As the title suggests, this is a short technical post.
I spent too much time today trying to figure out how to fix my GitLab pipeline after upgrading the Ruby version in a Rails app from 3.4.2 to 3.4.5.
The Problem
I have two jobs that connect to the MySQL 8.4 database service: one for testing migrations and one for the RSpec test suite.
Both jobs failed quickly with the following error message:
ERROR 2026 (HY000): TLS/SSL error: self-signed certificate in certificate chain
bin/rails aborted!
failed to execute: `mysql`
The solution
I'm still not sure what the root cause of the issue is, but I think it's related to the Ruby Docker images I use. I've switched from ruby:3.4.2-slim to ruby:3.4.5-slim.
I realized that I have to disable SSL certificate verification within the MariaDB client, so i added the following to my Dockerfile:
RUN touch ~/.my.cnf
RUN echo "[client] \ndisable-ssl-verify-server-cert" >> ~/.my.cnf
And voilà, my jobs are running like a charm again!
I hope this is helpful for you. Please bear in mind that disabling the SSL connection is usually undesirable in production environments.
Have a good day and happy debugging!
In my previous post, I announced that I would explain why I'm writing on this blog and what you can expect. So, here we go!
Why did I choose to share my thoughts with the world?
To be honest, I didn't think much about it, but the following factors influenced my decision:
WriteFreely shows me how many views a post has, which motivates me to publish new content.
It feels exciting to produce something for the public. Maybe someone can relate to some of my thoughts — isn't connection what we as humans search for?
I plan to share ideas and things that work for me, so hopefully some of my readers will benefit from them too.
Writing forces me to think about how to express my thoughts clearly. I think I can benefit from this at work and in my relationships. I want to improve my focus skills.
It's fun — I can already say this after publishing only one post!
What topics will I cover?
I have decided not to focus on a specific topic or purpose. The reason is that I don't want to restrict myself, so that writing feels easy. I want to be able to write about whatever is on my mind.
However, I can share some key areas (please ignore the overlap; this is just a rough, non-exhaustive list): Photography, software development, psychology, meditation, human behavior, productivity, books, music, food, open home automation.
How frequently will you share new content?
I plan to publish at least one post a week. The posts won't always be long, but I'll try to give you something to think about every time I hit the publish button. I want to make this a healthy habit.
That's a wrap (I've always wanted to write that!).
Enjoy your day!
After reading James Clear's Atomic Habits (I think I bought it during the pandemic), I have come to see habits as a major concept by which I shape my life. Occasionally, I establish or adapt habits in the hope that they will improve my life, the lives of my fellow human beings, and the world.
Let me tell you about three habits that spring to mind right now:
At the end of my workday, I write down some key points about what happened today, how I felt, and anything else on my mind regarding work.
I always tidy up immediately in my kitchen and living room. For example, I put the plates in the dishwasher straight away instead of leaving them on the work surface. I also use the time it takes for my coffee maker to brew me a cup to tidy up anything that's lying around.
I usually have a small handwritten notepad where I write down the current weekday and date, as well as things I don't want to forget. It's less of a to-do list and more a way of moving thoughts out of my brain. It's always on my desk in front of me, together with a nice pen – currently an 'eco-friendly plantable pen' – which I brought back from holiday last year.
What are your habits, and how do you think they influence your life?
Note: In my next post, I will talk briefly about why I am writing this blog and what you can expect from it.
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This was the first post on my new tiny blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it! On the topic of the above, I want to establish a writing habit here. Although I'm primarily doing this for myself, I'm open to any suggestions on how to make my posts more interesting for you.