How to use Backblaze B2 with Laravel
I am working on a Laravel project and decided to use a Backblaze bucket as it’s cheaper for storage when compared to AWS S3. I couldn’t find a tutorial on how to get it working from scratch and I tested a bunch of Laravel B2 libraries that didn’t end up working. The good news is that you don’t need a special B2 plugin and instead can use the S3 package recommended by the Laravel docs.
If you haven’t added the flysystem-aws-s3 package, add it to your project using composer:
composer require league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3Login to your B2 account and create your bucket with your required settings. Once created, you’ll want to create a new application key with the permissions you need for your app. You should get a confirmation once it’s generated:
Open your .env file and locate the settings for AWS. You’ll need to add one key that’s not there by default:
AWS_ENDPOINT=Match the settings in your .env from the application key to the values below.
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=keyID
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=applicationKey
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=us-west-000
AWS_BUCKET=bucket-name
AWS_ENDPOINT=S3 EndpointNow you should be able to call the Laravel storage system like normal:
\Storage::disk('s3')->put('test.txt', 'test');Why the Drobopro-FS Pro sucks
A few years ago, I purchased a DroboPro-FS Pro 8 bay NAS system. After getting a demo from one of my vendors, I was sold on the ability to have different sized hard drives, hot swapping, and the self repairing file system. Another feature I liked was that it also monitors the health of my hard drives. If one starts developing issues or gets full, Drobo will warn me, and robotically shift my data to other drives until I can replace that drive. I did my research and at the time, it looked like a fantastic deal.
After a few years with it, I can readily admit I made a huge mistake in purchasing the product. I’m lucky in that the unit has not failed yet like it has for others but it’s also a horrible choice for backups for a myriad of reasons.
- IT LOSES DATA: My Drobo mysteriously loses data after it reboots. I’ve noticed this a few times after I’ve come home from vacation and turned off the unit to save power. Files (entire gigs of them) I haven’t accessed in months are mysteriously gone. Because it’s a custom file system, I have no way of trying to recover anything. I’ve confirmed this actually happens by running a disk catalog before shutting down and then running a report on the compare which shows files are definitely missing. I’ve done this 4 times and have verified it happened 4 times now. Missing file range from a few to hundreds and they vary in size so there’s no discernable pattern.
- Vendor Lock-in: You can’t access any of the files without a Drobo due to the custom file system. If the unit fails, you lose everything unless you buy another unit.Â
- Terrible Support: Support is lackluster. The warranty is one year and then you’re on your own which is not exactly confidence building.Â
- Weird Custom Desktop App: The Drobo dashboard is terrible and should have been a web interface like the other NAS options on the market. The dashboard is an app that runs in the background to connect to the shares and manage permissions, which every OS can do natively. Even worse, the dashboard app supposedly connects to the Drobo through port 5000 and then broadcasts over a randomized port which requires custom firewall permissions if it doesn’t support app level permissions. There’s no reason for the app to exist let alone broadcast anything.
- Doesn’t Deliver on Core Features: One of the features of the Drobo that sold me on it was that it should notify you when a drive is failing. In reality, the Drobo did not actually notify me about failing drives until it was too late and the drive failed completely and it didn’t move any of the data to other drives.
- Apps: Non-existent. They released some basic app support by doing a weird workaround by creating a directory and adding the app files to it but then it suddenly disappeared from the Drobo website. A third party site came up to mirror the lost apps but at this point it’s not even worth the effort to me. Droboapps was an extremely limited offering and afterthought. They actually removed support for apps from the Drobo because they didn’t want to deal with supporting users.
- Remote File Access – Doesn’t exist natively.
Compared to Synology DS1918+
I purchased a Synology DS1918+ 8-Bay Drive and the differences are pretty stark. I’ve actually been moving important files from my Drobo over to it as a safeguard.
- No data loss: Thus far, no data has been lost on the Synology.
- Apps: The apps support on Synology is incredible. I use a bunch (Plex, Photos, Backups, and many others) but the one I love most is Synology Drive, which works as a replacement for DropBox.
- Web Interface: The Synology web interface is extremely intuitive and easy to work with. There’s options for power users to make the NAS even more useful. I love that there’s no custom app to run in the background on my desktop. Connecting to shares is as simple as using the network shares native to the OS.
- Permissions/Security: The Synology permissions can be extremely granular, and includes support for roles/groups + users.
- Sharing: Synology offers an easy way to share files over the internet with permissions, like Dropbox does. The only difference is you aren’t limited to file size restrictions. Drobo does not.
- Remote Connect: Synology offers a browser based remote connect solution they call Quick Connect. Once you configure your Synology for remote access (it even configured my firewall permissions), you can access it via the quickconnect URL. No jumping through hoops for setup or access, and it just works. Good luck with setting this up with the Drobo, as I haven’t figured it out.
Dorco/DollarShaveClub vs Gillette Razor Review
TL;DR Version
- DollarShaveClub is a ripoff and waste of time. Buy the blades from DorcoUSA.com direct and save even more money and get the blades faster. You’ll get more blades for your money and you get them a lot faster.
- The Dorco requires more passes for the shave even though it has more blades. It also sucks on the neck area and caused an ingrown hair.
- Even though the Dorco is a fraction of the cost, I prefer the the Gillette as it provides a better shave, lasts longer, and shaves closer.
The Long Version
DollarShaveClub Review
After watching the hilarious viral video, I recently took advantage of DollarShaveClub through a deals site to give them a try. I’m wary of services that make me lazier but the prospect of saving money on expensive razors was too good to pass up. The premise of the service is you don’t need to remember buying your own razor blades and they’ll be cheaper than the Gillettes you’d buy at the store.
After signing up for the DollarShaveClub service, about two weeks later, I received a razor handle in the mail in a tiny cardboard envelope. Yes, that’s right, just a razor handle and no blades. While I’m all for giving businesses a second chance, there’s nothing convenient about having to remind the company that’s supposed to take the burden of remembering your blades to send you the blades, especially when you’re out of razor blades and they take two weeks to send them. I did send an e-mail to their customer service to alert them that the blades were missing and it took three days for them to respond. I don’t know their volume but that’s a long time for a response in internet time.
After inspecting the new “Executive” blades, I did some searching and found out that the blades were simply Dorco blades that they were reselling at a marked up premium. Dorco sells the cartridges in a 4 pack of blades. For some odd reason, DollarShaveClub removes one from the pack and sends you the pack with three and an empty slot.
Since my whole premise was saving money, I decided to explore Dorco directly. For the same price as two months worth of DollarShaveClub, which would equal 6 cartridges, I was able to buy 16 replacement cartridges. Additionally, I received the replacements in three days.
Dorco Pace6 vs Gillette Fusion ProGlide
I tried the Dorco Pace6 razor for two weeks. The verdict? It’s a decent razor. The handle is well designed and solid. My only complaint about the handle is that the base is really bulbous which makes it impossible to fit into my holder. The blades themselves only do a decent job overall. In comparing the Gillette vs. the Dorco, the Dorco requires more passes to do the shave even though it has an extra blade on it. They also absolutely suck shaving on my neck and have actually caused an ingrown hair. The Pace6 also does not provide as close a shave as the ProGlide so I have to shave more often. The Pace6 blade’s sharpness also doesn’t last as long as the ProGlide.
I’ve never had a cut, nick, or ingrown hair before with my ProGlide. After the negative experience, I’m sticking with the ProGlide even though it’s more money.