WordPress 6.9.2 security update
WordPress 6.9.2 is out today, and it is a security release. If you run WordPress sites in production, this is one of those updates that belongs in the “do it now” category rather than “get to it when you can”. Security fixes are rarely visible to users, but they matter disproportionately because they reduce the chances of an avoidable incident turning into downtime, data exposure, or a time-consuming clean-up. In practical terms, a security update like 6.9.2 is about closing off specific attack paths that have been identified and responsibly disclosed. The details in the release notes are worth reading,
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Rocky 10 (vs Alma 10)
Rocky 10 and AlmaLinux 10 sit in the same family tree, but they are not interchangeable choices. Both are RHEL-compatible distributions aimed at organisations that want the stability and long lifecycle of Red Hat Enterprise Linux without the subscription. On paper that sounds like a simple “either will do” decision. In practice, the differences that matter are less about packages and more about governance, ecosystem signals, and how risk is managed over the lifetime of a server estate. Compatibility is the baseline, not the differentiator. Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux both track RHEL closely, and both exist to provide a predictable
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Bye bye CentOS – the big Linux switch for websites
Websites either run on Linux-based operating systems (around two-thirds) or Windows (around a third).  There are around 1% of sites running on other stuff. Until a couple of years ago, CentOS was my Linux operating system of choice.  It was stable, based on a commercial Linux distro and – importantly for some of the web hosting and development work I do – ran cPanel well.  The decision to discontinue production of it came as a surprise to many in the tech community – me included.  CentOS, short for Community Enterprise Operating System, has been a popular choice for servers and
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Extras who became actors
For many aspiring actors, getting a job as a TV or film extra is often seen as a first step towards breaking into the industry. While it may not be the glamorous lead role that many dream of, being a background artist can offer valuable experience, exposure to the industry and the chance to work alongside established actors and crew members. However, what many extras don’t realise is that it can also occasionally (let’s be realistic) be a stepping stone to something more. In the UK, there are several stories of background artists who went on to have a speaking
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Someone to watch over me: Good Motoring Spring 2020
It’s great to see that the Spring 2020 edition of Good Motoring magazine is now out and dropping on doormats across the country – still with its fully compostable wrap, of course. My piece in this edition is about Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and how it has infiltrated many areas of our motoring lives. There’s also a preview of the refreshed Blue Light Aware, the official awareness campaign for motorists with guidance for what to do when an emergency vehicle on a blue light run is nearby.  I’ve been involved with it from the beginning, which was about a
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Getting work as a Supporting Artiste
Once you’re registered and signed up with some Supporting Artiste / ‘extras’ agencies, you will hopefully start to get offers of work.  Here’s what to expect and what you can do to help secure work. Depending on the agency, job offers usually arrive via email, SMS or phone call.   A number of agencies I work with will email and text you at roughly the same time but you shouldn’t rely on this. Many opportunities are sent out to a group of people meeting the production’s requirements on a first-come, first-served basis.  Some of these jobs may only have one
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