// engineer · operator

Hi, I'm Xiujun Ma

I build things and write about the hard parts.

// latest entriesview all (47) →
Aug 2, 2026v2026.08

FreeBSD Rewrote the Ports Tree History — An Operator's Recovery Guide

A 150MB GitHub Copilot binary landed in the ports tree on July 20, broke the GitHub mirror, and put a proprietary blob in the permanent history. The fix was a history rewrite. If you have a ports checkout you haven't pulled since July, it has diverged from upstream — here's how to tell and how to fix it.

freebsd · ports · git · 8 min read
Jun 28, 2026v2026.06

How to Serve a Next.js App on FreeBSD with Caddy

Install Caddy on FreeBSD and reverse-proxy a Next.js app with automatic HTTPS — no certbot, no manual renewals. A tested pkg, rc.conf, and Caddyfile guide.

freebsd · caddy · next.js · 6 min read
// about

Software engineer shipping web applications — from early-stage products to enterprise systems. I care about performance, reliability, and code that holds up under pressure.

This site is where I document what I build, what I learn, and what actually works in production. No fluff, just the real stuff.

reactnext.jstypescriptnode.jsjavascriptjavakotlinfreebsdnginxseoweb performancetechnical writing
// projects
// get in touch

Open to interesting conversations about systems, AI infra, and building reliable software on unglamorous hardware.