Postfix Log Stats

I made some changes to my Postfix server configuration to update my Spamhaus DNSBLs recently and I wanted to see if more junk was being blocked than before. A long time ago, I used AWStats to parse my Postfix logs and generate web pages with pretty charts. This was neat because it would build a database for long-term trend discovery. However, I no longer have the patience to mess around with a CGI scripts in Apache HTTP Server.

So, I reached for pflogsumm.pl. This Perl script has been kicking since 1999. It processes log lines on STDIN and outputs a text report. I found a GitHub project that had containerized the script at github.com/panubo/docker-pflogsumm and I forked it to add multi-architecture support so I could run it on a modern Mac. My repo fork is at github.com/jlamoree/docker-pflogsumm and the images are pushed into Docker Hub at jlamoree/pflogsumm, if you’d like to run it too.

Here’s how I grab log files and create a report:

I like to review the report in Sublime Text — it’s got my favorite monospace typeface and color scheme configured for maximum pleasure.

Hocus Pocus Eyeball

I made an eyeball for the book from Hocus Pocus this Halloween. I created the model with some rough specs before the book was constructed. Based on those dimensions, I went with 15 kg/cm servos. These turned out to be overkill and a bit of a challenge to work with. The part designs are pretty ugly, driven by the constraints of 3D printing. Here’s the final result:

There’s just barely enough room to assemble the linkages inside the eyeball:

If I had the time to redesign it, I would put some bearings into the eyelid pivots. The Fusion 360 project is shared on AutoDesk Fusion Team.

My Arduino code for the eyeball is in the hocus-pocus-eyeball GitHub repo. It’s really important to set the servo limits; the plastic links are pretty delicate.

Here's a view of the mechanism before installation into the book:

MedeaWiz Sprite and Sprite DMX Interface

I need to control media playback via DMX for my Halloween scene this year. I’m using hardware from MedeaWiz and Fright Ideas, specifically these parts:

• Sprite Video Player

• Sprite DMX Interface

Without constraints, these parts have vulnerable electrical connections. I made a carriage to hold the parts and provide standard DMX XLR 3 pin in and out jacks. I printed it in ABS and got some warping, since my 3D printer does not have a heated enclosure. The result is certainly usable though.

I’ve shared the Fusion 360 design, if you’d like to make changes: Sprite Holder
The STL with default export settings is in my 3D print projects Microsoft® Git™ repository: Sprite-Holder.stl

The result is functional, but I’d probably make a few changes to the mechanism for holding the parts if I had infinite time.