David Taylor | Programmer & Maker

n8n progress #9
I tried to get AI to do everything by giving it all GitHub tools it might need and it didn’t work. Going to hold the AI’s hand, I’ll fetch and handle files/commits myself so the AI just focuses on the code changes needed.

#github #AI #automation

n8n progress #8
I’m testing a lightweight AI decision step that flags whether a task the report suggests is AI‑doable or needs a human. Just a quick filter so only AI‑friendly items get handed to later stages.

#AI #automation #n8n

Lightbulb moment this week: my homelab’s stable and I’ve got a ChatGPT API key… so I installed Open WebUI.
Now I’m testing going API-only. For how I use it, GPT-5 mini/nano is plenty and pay-as-you-go should be cheaper.

#buildinpublic #homelab #selfhosting #openwebui

Pro Reset Game is live on the Unity Asset Store ✅
It got rejected first pass, turns out they wanted more/clearer screenshots than I expected.
Added a few more images, resubmitted, accepted.

#Unity #gamedev #BuildInPublic

n8n progress #7
I cleaned up the SEO report so each line maps to the right page. It was messy before, now I can actually understand it and turn it into a real to‑do list (and eventually automate it).

#SEO #analytics

n8n progress #6:
Quick cost check: o4‑mini tests cost $3.14 total so far, so I switched to 5‑nano cheaper and same/better output from what I can see. I'm open for suggestions on other models that might perform better

#AI #costs #n8n

n8n progress #5
I've Looked at the first automated reply. It’s a useful response formatting isn't the best and is inconstant between each site page so I still need to tweak it but it's a good start.

#email #automation

n8n progress #4
Email sending is working, workflow completes and email report is sent. Next: run it for a real site and use the results to improve it. 

#n8n #automation #email #BuildInPublic #devlog

n8n progress #3
OpenAI is wired into n8n. Keys and permissions are sorted. I’m using the template default to o4-mini for now. I’ll test other models in a later version with a direct comparison.

#n8n #OpenAI #BuildInPublic

n8n progress #2
Google Search Console is connected. It took longer than I expected, but real search data is now feeding the workflow. Looking forward to seeing the report the template creates!

#GoogleSearchConsole #SEO #n8n #BuildInPublic

n8n progress #1
Learning SEO and n8n by tinkering. I grabbed a n8n SEO template as a base, now the plan is to get it running and adapt it to my setup, and if it works, move toward automating basic SEO tasks.

#n8n #SEO #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 30: Finished!
Started this on Nov 5. Thought it’d be a couple weekends, it turned into months. 😅
But the home lab is finally in the “it just runs” state.
Next bit: n8n automations. First clean login is up, and I’m ready to start.

#HomeLab #n8n #Automation #SelfHosting

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 29:
Tracked down why the last two containers wouldn’t start… I’d spelt their names wrong. 😅 Fixed the typos and now everything’s finally up.

#HomeLab #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 28:
Big Docker day. Most of the stack is now online. Two containers still refusing to start, but it finally feels like a real homelab instead of just networking gear.

#HomeLab #SelfHosting #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 27:
Added a 5Gb USB NIC. Took a bit of driver hunting to get it working, but I’m now seeing around 5× the throughput compared to the old 1Gb link. Worth the effort.

#HomeLab #Networking #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 26:
WiFi AP installed and up and running. Always satisfying when something powers on, adopts cleanly, and just works first time.

#HomeLab #Networking #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 25:
New delivery day. WiFi gear and cameras have arrived. The WiFi AP wasn’t in the original plan, but I decided to go all-in on UniFi - now comes the careful part of installing everything without breaking what already works 😅

#HomeLab #Networking #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 24:
Docker is up. Still wrestling with Portainer a bit, but I’m taking my time and making sure things are set up cleanly this round instead of rushing and regretting it later.

#HomeLab #Docker #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 23:
SSH is working — and it was a lot simpler than I expected. I can finally manage everything from my desk instead of standing in front of the rack.

#HomeLab #Linux #SelfHosting

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 22:
First time running a proper Linux server - Ubuntu Server, CLI only. I’ve used Ubuntu before, but never without a GUI. Definitely expecting a learning curve, but that’s exactly why I’m doing it.

#HomeLab #Linux #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 21:
It’s looking properly tidy now. All the hardware from my old side cabinet is finally organised into the server rack. Completely overkill and probably not the smartest decision - but a very fun one.

#HomeLab #ServerRack #SelfHosting #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 20:
Favourite upgrade so far: a pull-out shelf for my old laptop — now doing duty as the main homelab compute node. Rack is looking way cleaner already.

#HomeLab #BuildInPublic #SelfHosting #ServerRack

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 19:
Rack tidy-up day: a brush panel and a blanking plate. Small changes, but the front finally looks clean instead of chaotic.

#HomeLab #ServerRack #BuildInPublic #CableManagement #RackMount #HomelabCommunity

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 18:
Cabinet was looking messy, so I installed some Etherlighting patch cables. Bit pricey, but the rack sits out in the open - so I wanted the front to look intentional instead of a “temporary mess”. Happy with how clean it looks now.

#HomeLab #Networking #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 17:
SSD cache has been live a few days now. Writes jumped from ~270 to ~400, but reads actually dropped from ~830 to ~740. Hit rates are low (9% read, 15% write), but day-to-day editing still feels snappier. Early days, but still a win.

#HomeLab #NAS #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 16:
Added SSD caching to the UNAS Pro 8. Straightforward install, just a bit fiddly, but very satisfying to finally slot in some proper high-speed storage. Should make working directly off the server a lot smoother.

#HomeLab #NAS #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 15:
After the in-wall run gave up completely, I just fed a spare cable through instead. Not perfect, but a big step up from the bright purple patch cable I’d been using 😅

#HomeLab #SelfHosting #BuildInPublic

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 14:
Another Issue One in wall run is dark! Time to get out the ethernet cable tester again! 
Thankfully my network still running at 100% due to a temp ethernet hanging down the front of the server rack.
#Networking #Troubleshooting #HomeLab

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 13:
Patch panel and first shelf installed, Final bits moved now fully in the server rack! 
Still a long way till it's all organised and looking neat and tidy!
#CableManagement #HomeLab #Networking #ServerRack #WorkInProgress

Home Lab Overhaul - Part 12:
I've run my first ethernet cables through a wall. It's a necessity since my ONT is in my living room, and I'm not having a server rack in my living room. I like tech, but not that much!
#CableManagement #HomeLab #Networking #WorkInProgress