本来一张 N26 可以解决的事情，结果我现在已经集邮了 N26, Wise, Zen, Wirex, Amex DE, Monzo, Barclays, Monese, HSBC AU, Amex US
何为 Global Transfer
大致介绍一下 Global Transfer ，如果你拥有某个地区的 Amex 信用卡，然后因为某些原因需要前往另外一个地区，Global Transfer 可以让另一地区的 Amex 获得你之前所用到的 Amex 卡片的信用记录，以便快速发卡，大概就是这样的一个东西，更加具体的内容与教程大家可以自行搜索，不再赘述。
申请的前提条件：持有其他地区 Amex 直接发行的信用卡超过三个月，拥有三期账单，拥有一个可以接收信件的美国地址，可以证明你居住地址的文件例如 Bank Statement, Utility Bills 等。
正文开始，申请之路
获得 Amex DE 德国运通信用卡以及等待
前情提要：Amex de 申请成功，等待寄卡，记录下进度。 到本周为止 Amex DE 距离批卡已过三个月，也有了三期账单，符合了 Global Transfer 的条件，便开始着手准备 GT 到 US ，毕竟 AMEX DE 不刷欧元的话固定 3% FTF 还是比较蛋疼的。
申请流程
打开你所拥有的 Amex 卡片地区的官网，对我来说是 Amex DE ，点击登录，输入账号密码后进行登录。
确认登陆成功后将网页拉至最后，在右下角有一个切换国家的选项，我们在这里选择 US 。
此时我们就可以进入美国官网，选择 Personal Cards ，根据个人需求选择合适的卡片，本人选择的是 Hilton Honors ，免年费，免 FTF 。
选择 Apply ，然后就会出现这样的窗口询问你是否同意 AMEX US 访问其他地区的 Amex 以便来获取你的过往信用记录，选择 YES 。
这时如果 Amex US 可以获取你在其他地区的信用记录，便会出现如下界面，你的姓名、生日等个人信息已经被正确填写且无法更改，这时记得勾选红框内容以便可以使用护照号码而不是 SSN 或者 ITIN 进行申请，如下图：
然后根据网页提示继续填写剩余内容最后点击 Agree And Submit 即可。
第一次申请
提交申请后便收到了来自 Amex 的邮件。
然后随即拨打了 Amex US 的客服电话，客服告知他们无法处理我的申请，需要将我转接到负责 GT 的部分。
转接过去后，对面感觉是个带有起床气的客服代表（毕竟那会美国时间才刚刚八点，也合理），再次验证完个人信息后，告知需要 Proof of Address ，如下图所示：
作为一个云用户，自然是提交不了这种必须去 local branch 才能开具的文件，询问客服其他文件行不行，被客服告知有且仅有这个文件可以，说了句谢谢便挂断了电话。
第二天再次致电 Amex ，但是这次直接致电 GT 部门而非转接，被本次客服告知，已经有其他人做出了需要 additional information 的需求，他们无法二次更改，作罢。
随即上传了 HSBC 的 Bank Statement ，收到了来自 Amex 的文件上传确认邮件。此时已到了午夜，选择睡觉。
早上一觉醒来，便看到了来自 Amex US 的 Approve 邮件，然后便根据邮件内的提示创建了 Online Account ，邮件如图：
设置好一切后手机登陆，额度 10,000 USD ，也算合理，毕竟云居民。
结语
到此为止，便完成了这一次的 Amex DE GT Amex US 过程，现在便等待美国代收收到实体卡片，扫描后我进行激活，然后锁卡（还是有点怕盗刷），不选择将原来的卡片转运回国（几十刀的邮费属实扛不住），等待几天后联系 Amex US 进行卡片 Replace ，并由 AMEX US 负责将卡片寄送回国。
因为我的 Home Assistant 是通过 Docker 安装的 HA Core，不支持 Add On，所以这里需要通过 Docker 来进行安装，之前提到过，我的 Home Server 运行的是 NixOS，所以可以很方便的配置 Docker，具体的配置项如下，将其改为 Docker Compose 也很方便，所以这里不再提供。
In the past, my blog was hosted on Tencent Cloud using Typecho. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I lost ownership of that machine along with all my previous posts. Consequently, I took a hiatus from blogging, remaining in a state of silence for a few years. However, I now realize the importance of reviving my blog before lethargy engulfs me.
After conducting extensive research and considering various platforms such as Ghost, WordPress, Typecho ,Hugo and some other platforms, I finally settled on Ghost. Its remarkable speed, plethora of customized themes, aesthetically pleasing web user interface, and integrated membership system influenced my decision.
Check out all the cool stuff Ghost has to offer on their website below:
Due to the absence of Ghost in the NixOS packages, and the cumbersome nature of adapting it into a NixOS service, Docker has emerged as an excellent solution for hosting Ghost. Here, I have provided a comprehensive breakdown of the steps I followed to set up a blog using Ghost with Docker on NixOS. This can be modified to use on other platforms.
Step 0: Enable Docker on NixOS
Enabling Docker(Podman) on NixOS is a straightforward process, requiring modification of just one configuration file. I personally prefer using the vim editor, but feel free to use your preferred tool such as nano, emacs, or VS Code.
The initial step involves logging into the machine, particularly if it is being used as a server.
ssh ${username}@${server IP}
Then, we can start to modify the configuration file:
sudo vim /etc/nixos/configuration.ni
There are two ways of adding Docker to the NixOS system: for all users:
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
docker
];
And for one user only:
users.users.${username}.packages = with pkgs; [
docker
];
You can choose either way based on your needs. The next step is to enable the Docker service.
Note that we're using oci-containers to control Dockers. If you have chosen to install Podman, remember to modify it accordingly. Some may question why we're not using docker-compose; this is a simple answer – we embrace the capabilities of NixOS, and that suffices.
Last, remember to create a directory for docker to use. Here's my example:
mkdir ~/.docker
Step 1: Set up Docker Network
Using the Docker CLI command docker network will indeed create the network, but it may not be the optimal approach. Since we're operating within the context of NixOS, we can add it as a service. Add the following code snippet to your configuration.nix file, ensuring to customize the name according to your requirements. In my case, I'm utilizing npm as an example since I'm employing nginx-proxy-manager as my Nginx reverse proxy service.
systemd.services.init-docker-ghost-network-and-files = {
description = "Create the network npm for nginx proxy manager using reverse proxy.";
after = [ "network.target" ];
wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
serviceConfig.Type = "oneshot";
script =
let dockercli = "${config.virtualisation.docker.package}/bin/docker";
in ''
# Put a true at the end to prevent getting non-zero return code, which will
# crash the whole service.
check=$(${dockercli} network ls | grep "npm" || true)
if [ -z "$check" ]; then
${dockercli} network create npm
else
echo "npm already exists in docker"
fi
'';
};
Step 2: Set up Mysql for Ghost
We will now proceed with crafting Docker configurations. The initial step involves creating an external directory for MySQL to store its data, ensuring that we can modify MySQL without accessing the Docker environment directly. At present, this MySQL database is exclusively intended for Ghost; however, you have the freedom to tailor it according to your specific requirements.
mkdir ~/.docker/ghost-blog/mysql -p
Please add the following snippet to your configuration file as well:
Within this section, we configure the port mapping, environment variables, and volume mapping. Please note that you should customize the MySQL configurations in accordance with your specific setup in the final step.
Mail Server Set Up
Taking Gmail as an example, please note that you can modify this configuration according to your specific needs.
Please remember that the Google app password mentioned here is different from your actual Google account password. You can generate a Google app password by following the steps outlined in the Sign in with app passwords guide.
By configuring these settings, visitors will be able to sign up and leave comments on our website.
More Custom Options
Please refer to the instructions provided on the Ghost website at the following link:
There are numerous articles available on the internet that explain how to set up Nginx as a system service or utilize nginx-proxy-manager as a Docker service. For the purpose of this example, I will demonstrate the Docker service approach. Remember to create the necessary folders as well.
After much persistence, I finally registered for Oracle Cloud's always-free tier and set up a powerful machine. But soon, I faced challenges.
For three years, my work computer has run on NixOS, with its nix flakes feature boosting my productivity, aided by workplace IT support. However, for my home setups, Ubuntu has been the clear choice due to its extensive resources and tutorials. While NixOS offers robust capabilities, its steep learning curve often leads me to devise custom solutions.
Despite the initial hurdles, I'm growing fond of NixOS's efficiency. I'm contemplating transitioning most of my systems to it, especially given the ease of deployment with a single nix flake.
Below, I've detailed the steps I undertook to transition from Ubuntu to NixOS on an Oracle ARM machine.
Step 0: Log in to Ubuntu
When setting up your Oracle server, remember to add your key or download the auto-generated keys. This ensures you can SSH into the machine:
ssh ubuntu@${your oracle machine ip}
Step 1: Install Nix(Not OS, just a command line tool)
Run the following command. When prompted, answer with n, y, y.
sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon
After this, you can either log out and log back in or just type bash and press enter. Next, add the NixOS channels (as of this writing, the latest stable channel is 23.05):
Following the NixOS Wiki, use cleverca22's scripts to create the installation system:
git clone https://github.com/cleverca22/nix-tests.git
cd nix-tests/kexec
vim myconfig.nix
Here's an example of myconfig.nix, ensure you include your SSH public key.
{
imports = [
./configuration.nix
];
# Make it use predictable interface names starting with eth0
boot.kernelParams = [ "net.ifnames=0" ];
networking.useDHCP = true;
kexec.autoReboot = false;
users.users.root.openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [
"{your id_rsa.pub file content}"
];
}
You can now build a full kexec-capable NixOS system from this configuration. This will produce a tarball.tar.xz file. Once this process completes, you can untar the file and run kexec to initiate the installation. In the meantime, take a break, perhaps brew yourself a cup of coffee, or gaze up at the sky for a moment of reflection. Once the process is finished, you will be automatically logged out from the current terminal session.
nix-build '<nixpkgs/nixos>' -A config.system.build.kexec_tarball -I nixos-config=./myconfig.nix
tar -xf ./result/tarball/nixos-system-aarch64-linux.tar.xz
sudo ./kexec_nixos
Step 3: Installing NixOS to disk
First, remove the old SSH known host since the system has changed, and then SSH in again:
This will make you the root on an in-memory NixOS system. If you restart now, it reverts to Ubuntu. So, to stick with NixOS, follow the disk setup steps provided. Once done, initiate the installation with:
# parted
(parted) rm 1
(parted) rm 15
(parted) mkpart
Partition name? []? boot
File system type? [ext2]? fat32
Start? 2048s
End? 10GB
(parted) print all
Model: ORACLE BlockVolume (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 50.0GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 10.0GB 9999MB fat32 boot msftdata
(parted) set 1 boot on
(parted) set 1 esp on
(parted) mkpart
Partition name? []?
File system type? [ext2]? ext4
Start? 10GB
End? -1s
Warning: You requested a partition from 10.0GB to 50.0GB (sectors 19531250..97677311).
The closest location we can manage is 10.0GB to 50.0GB (sectors 19531776..97677278).
Is this still acceptable to you?
Yes/No? yes
(parted) quit
We can now make filesystems on our brand new partitions, mount them, and configure NixOS to use them, You want to at least set openssh.enable = true; and add an ssh key for root, like we did in the temporary system above.
mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/sda1
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda2
mkdir -p /mnt/boot
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot/
nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
vim /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix
Once done, initiate the installation with:
nixos-install
Then, reboot the system.
Step 4: All done
As before, remove the old SSH known host entry and SSH back in:
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