Neal Spangler

Work Home lab & side projects

This website runs on a server built from spares

My first site, a one-page landing page, went offline and its domain lapsed. I rebuilt it as this portfolio and host it at home on a server I assembled from parts left over from fixing computers.

From my PC to the home server to you On my PC, page templates and project files go through a build that makes plain HTML and checks for confidential names. A deploy script renders the résumé PDFs and uploads only tracked files to the home server, built from spare repair parts: a Core i5-6400 on an ASUS B150M-C running Ubuntu Server and nginx over HTTPS. The home router forwards web traffic to it, and pages go out to your browser. My PC templates and project files Build plain HTML, leak checks Deploy PDFs, tracked files only Home server spare parts from PC repairs Core i5-6400 · ASUS B150M-C Ubuntu Server · nginx · HTTPS Router web traffic only You any browser
Templates and project files go through build checks, PDF rendering and deployment to the home server.
1command to build, check and publish
3looks, with Ops console as the default
0outside scripts, trackers or ad networks

The problem

I wanted employers to see examples of my work quickly, and I had spare hardware for hosting it. I also needed short copy, anonymous employer references and checks before publishing changes.

What I did

  • The server: a Core i5-6400 on an ASUS B150M-C board with 16 GB, a Samsung SSD and a 4 TB Seagate drive, all spare parts from PC repairs.
  • Hosting on my home fiber line, with DNS pointing to the server, web traffic forwarded by the router, and nginx serving HTTPS with automatic certificate renewal.
  • A Python build that turns page templates and one JSON file per project into plain HTML, with self-hosted fonts and a strict content policy.
  • Build checks reject listed confidential terms and unsafe SVG content. Deployment requires committed changes.
  • A deploy script that renders both résumé PDFs in headless Chrome, uploads only files tracked in Git and keeps recent releases on the server.

What I took from it

The site loaded quickly on cellular but stalled on my home PC through the router. Testing from both networks let me separate the router problem from the website.

Home lab & side projects

Adaptive browser graphics with WebGL

A MilkDrop-style WebGL shader that drifts between 19 patterns and ripples wherever you click or drag.
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