M0streng0's Blog

Mullvad's Co-founder Controversy

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This post follows the format:

Detail the controversy
Analyze Mullvad’s response
Compare this situation to a similar case (Proton’s CEO)
My action as a customer of Mullvad’s services.

« IMPORTANT TO MENTION »

This blog post does not intend to take a political position on the topic. I want to lay out everything about this controversy and try to understand both sides.

You may verify the sources yourself at the end of the page. Because like everything online, trust should be taken with a grain of salt.

The Man in the High Castle

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Some months ago, I watched the whole Amazon show with the same name, and I really liked it. That’s why I had high hopes for the book, and since it was written by Philip K. Dick, I knew it wouldn’t let me down.

And indeed I am not!

This book takes us to a world where the Axis ruled, a world that is fortunately far from the present (and hopefully for eternity). A narrative that genuinely leaves us with the question “what if?” in our minds…

Tailscale in all eReaders

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This was an interesting project that all started with me self-hosting rmfakecloud on my server and running the rmfakecloud-proxy to trick my reMarkable 2 into thinking it was connected to the official servers.

A very cool project that allows me to have control over my data and more easily add and edit files without having to either pay for the service (around 30 €/year) or trust their side of securing the data.

The Thursday Murder Club

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This movie was based on a book series (that I haven’t read, but it will go to my reading list) by Richard Osman. It’s a 5-book murder mystery book series, with multiple hints of Agatha Christie’s crime novels (which I love so much).

I suspect that the entire narrative may have been significantly influenced by Agatha Christie’s “The Thirteen Problems (or The Tuesday Club Murders).”

Before I watched the movie, I didn’t know about this book series by Richard Osman. Now that I do, I think it would have made a better TV show, maybe based on all 5 books in the series. Nothing, though, prevents them from continuing to explore the following books in the seventh art format, which I would really like.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Now this is what I call a MOVIE.

I’ve watched the entire movie collection, and this is by far the best. And that says a lot, since the others were great as well.

It’s so captivating, leaving us always wanting to know the next scene, the next act…

I remember there was a moment that I thought that the movie was about to conclude, with the great reveal of the murderer, buuuuuuuuut no, I was in the middle of the movie. Such a great plot, with every single frame of the movie flowing towards an awesome ending.

Drive

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I found it entertaining, and that was exactly what I was looking for. Ironically, I was on a long car trip and needed something to distract myself, so I grabbed this movie and watched it.

Although the movie has been out for a while, I only recently discovered it after learning that the music I like to listen to by Kavinsky was featured in the opening, so I decided to give it a try.

Death's End

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’m at a loss for words, not even sure where to begin. It’s just EPIC.

The end of The Dark Forest made me think that this series would go in a certain direction, but I was wrong; it’s actually so much more.

It is so different from its original roots that it is unrecognizable, but it is for the better; it explores amazing theories and concepts like time warping and multi-dimensional travel, and the plot is always spot-on.

My Nixos Experience

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

« DEFINITION OF FUN »

Change Linux systems frequently until you locate your haven.

I went to NixOS this time.

After trying it a few years ago, I found it harder than any other system I’d used, even Arch. That’s right… But I tried it again this time, armed with all the knowledge I had learned before.

It wasn’t easy at first; I had to try a few different configurations before I could say that I had it right (in my opinion).

Black Mirror

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This one is really different; it’s truly one-of-a-kind in its own right. Some have characterized it as revolutionary, subversive, dark, subliminal, and totally awesome.

To begin, each episode tells a different story, presents a fresh take on a taboo topic, or offers a radical new outlook on the future. There isn’t a way to review this show as a whole because every episode is different.

In one word, it’s mind-blowing, as it is one of the most original and exceptional miniseries ever made. While there are certain episodes better than others, I, as a devoted techno-nerd, love the ideas behind those that combine technology in extreme ways and humanity.

Cosmic — Alpha 6

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been using System76’s “Cosmic-DE” for the past 10 days. It’s still being worked on (Alpha 6).

I have made the decision to transition from Arch Linux with DWM (Xorg — X11) to the Fedora Spin with Cosmic-DE. Since it’s a beta spin, it uses the Fedora 42 beta. I wanted to see how far along Wayland was for everyday use.

Things have been pretty good for me so far! Cosmic is already coming along very well, and I think it’s ready to be used every day. I have to say that I LOVE my DWM system—it’s so easy to use, so quick, and just great (though not perfect because it’s a bit old since it uses Xorg). So, overall, I’m really impressed with this desktop environment.

The Dark Forest

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Dark Forest, just like its predecessor, is incredibly fantastic. I know I pretty much went straight to my opinion, but this book has a special place in my heart and mind and has been added to my favorites’ shelf. Although the plot was built upon what happened in the first volume, this book is completely different, in a good sense.

I love The Three-Body Problem, but I think this book I just finished is better in terms of both story and debate, even though some may disagree.

The Three-Body Problem

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I learned about this book from the TV adaptation that was based on it (see my review here), and because of that, I knew what the main theme of the book was before I even started reading it.

In the end, though, I have to say that the book is MUCH better than the show.

To the best of my knowledge, the physics are implemented correctly, and the idea of a three-body system without a mathematical means of distinguishing between the chaotic and stable phases is a fantastic use of science fiction.

Wi-Fi Hotspot in Linux

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I often find myself in a situation where I need to temporarily connect to a certain network with a device that is usually offline. For various reasons, it is advantageous to create a temporary Wi-Fi hotspot for that specific device without granting it direct access to the router.

Creating a hotspot using a mobile phone is a quick and easy way, however, sometimes I prefer to use my laptop to do that.

Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I must start by saying that as Portuguese, I have a great respect for the work by José Saramago, in which with his masterpieces he was able to provide something unique to our culture, a Nobel Prize.

This book is very intense and very detailed, in which it properly illustration a fictitious scenario in which the world is put in a unique and difficult reality.

Saramago’s ability to control the emotions of the characters is unique. The way he envisions the missing of humanity, when everyone is just concerned with themselves, is truly remarkable.

Website 2.0

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, I switched over to the latest version of my website, which I’ve been working on for the past couple of days.

I was no longer updating my website, and I no longer enjoyed looking at its state. I found it difficult to read the contents, and that just made me want to make a better version of it.

This new theme was highly inspired by Kev Quirk’s website. Thanks to him and his 512kb.club, I was inspired to make my new website as minimal as possible! Even without the use of JavaScript (yes, it does not have JS).

Severance

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

End Season 1: If I were to sum up this show in a single word, it would be simply “WOW”. There are no discernible words for it. The show is truly remarkable, with exceptional and distinctive cinematography, and the narrative, akin to a chef’s kiss.

I love the concept of separating the personal from the work life, literally, through this Severance process. It’s amazing to see how the characters behave differently in those two different environments.

Silo

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is a highly intriguing and innovative narrative, wherein a society is compelled to live underground, in a Silo, due to unknown causes.

The way mystery involves the story by leaving more questions than answers makes you want to know what is going to happen next.

Furthermore, the way social classes are physically placed in the Silo and that the most important jobs (even though all social classes consider to be doing the most important job) are deep down in the Silo gives it a nice representation of a dystopian world.

Dark Matter (Book)

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve come across this great literary work through the TV series that was based on it. I found it to be highly intriguing and thought-provoking.

The connection with scientific theories and terms, such as Dark Matter (which got its name from it), and the whole narrative being centered around Schrödinger’s cat theory, really piqued my curiosity.

I was amused and amazed by reading the book, and in the end, this made me question our own size as existence, and question the actual possibilities, of existing unknown universes around us created by the paths not taken.

Minority Report

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This was a thoughtful film that provoked thought. It is a high-quality film by Spielberg, featuring a fast-paced plot that thoroughly explores the narrative created by Philip Dick. This thriller movie provokes and questions the power and control of the system.

I personally love all Philip Dick’s narratives, either being through its books or properly made adaptations for those same books. I consider that this particular movie is exceptionally well-produced and executed with respect to its originality and thought-provoking concepts.

3 Body Problem

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is an interesting show, even though I found the narrative to be a bit confusing and the emotions to be a bit off. In general, it was a solid series.

I am interested in revisiting it in his second season; maybe it will improve and change my opinion.

This show inspired me to read Liu Cixin’s books, which gave the script to this show. Perhaps the all-exaggerated alien threat and the whole narrative are properly ported from the book.

Dark Matter (TV Show)

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This TV Show is really well made, with all of its intriguing ideas and an whole roller coaster of emotional changes.

With this show, I got the intrigue to dive into Blake Crouch’s book, and since this review you’re reading was made after I explored the book, I can tell you that it does properly follow the original script, and the whole narratives and scenes are properly preserved, with just some changes with the purpose of being more appealing as a TV Show.

The Edge of Sleep

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This was a nice TV show that didn’t need to be this good. I discovered this show thanks to Markiplier (Mark Fischbach - creator and main actor) as I followed him on YouTube.

The show is both amusing and intriguing, and I found it to be exceptionally well-executed, despite its modest budget.

I found the narrative to be highly creative and perhaps relatable, as it revolves around the concept of not sleeping, as one may die to the creatures of sleep. Although there were moments when the plot was a bit confusing, the overall experience was positive.

Convert OVA to QCOW2

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I usually use virtual machines for tasks that involve either multiple operating systems in the same type or sandboxing environments, usually for cybersecurity work, such as Capture the Flag.

QEMU, a software used for emulating these virtual environments, has its virtual drives mostly in the QCOW2 file format, but those found available online are mostly available in the ova format.

So, with that in mind, I figured I needed to learn how to convert OVA to QCOW2.

Sync KOReader with Dropbox

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I use Calibre-Web-Automated as an excellent OPDS server in order to download e-books to all my devices. I also use KOReader’s progressive sync to keep track of my reading progress. However, the reading statistics are not synchronized across devices, which makes it difficult to accurately track my reading habits.

KOReader can sync these statistics (stored in a SQLite3 file) using WebDAV, FTP, or Dropbox, but my Kindle, when not at home, can’t connect to my WebDAV server, leaving Dropbox the only option as it’s accessible from anywhere.

Upgrade Moodle Docker

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I found out that upgrading moodle (running in a Docker container) is not as simple as doing docker pull image.

It requires some more steps, that are properly referenced in the Moodle’s documentation – version 4.4

Backing up Docker volumes

As always, backup everything before doing any kind of updates.

Start by stopping the relevant Docker containers
```
docker stop moodle mariadb
```
Then, back up the Moodle volume (change according to your setup)

Minimize wear of the microSD

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The main storage drive of a Raspberry Pi is typically a microSD card. These are generally durable in terms of severe weather conditions and extensive wear, but when put in constant write and read, they will degrade very quickly.

I once used a Raspberry Pi as a home server, which was on 24/7. So I had to minimize reads and writes to the microSD card in order to maximize the lifespan of the card by reducing its wear.

Subscribe to Youtube RSS Feeds

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t have the YouTube app installed on my Android devices (nor do I use it directly), so in order to watch my favourite channels, I use alternative front-ends such as LibreTube and NewPipe.

YouTube (Google) being an evil Corp

Recently, YouTube is making efforts to stop services such as Invidious and Piped from working, and their later attempts (as of August 2024) are succeeding…

At least public-faced Piped instances are displaying "Sign in to confirm that you're not a bot", and videos are not being listed (at least with some of the creators I follow).

My Server - Raspberry Pi 4

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Why a Raspberry Pi 4?

I chose to use the Raspberry Pi 4 (before the launch of the 5th) because I knew how small it is and how power-efficient it is! I know that in the price range (a bit more than 100€ with everything, not counting with an HDD), I could buy some used PC and have a more powerful machine, and probably even cheaper. But, a thing I consider really important when setting up a server is power consumption. And really, hardly any machine consumes less than a Raspberry Pi.

Why create a website?

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Here are some reasons:

To use it as a portfolio
To be able to share content
To learn new things, such as
- Hugo (static website generator)
- To develop HTML and CSS a little better
- Getting back to using JavaScript
- Cloudflare (Pages)
Being able to write and translate in different languages (EN - FR - PT)

How was the site created?

Now that you know more about why I decided to create a website, I’ll tell you how I did it…

Why M0streng0 as a pseudonym?

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The pseudonym m0streng0 comes from the name mostrengo, a poem written by Fernando Pessoa, one of the most important Portuguese poets of the 20th century. This poem is part of the work “Mensagem”, which was published in 1934.

The “mostrengo” is a legendary creature that symbolizes the dangers and challenges faced by Portugal throughout its history. The poem describes the creature as something terrible and frightening that lurks, representing the external threats that the country has had to face over the centuries.

About Me

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hi, I’m Henrique.

I’m a twentysomething IT and cybersecurity student based just outside of Paris, where I live with my family and my awesome dog. I’m currently in my second year of a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity at EPITA.

I built this site to document the things I learn, share my technical setups, and write about the media I consume.

Disclaimer & Colophon

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is my personal site. The opinions and views expressed here are entirely my own and do not represent those of any current, past, or future employers, organizations, or institutions I might be affiliated with.

My thoughts evolve

I write to learn and to document my journey. Because of this, my thinking is constantly evolving. An article I wrote a year ago might not perfectly reflect my views today. Context and dates matter, so please keep them in mind when digging through older posts.

Get in Touch

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Feel free to reach out if you have a question or just want to say hi 👋! I always try to get back to you as soon™ as I can.

Encrypted & Direct

Email: gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu

This is an email alias. If it starts getting too much spam, I’ll simply rotate it.
Signal: @M0streng0.99
Discord: @m0streng0

Mastodon: @m0streng0@fosstodon.org

I don’t post very often on this platform – I mostly just use it to stay up-to-date on a few specific topics.

Privacy & License

gsnts1vz@m0streng0.eu (M0streng0) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I care a lot about digital privacy, so I’ve built this site to respect yours. There’s no surveillance capitalism happening here.

This site is hosted on statichost.eu, a platform built with privacy and GDPR compliance from the ground up.

1. No Tracking, No Analytics

Most of the web tracks every click you make. This site doesn’t.

I don’t run analytics, heat maps, or collect IP addresses. I genuinely don’t care about metrics like bounce rates or daily active users. If you enjoy something I wrote, I’d much rather get a thoughtful email from you than stare at a statistic on a dashboard.

M0streng0's Blog

Mullvad's Co-founder Controversy

The Man in the High Castle

Tailscale in all eReaders

The Thursday Murder Club

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Drive

Death's End

My Nixos Experience

Black Mirror

Cosmic — Alpha 6

The Dark Forest

The Three-Body Problem

Wi-Fi Hotspot in Linux

Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira

Website 2.0

Severance

Silo

Dark Matter (Book)

Minority Report

3 Body Problem

Dark Matter (TV Show)

The Edge of Sleep

Convert OVA to QCOW2

Sync KOReader with Dropbox

Upgrade Moodle Docker

Backing up Docker volumes

Minimize wear of the microSD

Subscribe to Youtube RSS Feeds

YouTube (Google) being an evil Corp

My Server - Raspberry Pi 4

Why a Raspberry Pi 4?

Why create a website?

How was the site created?

Why M0streng0 as a pseudonym?

About Me

Hi, I’m Henrique.

Disclaimer & Colophon

My thoughts evolve

Get in Touch

Encrypted & Direct

Social & Code

Privacy & License

1. No Tracking, No Analytics