• Granular message access

  • Each email is a separate file (EML or MSG).

• Better for e‑discovery workflows

  • Easier to ingest into review tools.

• Lightweight

  • CAB compression reduces size.

• Flexible

  • You choose EML or MSG depending on downstream tools.

Cons

• Not directly importable into Outlook as a mailbox

  • You get individual files, not a unified mailbox.

• Folder hierarchy optional

  • You must select “retain folder hierarchy” if you want structure preserved.

  • This is listed under Advance

EML vs MSG

EML

It is plain‑text RFC‑822 email file used by many mail clients.

Pros

• Highly portable

  • Supported by many tools such as:

    • e‑discovery, forensic tools, Thunderbird, etc.

• Open standard

  • Easier for automation and parsing.

• Smaller file size than MSG in most cases.

Cons

• Limited Outlook fidelity

  • Outlook can open EML, but formatting, embedded items, or meeting metadata may not be perfect.

• Weaker support for complex Outlook objects

  • Tasks, Calendar items, voting buttons

MSG

The MSG format is a Microsoft Outlook/Exchange native message file. MSG files generally preserve more complete, item‑level metadata than PST files, especially for forensic, archival, or chain‑of‑custody scenarios.

Pros

• Best fidelity for Outlook

  • preserves MAPI properties, attachments, flags, categories, meeting metadata.

• Ideal for legal review when Outlook‑specific metadata matters.

Cons

• Larger file size than EML.

• Less portable

  • Many non‑Microsoft tools cannot read MSG without conversion.

• Proprietary format

  • Harder to process in bulk with open‑source tools.

Which Export Option Should You Choose?

It depends on your needs! If you want:

• An Outlook‑based restore or migration

  • Choose PST

• An e‑discovery, legal hold, or granular message review

  • Choose CAB + MSG (if Outlook metadata matters)

  • Choose CAB + EML (if you want maximum portability)

• To apply automation or scripting:

  • Choose CAB + EML (easiest to parse programmatically)

• Export more than 25GB then you will need to use

  • Break-up Exports into smaller files by selecting less data.

Comvault Information

Here are a few pages you might want to read after you have gone through my post:

• https://documentation.commvault.com/saas/exporting_exchange_online_messages.html

• https://documentation.commvault.com/saas/exporting_exchange_online_mailbox_folders_or_messages_to_pst_or_cab.html

When running LLMs locally, users typically need to choose between speed and usability. Performance on machines without a discrete GPU essentially shut them out of the conversation. This has essentially created a two-tier system of haves and have-nots in the computer world.

Running an LLM on a discrete GPU is fairly easy to set up and run. Ensuring it runs well takes a bit more knowledge and tweaking. It is safe to say that discrete GPUs tend to have larger VRAM and data pipelines than their non-discrete counterparts. This gives a workstation with discrete graphics an edge in running and usability compared to a machine without a discrete GPU.

Precieved performance normally comes down to how many tokens per second a person experiences. Most online resources operate at fairly high token-per-second rates, and depending on the online model, you can see a range of performance. OpenAI, for example, can operate at 35-135 tokens per second for text generation.

Precieved usability is harder to give a specific baseline, since it can vary widely depending on the LLM, its training, and its size. Typically, the larger the LLM, the better the output quality, which often requires a large VRAM pool.

Microsoft “Foundry Local”

Microsoft Foundry Local is optimized for local LLM hosting in Windows. Compared to some of its open-source counterparts, it offers a bunch of performance benefits, especially on laptops with Intel architecture. In addition, if you have a machine with an NPU onboard, the software is one of the only options available right now:

How to Install Microsoft Foundry

It seems like AI and most Google searches have a lot of incorrect data. Performing a search in the “winget” app was what actually allowed me to install Foundry without using NPM. Here was the search:

The actual command that installed it was:

winget install Microsoft.FoundryLocal

You can verify that it was installed and what version you are running by typing

foundry --version

Next, you will most likely want to install your Local LLMs. Here is an example of how to install “Phi 4 Mini”.

First, make sure your terminal is running as an administrator. Then run this command to install the llm named “phi-4-mini”.

foundry model run phi-4-mini

If you didn’t run the terminal as admin, you would have seen something like this:

Exception: 🔴 Failed to start service

Access to the path is denied.

How To Figure Out OpenAI Path

Again, you will need to run this script in a terminal running as admin. To find out the Path and the LLM info. Save the text below to a file, then run it.

FILE: Get-FoundryLLMInfo.ps1

# Check service status and extract base URI
$status = foundry service status
if ($status -like "*not running*") { foundry service start | Out-Null }

# Extract URI from status output (adjust regex if needed)
$baseUri = [regex]::Match($status, 'http://[\d.:]+').Value + '/v1'
Write-Host "API Base: $baseUri"

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$baseUri/models" -Method Get | 
  Select-Object -ExpandProperty data

When you run the script, this is what the output will look like:

As you can see in this particular case, the foundry has loaded the LLM and is running the API base at this location:

http://127.0.0.1:61205/v1

It also has some really good information

Vision

It understands text only (prompts, code, documents) and cannot “see” screenshots, diagrams, or photos.

toolCalling

This model can generate structured requests to call external tools/functions. Instead of just describing how to get disk usage, it could output a JSON block like:

{ “tool”: “Get-DiskUsage”, “params”: { “drive”: “C:” } }

Foundry Local doesn't auto-execute these — you would need to parse and run them safely.

maxInpitTokens

The maximum length of your prompt + conversation history sent to the model.

• 1 token ≈ ¾ of a word (or 4–5 characters).

• 3696 tokens ≈ 2,700–3,000 words of combined system prompt + user messages + assistant replies.

• I suggest you keep your $messages array under ~2,500 words to stay safe.

maxOutputTokens

The maximum length of the model’s reply in a single call.

• 528 tokens ≈ 350–400 words (or ~20–30 lines of PowerShell code).

• If the model hits this limit, it stops mid-thought with finish_reason: "length".

• I suggest you ask for concise answers ("Answer in ≤3 sentences") to avoid truncation.

Test LLM using API

Now that we understand a bit more about the LLM, what it can do and how many tokens it can use and output, let’s use it:

File: Invoke-LLMQuery.ps1

param(
  [string]$Hostname = "127.0.0.1",
  [int]$Port,
  [string]$systemRoleContext,
  [string]$userRoleContext
)
function Invoke-LLMQuery {
    param(
        [string]$Hostname = "127.0.0.1",
        [int]$Port,
        [string]$systemRoleContext,
        [string]$userRoleContext
    )

    $baseUri = "http://$Hostname`:$Port/v1"

    $messages = @(
        @{ role = "system"; content = $systemRoleContext }
        @{ role = "user"; content = $userRoleContext }
    )

    $body = @{ model = "phi-4-mini-instruct-openvino-npu:3"; messages = $messages } | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10

    try {
        $response = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$baseUri/chat/completions" -Method Post -ContentType "application/json" -Body $body -TimeoutSec 30
        Write-Host "$($response.choices[0].message.content)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
}

Write-Host
Write-Host "--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"

Invoke-LLMQuery -Hostname $Hostname -Port $port -systemRoleContext $systemRoleContext -userRoleContext $userRoleContext

Write-Host
Write-Host "--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"
Write-Host

Running it all together

Find out where and what port the LLM is being hosted on. Once done, call the Invoke-LLMQuery script you copied. In the example below, you can see it does pretty well. It did get the last name wrong, however, “Richter”. It should have been Jeffrey Snover.

Now that you know how to use the LLM, any tool or application that can use an OpenAI endpoint should now be able to use this!

During COVID, getting docks for computers was next to impossible as everyone started working from home. On paper, the dock looked decent enough, and a decision was made to order the ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C (40AF) docks across the organization.

When they first came out, they were complete shit. Sorry… pardon my French. A year or two in, they improved after you updated their firmware and drivers. Years later, with the most recent updates on Apr 22, 2025, the docks work decently.

The dock itself boasts a decent amount of connectivity options, and when used with the USB-C connector, it works best. Below is a picture of the back of the dock. The front of the dock also has a USB-A, USB-C, and headphone jack.

If you found my site, you most likely realized the same thing I did. Lenovo’s website (at the time of writing) looks like it was made in the 90s by cats on catnip and coffee, learning to build a website in high school by a substitute teacher.

To make things easier, here are the links you will need:

1. Firmware for Windows 11, 10 (64-bit)

2. USB 3.0 LAN Driver

3. Generic DisplayLink Driver for USB Docks and Adapters

Besides these links, you might also want to look at this information:

• ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C with USB-A Dock - Overview and Service Parts

• Setup Guide and Compliance Information

• User Guide - English

• Linux Support on Lenovo ThinkPad Docks

Slop in, Slop out. You are here most likely because someone in your organization performed one or both of these tasks:

1. Copy and pasted from Word or Outlook,

2. Completed automation without the needed requirements or QA testing.

Run this, and you will find all those “em dashes” created by Microsoft/AI products. It will also find all the Unicode characters entered by sources such as Workday that have now trickled down into AD or Azure…

Fun Right?

Import-Module ActiveDirectory

$cred = Get-Credential
$server = 'corp.teranet.ca'

# Allowed characters for usernames:
# A–Z, a–z, 0–9, space, hyphen, apostrophe, period, underscore
$DisallowedPattern = "[^A-Za-z0-9 \-'\._\$]"

$users = Get-ADUser -Filter * -Properties sAMAccountName, UserPrincipalName -Server $server -Credential $cred | Select-Object sAMAccountName, UserPrincipalName

$results = foreach ($u in $users) {

    # Extract UPN username portion (before @)
    $upnUser = $null
    if ($u.UserPrincipalName -and $u.UserPrincipalName.Contains("@")) {
        $upnUser = $u.UserPrincipalName.Split("@")[0]
    }

    # Skip service accounts (UPN username contains "/")
    if ($upnUser -and $upnUser.Contains("/")) {
        continue
    }

    # Check for disallowed characters
    $badSam = $u.sAMAccountName -match $DisallowedPattern
    $badUpn = $upnUser -match $DisallowedPattern

    if ($badSam -or $badUpn) {
        [PSCustomObject]@{
            SamAccountName = $u.sAMAccountName
            UPN            = $u.UserPrincipalName
            UPN_UserPart   = $upnUser
            BadInSam       = $badSam
            BadInUPN       = $badUpn
        }
    }
}

$results | Format-Table -AutoSize

You might not realize it, but pfsense firewalls allow you to use 3 different tools when it comes to querying DNS names.

It is important that you understand the differences each can or cannot provide. Since all of them can technically run on port 53, you can’t run them at the same time. If you need a hybrid setup, you will need to run at least one on a different port, like 5353.

The three different DNS engines also serve different purposes and behave differently. Understanding how they work helps you build a predictable and stable internal DNS architecture.

The three DNS engines are:

1. dnsmasq

   1. Labelled as DNS Forwarder in the menu structure.

2. Unbound

   1. Labelled as DNS Resolver in the menu structure.

3. BIND (Authoritative DNS Server)

   1. Not installed or visible by default, but you can easily install it from the package manager under “available packages”.

The first time you see pfSense, you might not realize what technology is actually being used. If you want to verify what I am saying is true, you can always log into the pfsense firewall and go to STATUS → Services. In this screen, it will become apparent what the underlying technology actually is.

Example

DNS Resolver Unbound

What Unbound Is

Unbound is a full recursive DNS resolver. It can:

• Query root servers directly

• Validate DNSSEC

• Cache results

• Register DHCP leases

• Provide local overrides

• Power DNSBL through pfBlockerNG

Unbound is the default DNS engine in pfSense CE.

What Unbound Is Not

• It is not authoritative

• It does not forward unless you enable Forwarding Mode

• It does not automatically register DHCP leases unless you enable that option

How To Enable Unbound

1. Go to Services → DNS Resolver

2. Check Enable DNS Resolver

3. Recommended settings

   • Enable DNSSEC Support

   • Register DHCP leases

   • Register DHCP static mappings

   • Optional Forwarding Mode

4. Save

When To Use Unbound

• You want privacy

• You want DNSSEC

• You want pfSense to be the internal DNS source

• You want DNSBL

• You want a fast and secure resolver

DNS Forwarder dnsmasq

What dnsmasq Is

dnsmasq is a lightweight DNS forwarder. It:

• Forwards queries to upstream DNS servers

• Automatically registers DHCP leases

• Provides local A, AAAA, and PTR records

• Can forward to Unbound on a different port if you want a hybrid configuration

What dnsmasq Is Not

• It is not a recursive resolver

• It is not authoritative

• It does not support DNSSEC validation

How To Enable dnsmasq

1. Go to Services → DNS Forwarder

2. Check Enable DNS Forwarder

3. Disable Unbound unless you are using a hybrid configuration

4. Add host or domain overrides if needed

5. Save

When to Use dnsmasq

• You want simple forwarding

• You rely on upstream filtering, such as Pi Hole or AdGuard

• You want automatic DHCP hostname registration

• You want lightweight DNS with minimal overhead

BIND Authoritative DNS Server

What BIND Is

BIND is a full authoritative DNS server. It can:

• Host zones

• Sign DNSSEC

• Provide split-horizon DNS

• Act as a recursive resolver if configured

• Provide RPZ policy zones

What BIND Is Not

• It is not lightweight

• It does not automatically register DHCP leases

• It is not required for most home or small business networks

How To Enable BIND

1. Go to System → Package Manager → Available Packages

2. Install BIND

3. Go to Services → BIND

4. Create a zone

5. Add records such as A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV

6. Apply changes

When To Use BIND

• You want pfSense to host authoritative zones

• You need DNSSEC signing

• You need split-horizon DNS

• You want enterprise-level DNS control

Hybrid Mode dnsmasq and Unbound Together

pfSense does not run by default. You can run both if you:

• Put Unbound on port 5353

• Put dnsmasq on port 53

• Forward dnsmasq upstream queries to Unbound

This gives you:

• dnsmasq automatic DHCP hostname registration

• Unbound recursive DNSSEC-validated lookups

This is an advanced configuration and not the default.

If you’ve ever tried to configure wildcard DNS in pfSense using the default DNS Resolver (Unbound), you’ve likely run into frustrating parsing errors, zone-type conflicts, or silent failures where *.domain.internal simply refuses to resolve.

Unbound’s strict zone handling and pfSense’s auto-generated config merging make wildcards notoriously unreliable. The good news? pfSense ships with DNS Forwarder (dnsmasq), which handles wildcard records natively, reliably, and with a single configuration line.

This guide walks you through disabling Unbound, enabling DNS Forwarder, and setting up wildcard DNS, specific host overrides, and reverse lookups—all tested on pfSense 2.7+.

Prerequisites

• pfSense 2.6 or newer

• LAN interface configured (example IP: 192.168.1.1)

• The entire local domain is using: domain.internal

  • If you want to use “somethingelse.internal” just make sure to update this info as needed.

• Basic familiarity with pfSense GUI navigation

Step 1: Disable DNS Resolver (Unbound)

1. Navigate to Services > DNS Resolver > General Settings

2. Uncheck Enable DNS Resolver

3. Click Save

4. Go to Status > Services

5. Find DNS Resolver → If it shows Running, click the red Stop button

Note: Disabling Unbound does not break internet DNS. The DNS Forwarder will handle all local resolution and forward unknown queries to your upstream DNS servers (Cloudflare, ISP, etc.).

Step 2: Enable and Bind DNS Forwarder

1. Navigate to Services > DNS Forwarder

2. Check Enable DNS Forwarder

3. Under Interfaces, ensure your LAN interface is selected (so it answers queries from your local network)

4. Under Listen port, leave the field blank (this defaults to port 53 automatically)

5. Click Save

No need to add port=53 to Custom Options — pfSense handles this natively when the field is empty.

Step 3: Configure Wildcard and Specific Host Overrides

Wildcard Fallback

1. Scroll to Advanced Options > Custom options

2. Add this line:

address=/domain.internal/192.168.1.2

1. This tells dnsmasq: “Any request for *.domain.internal that doesn’t match a specific host should return 192.168.1.2.”

Specific Host Overrides (Optional but Recommended)

1. Click the Host Overrides tab

2. Click Add and create entries for devices that need unique IPs:

   • Host: firewall | Domain: domain.internal | IP: 192.168.1.1

   • Host: printer | Domain: domain.internal | IP: 192.168.1.3

   • Host: homeservarr | Domain: domain.internal | IP: 192.168.1.2

3. Click Save after each entry

dnsmasq automatically prioritizes exact Host Overrides over the wildcard address= rule.

Step 4: Configure Reverse DNS (PTR Records)

Reverse DNS requires explicit PTR records in dnsmasq. Add these to Advanced Options > Custom options (one per IP):

ptr-record=1.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa,firewall.domain.internal.
ptr-record=2.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa,homeservarr.domain.internal.
ptr-record=3.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa,printer.domain.internal.

Important: Notice the trailing dot at the end of each hostname. This tells dnsmasq the name is fully qualified and prevents Windows from appending your search domain twice (e.g., homeservarr.domain.internal.domain.internal).

Click Save → Apply Changes.

Step 5: Verify and Test

On pfSense (Diagnostics > Command Prompt)

Only run the lines without “#”.

# Test wildcard
/usr/local/bin/dig @127.0.0.1 test123.domain.internal +short
# Expected: 192.168.1.2

# Test specific override
/usr/local/bin/dig @127.0.0.1 printer.domain.internal +short
# Expected: 192.168.1.3

# Test internet forwarding
/usr/local/bin/dig @127.0.0.1 google.com +short
# Expected: Public IP(s)

# Test reverse DNS
/usr/local/bin/dig @127.0.0.1 -x 192.168.1.2 +short
# Expected: homeservarr.domain.internal.

On Windows/macOS/Linux

Open your terminal/command prompt:

nslookup test123.domain.internal
nslookup printer.domain.internal
nslookup 192.168.1.2

All should return the expected IPs/hostnames.

If Windows caches old failed lookups, run ipconfig /flushdns before testing.

Troubleshooting Tips

Conclusion

Switching from Unbound to dnsmasq for local wildcard DNS eliminates configuration parsing headaches and delivers predictable, reliable name resolution. With just two custom directives (address= and ptr-record=), plus optional Host Overrides, you get a clean, enterprise-grade local DNS setup that scales with your homelab.

Your network now resolves:

• anything.domain.internal → Wildcard IP

• printer.domain.internal → Specific IP

• 192.168.1.x → Reverse hostname

• google.com → Public internet DNS

Sorry if the title is clickbait, however, this article combines 3 of my favourite things:

1. Technology (PowerShell)

2. Food (Pizza) and

3. Sharing Knowledge

Why Did You Make The PowerShell Module?

Recently, I made the PowerShell Pizza Dough Recipe Calculator Module because I went down a rabbit hole and found that Pizza dough is actually:

1. Quite complex

2. Has many variables to get consistent results

3. The recipes don’t scale 1-to-1

Find and Install Module

Type these commands to find and then install the module:

find-module jh_*
Install-Module jh_PizzaDoughRecipeCalculator -Scope CurrentUser

Run the PowerShell Pizza Dough Calculator

You will need to use either “Standard” or “Pizza” oven and the “Number of pizzas” you want to make. If you want to show the link to this page, just add the “Display” property (Not required).

I don’t want to use the Module

I understand. Not everyone has their Terminal open all the time. If you don’t want to use the module, I have also made a simple table here that you can use instead. This should cover most families’ needs.

What’s In An Oven?

As I dove into the science of dough, I realized people need to first understand that their oven makes a big difference in how they make their dough and how long they will need to cook the pizza.

This is why the recipes will depend on which one you use. Most people have one of two ovens:

1. Standard

   1. 200-299C or

   2. 392-570F

2. Pizza

   1. 300-500C or

   2. 572-932F

Ok. I know you already have a few questions, so let’s get them out of the way.

Why Do The Recipes Differ By Oven Type?

The recipes differ between standard and pizza ovens because the baking environment affects how the dough cooks and behaves.

Standard ovens like those in most people’s homes often can’t reach the same temperatures as pizza ovens. This is why many of my first attempts at making dough didn’t turn out as well as I'd like.

Since the standard ovens tend to bake slower, the recipe includes less oil and more water and salt to retain moisture and flavour during the longer bake. It is important that you use a metal surface to cook your pizza on.

I use the:

• Company: Vermont Castings

• Product: Carbon Steel Square-Shaped Reversible Baking Oven & Pizza Steel

• Product ID = 085-2161-2

• Size = 16” x 14”

Pizza ovens, also called “High-heat ovens,” can cook pizzas very quickly (60–90 seconds). The dough recipe is adjusted with more oil, slightly more flour, less water, and less salt to balance hydration and structure, so the crust crisps perfectly without burning.

Both recipes aim to deliver great pizzas but cater to the different heat intensity and baking times of the ovens.

Why don’t the ingredient amounts scale perfectly?

Ingredient amounts don’t scale perfectly 1:1 when going from 1 to multiple pizzas. This is due to mixing larger batches, which can require slight adjustments in hydration or yeast percentage to maintain a consistent dough texture and rise. Also, baking multiple pizzas might require slight tweaks to the dough weight or hydration to maintain consistent cooking results, especially when switching from low to high heat.

The recipe changes to match the oven’s heat and cooking time, so you get a similarly excellent pizza, not exactly the same dough formula. And batch-size adjustments ensure dough quality and handling stay spot-on, even when numbers aren’t perfectly linear!

How To Mix Ingredients

There are differences in how you combine ingredients across the different formulas. It is mostly due to how yeast and salt interact and to the dough’s hydration management for the oven type.

Standard Oven Recipe

1. You start dissolving salt in water, then add about 10% of the flour, which creates a buffer for the yeast and sugar. This helps keep salt and yeast apart.

2. Yeast and sugar are added after this step (sugar helps with browning at lower temperatures).

3. Then add the remaining flour and mix.

4. Oil is often added to tenderize the dough and improve moisture retention, since the longer it bakes, the drier it gets.

5. Use fine sea salt for easy dissolving.

6. Water temperature is cooler, which activates yeast more slowly and allows for longer fermentation, contributing to a more complex dough flavour.

7. The dough is expected to feel initially dry and flaky, but gets stickier and more hydrated with mixing and kneading.

Pizza Oven Recipe

1. Flour is pushed to the side in the bowl to keep salt separate from yeast, as salt can harm yeast activity.

2. You add water to dissolve the yeast separately. No sugar needed, since high heat browns the crust well!

3. Then add the salt, but keep it separate initially to avoid killing the yeast.

4. Finally, add the remaining flour, mixing well until you get a dry, rough-looking dough that hydrates as it sits.

5. Use cool water to slow yeast activation for a longer, cooler ferment, which improves flavour and texture.

6. No oil or sugar in the mix.

7. The dough may initially feel quite dry, but it will hydrate as you mix and rest the dough.

The key differences are:

1. Salt and yeast handling:

   1. Salt is kept separate from yeast in both, but when using low heat, you dissolve the salt first.

2. Sugar and oil are added to low-heat formulas

   1. For browning and moisture retention, since baking takes longer

3. Hydration management and water temperature are similar, focused on slow yeast activation and careful absorption by flour.

These adjustments ensure each dough type works best with its oven’s bake time and temperature, optimizing flavour, texture, and crust colour.

Default Sizes

Using the default dough ball weights from the calculator, you will notice the dough ball sizes are slightly different.

• 240 grams (slightly larger) for Standard ovens

• 230 grams (slightly smaller) for Pizza oven

The actual pizza size these weights make depends on dough hydration and thickness, but typically:

• A 240-gram dough ball roughly makes a pizza around 25 to 26 cm in diameter, at standard Neapolitan-style thickness.

• A 230-gram dough ball makes a slightly smaller pizza, around 24 to 25 cm in diameter, and is optimized for the fast bake and thinner crust of high-heat ovens.

So even though the dough weight difference is small (10 grams), the high-heat dough is a bit leaner and designed for a thinner pizza that can withstand the intense heat without burning or becoming too thick.

This means the default sizes for 240g (low heat) and 230g (high heat) dough balls translate to slightly different pizza diameters, each best suited to each oven's baking profile.

Cold Proof (24–72 hours)

Neapolitan pizza dough benefits from a long, cold fermentation.

What changes with time:

• 24 hours: Mild flavour, soft dough, easy to stretch

• 48 hours: Ideal balance — great flavour, excellent extensibility

• 72 hours: Deep flavour, very extensible, can get fragile if your flour isn’t strong enough

  • 00 flour with W280–W320 handles it well

Keep the dough at 3–5°C (typical fridge temp).

Warm Up Before Stretching (2-4 hours)

Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temp.
Cold dough tears and won’t stretch evenly.

Stretch, Top, and Bake

• Dust with 00 flour or semolina

• Press from the center outward, leaving the rim untouched

• Stretch over your knuckles

• Add toppings sparingly (Neapolitan pizza hates heavy toppings)

Bake Times

• Standard Oven - in a home oven with a steel

  • 8-10 minutes

• Pizza Oven

  • 60–90 seconds

Example Pizza

This one was cold-proofed for just over 24 hours, cut up into balls and then rested at room temperature for about 4 hours.

The sauce was made from equal parts pizza sauce and garlic Alfredo. A little mozzarella cheese, then the rest of the toppings were put on.

It was then baked at 550F for 9 min on a pizza steel in a home oven.

Toppings:

• Cooked Mushrooms,

• Jalapeños,

• Prosciutto, and

• Fresh Arugula (mixed with Olive Oil and low-sugar syrup)

First off, you need to know which “number” each monitor is. The more displays connected to your machine, obviously, the harder it is to tell what each one is without looking.

How To Find Out What The Monitor Number Is

To find out what each monitor number is, you will need to perform the following steps:

1. Right-click “Desktop”

2. Click “Display Settings”

3. In the “Display” settings window, click on “Identify”.

4. Make sure to note the numbers.

   1. They should match the setup in the picture

EXAMPLE:

Add Pictures to Personalization Background

Now that you know the display numbers, you need to add all the pictures. In my case, I will need to add 3 different pictures because I need to be able to select 3 different images, one for each monitor.

To add a picture to personalization, follow these steps:

1. Right-click “Desktop”

2. Click “Personalize”

3. Click “Background”

EXAMPLE:

Now that you are in the “Background” page, you will need to select the 3 images you want to use. To do this:

1. Click on “Browse" Photos”.

   1. The selection window will open

2. Select Image

3. Click “Choose Picture”.

EXAMPLE:

Assign Image To Each Display/Monitor

Now that you know the display numbers and have told the window which images you want to use, you are ready to start applying the images to your screens.

Phew! (sarcasm)

Still in the “Background” settings window, right-click each image and select the monitor number you want to display it on.

In the example below, I right-clicked and then selected " display 2”.

You will need to rinse and repeat the same steps, but for the remaining displays.

1. Go to the admin login page and log in.

2. Click on Setup Network

3. Click on Get Connected

4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and enable SNMP

Visual Process