Practical dev infra and tooling notes — home servers, free-tier VMs, secrets management, MCP servers, and shipping software solo — by Chirag Singhal. https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/ 2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal https://oriz.in/about/ whyiswhen@gmail.com Astro https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/run-80-sites-solo-zero-cost-free-tier-stack-2026/ 2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z 2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

The real Cloudflare + Astro + GitHub Actions + keyless-AI stack one solo dev uses to build and run 80+ live sites, tools, and APIs at zero monthly cost — and exactly where the free tiers bite.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/managing-50-repos-solo-developer/ 2026-07-31T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-31T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

After two years and fifty-odd repositories, here is the honest system I use to keep a large personal portfolio from becoming a liability.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hermes-agent-what-is-it/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Hermes Agent (NousResearch/hermes-agent) is a real terminal agent CLI with 210K stars, MCP support, and a skills system. It is completely separate from the NousResearch Hermes LLM series.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hermes-openclaw-deep-dive/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Part 1 of 2 — Before comparing Hermes Agent and OpenClaw to Claude Code and OpenCode, you need to know what they actually are. Deep-research findings from 100 agents, primary sources only.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hermes-openclaw-vs-claude-code-opencode/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

These four terminal agents appear in the same lists. Here is what each one is, verified from primary sources, and which to use for what job.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hermes-openclaw-vs-claude-code-pick/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Part 2 of 2 — The full comparison table and decision guide, built from verified primary sources. Stars, MCP, skills, Windows, free tier, and what each tool is actually for.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hermes-vs-openclaw-architecture/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

I tested both Hermes Agent and OpenClaw on the same tasks for a month. The answer isn't which one is better — it's that they were built from opposite directions. Here's the architecture that drives everything.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hermes-vs-openclaw-which-to-use/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Part 2: the decision guide, the combined setup, and the honest trade-offs. Based on a month of real testing.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/openclaw-what-is-it/ 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z 2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

OpenClaw routes AI through WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and 15+ other channels. It also has a skills system and agent loop — and Hermes Agent can migrate from it. Here is what it is.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/consolidated-clean-web-search-mcp-server/ 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Ditch the multiple search servers that bloat your context and hit rate limits. Here is how to configure a single, clean, and free search setup for Claude Code and Cursor.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/the-ultimate-free-clean-web-search-mcp-server-2026/ 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-29T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Tired of context bloat and rate limits? Here is how to consolidate your AI search tools into a single, clean, and completely free MCP setup in 2026.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/git-repos-onedrive-vs-local-drive/ 2026-06-16T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-16T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Should you clone your GitHub repositories into OneDrive or keep them on your local drive? If you have 150 GB local storage but 3 TB on OneDrive, the answer is not obvious — until you understand what OneDrive does to a Git repository. This post covers corruption risks, performance costs, the Dev Drive solution, and the exact workflow to use in 2026.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/envpact-centralized-serverless-secrets-manager-solo-developers/ 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

A comprehensive engineering specification and vision document for envpact: a $0, serverless, Git-backed secrets management ecosystem with a Node.js CLI, Python module, MCP server, VS Code extension, GitHub Action, and web dashboard — all designed for solo developers managing 100+ public repositories.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/diy-secrets-manager-private-git-cli-npm/ 2026-06-06T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-06T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Why Doppler and dotenvx fall short for solo developers with 100+ public repos — and how to build and package a 100% free, central secrets manager using a private Git repository and a Node.js CLI.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/hp-pavilion-windows-home-server-complete-guide/ 2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-05T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

A step-by-step guide to turning your HP Pavilion 14-dv2077TU (i5-1235U, 16GB DDR4 dual-channel) into a full-featured Windows home server—without wiping Windows—hosting Docker services, Cloudflare tunnels, Ollama, Open WebUI, Odysseus AI, Nextcloud, Vaultwarden, and more.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/azure-for-students-free-vms-2026/ 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

A comprehensive guide for students with an academic email address who are unable to verify the GitHub Student Developer Pack. Learn how to claim $100 free annual Azure credits, spin up a free B1s virtual machine 24/7, and access free JetBrains, Notion, and Canva education benefits.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/best-vps-vm-under-1200-rupees-2026/ 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Looking for a reliable server under ₹1200/month? We break down the best virtual private servers for hosting Docker, Telegram bots, APIs, and multiple websites in the Indian and global markets.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/is-everything-possible-on-free-tier-vms-2026/ 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Is it really possible to host your entire stack, Docker containers, and Telegram bots on free tiers? We analyze Oracle Cloud, GCP, AWS, Render, Koyeb, and Cloudflare to expose their real limitations.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/vms-vs-vps-comparison-india-global-2026/ 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

An exhaustive guide comparing virtual machines (VMs) and virtual private servers (VPS) across global hyperscalers, developer-focused clouds, and budget-friendly hosts, with detailed hardware, network, and pricing tables.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/why-are-hundreds-of-node-python-and-bun-processes-running/ 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Open Windows 11 Task Manager and see hundreds of node.exe, python.exe, and bun.exe processes eating your RAM? Here is the deep dive into why this happens, how to identify the culprits, and how to stop them.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/windows-laptop-home-server-guide/ 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

A comprehensive guide to transforming a retired Windows Home laptop into a reliable, headless home server. Learn how to configure WSL2, install Docker natively inside Linux (saving 1.5GB RAM), bypass sleep/update reboots, automate startup with Task Scheduler, and monitor system health via PowerShell.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/backing-up-secrets-environment-variables/ 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Lost your laptop? Lost your .env files forever. This 5000-word guide compares 10+ platforms for backing up, syncing, and managing environment variables across hundreds of public GitHub repositories — with a full cost breakdown for solo developers.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/free-dynamic-app-hosting-2026/ 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z 2026-06-03T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

Static hosting is everywhere. But where do you host a real Node.js or Python server for free? This guide covers every platform — from Render to Oracle Cloud — with exact CPU, RAM, sleep policies, and honest trade-offs for each.

https://devtools-blog.oriz.in/blog/free-tier-stack-for-a-solo-developer-in-india-2026/ 2026-05-28T00:00:00.000Z 2026-05-28T00:00:00.000Z Chirag Singhal

An honest audit of the services I run oriz.in on for zero rupees a month, with India-specific notes on PAN, UPI, and INR-friendly providers.