Posts on Michael Holland

Setting up a Python Discord bot service using systemd (and securing your VPS!)

Sun, 12 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A friend of mine recently created a chatbot for his Discord server, and he asked if I could host it for him. He didn’t want to leave his PC running 24/7, and he knows I enjoy tinkering with Linux servers. Join me as I set up a cozy little home for the Discord bot I adopted.

Giving back to Raivo OTP

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I use a lot of free and open-source software—like MarkText, which I’m using to write this article—and I deeply appreciate the effort developers put into these passion projects. Most of the programs I use already do everything I need, so I haven’t had a chance to contribute code back to any of them. But that changed recently when I found the perfect feature to add to Raivo OTP!

Rendering and simulating digital CBCT scans

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 22:43:38 -0400

I began orthodontic treatment recently, and having a digital CBCT scan was part of the consultation process. As a former radiography student with an interest in data processing, I really wanted to get my hands on a copy of the scan so I could conduct some experiments. Let’s see what I was able to do with it!

EzSpriteSheet: a free and open source sprite sheet creator

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 22:43:38 -0400

Making sprite sheets has never been easier: toss a folder at my new program and watch magic happen! This blogpost details both why and how I created a new tool to solve a common obstacle in low-level game development. EzSpriteSheet was a month-long commitment.

Crafting simple hardware drivers with libusb

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 14:20:56 -0400

I recently upgraded my computer mouse. Windows drivers are available through the vendor’s website, but what’s a daily Linux user like me to do? Reverse engineer it, of course!

Developing a video game in C: Flappy Navi

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 00:22:57 -0400

I write a lot of software, and last week I decided to spice up my repertoire with something fun: why not a video game? I spent only three days on this one, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. In this article, I describe the steps I took to complete a small game development project: from start to finish.

Data mining the F-Zero X overdump

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 19:29:00 -0400

Ever go on a treasure hunt? Think of that, except the entire adventure takes place inside a blob of data no one has ever laid eyes on. We data miners are digital archaeologists, and we struck a goldmine. Today, I will tell the tale of the F-Zero X overdump expedition.

Writing a tiny MIPS assembler and disassembler in C

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 17:57:17 -0400

We are able to do most of our Nintendo 64 development in C nowadays. But things weren’t always like that! Long ago, legendary hackers did it all in handwritten assembly. Join me as I write a minimalistic MIPS assembler/disassembler and show you how to compile a rudimentary hack using it.

wild berries

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 17:53:17 -0400

These wild berries are growing in my backyard. What can I say? I really like berries. 🍓