Linux & platforms
Debian and Ubuntu, KVM/libvirt virtualisation, web platforms and databases. I work across hardware, operating systems and applications, both on-premises and in AWS.
Debian · Ubuntu · KVM · Apache · PHP · MySQL
LINUX / OPERATIONS / AI
Linux &
operations.
We build it.
Make it work.
And keep it running.
Need Linux operations, modernisation or a robot prototype? We combine 30 years of experience with AI to find the right solution together.
- 30 years
- working with Linux
- Since 2004
- STOF 2000 systems in production
- End to end
- hardware → Linux → user
LINUX & OPERATIONS
A good solution has to
work in everyday life.
Installation is the beginning. Maintenance, documentation and the people around a system are what make it last.
Reliability & security
Systematic troubleshooting, monitoring, firewalls, TLS and backup/restore. I look for the cause, not just the symptom, and consider maintenance and backward compatibility from the start.
nftables · SSH · ZFS · rsync · systemd
Automation & clarity
Custom Bash and Python tools for deployment and administration. With operational documentation and respect for shared standards, so knowledge doesn't stay with whoever built the system.
Bash · Python · Git · Deployment · Documentation
Technology & people
User support, technical advice and teaching. I work to understand the need and translate it into something that can be built and operated. Including when that need comes from a research lab.
Dialogue · User guides · Teaching · Research IT
AI & MODERNISATION
We set the direction together.
AI picks up the pace.
I stay close to developments in AI and use the latest tools in practice. Together with the client, I clarify needs, prioritise opportunities and evaluate the result. The solution takes shape where the client's knowledge meets my engineering experience.
New life for existing systems.
AI helps me understand older code, explore solutions and write code, tests and documentation. My experience with architecture and operations helps us preserve what works while we jointly prioritise the changes that add value.
That can lower costs and get us to a working solution sooner. Features and integrations that used to be too expensive to develop can become realistic. The same budget can go further.
AI on your own terms.
With local inference, models can run on your own hardware without sending prompts and data to an external AI service. That offers a different starting point for confidential data, privacy and control.
We choose local or external models according to the task and data requirements. I test and review the result; AI changes the pace, not the responsibility for quality, security and operations.
SELECTED PROJECTS
Not just built.
Put to work.
Selected work through HOW and in employed roles. Different industries, one common thread: making complex systems work in practice.
LINUX / PRODUCTION / USER SUPPORT
One point-of-sale system.
Two decades of real life.
Linux-based tills, logistics and reporting for shops across Denmark. I've been responsible for development, operations, deployment and direct user support since 2004.
700 users over time20+ years in production
The technology and responsibility
PHP/MySQL with a till interface in HTML, XUL and JavaScript. Microsoft SQL Server integration for product catalogues, inventory and financial data. Custom deployment, monitoring and administration tools, plus guides for shop staff and administrators.
A legacy 32-bit application environment runs in a chroot on modern 64-bit Debian. This keeps the application and its existing libraries working on newer hardware.
CLOUD / WEB PLATFORMS / DATA
From server to machine.
Development and operation of an Ubuntu-based backend in AWS, serving thousands of concurrent users and machines. 3D models out to the machines. Operational data and logs back to the servers.
Platform and integration
Apache, PHP and MySQL with Yocto Linux-based embedded clients. Designed for scaling and load balancing. Processing geodata for volume calculations, snow depth, asphalt temperature and compaction reports, with remote support via SSH/VNC.
RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE / TROUBLESHOOTING
When the data has to be right.
A data and prototyping lab with Linux, Windows and macOS, four concurrent 4K video streams, motion capture and ROS2. Infrastructure for data acquisition and AI-based pose estimation.
From dropped frames to root cause
Intermittent dropped video frames required troubleshooting across software, drivers, the operating system and hardware. I isolated and documented a BIOS fault in a Dell PC, subsequently acknowledged by the vendor.
The work also included native ROS2 builds on macOS/Apple Silicon and upstream patches.
EMBEDDED / CLOUD / PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
From electronics to dinner.
As founder and CEO/CTO, I held technical responsibility across intelligent cookware, embedded software, Bluetooth, the mobile app and cloud. And for making it all work in the customer's kitchen.
A complete product in production
A Linux-based server platform with KVM/libvirt, mail and web services. An Ionic mobile app for Android/iOS. Production operations with multiple concurrent app versions, backward compatibility and staged deployment. I also managed customer support and remain a co-owner.
Earlier work includes Oracle/HP-UX and SCADA for ABB/DONG in the North Sea, IT infrastructure at IRD Fuel Cells and automated chip-test reporting at Nokia.
THE WORKSHOP
Still curious.
Still building.
I learn best by building something, putting it to work and discovering the difficult parts. Here's some of what I've been working on.
ROBOTICS & EMBEDDED
Software meets the physical world.
I build prototype robots with ROS2, exploring the interaction between control, sensors, computer vision and Linux. A custom-built PX4 hexrotor is another workshop project, separate from the ROS2 work.
ROS2 · C/C++ · Python · Embedded Linux · PX4
AI & LOCAL INFERENCE
New models. My own hardware.
I regularly try out new models and use local AI for image recognition, video annotation and genetic data analysis, with a focus on privacy. My setup includes an NVIDIA RTX 5090 and an ASUS GX10 with GB10 Grace Blackwell.
LLMs are also a daily thinking partner in software development, troubleshooting and system administration.
AI and modernisationMY OWN SETUP / REAL OPERATIONS
A lab with
production responsibilities.
My HPE MicroServer Gen11 runs Debian 13 and 19 virtual machines under KVM/libvirt. It hosts both development projects and production services, including STOF 2000, mail, web and Nextcloud.
- Host
- Debian 13 · KVM/libvirt
- Storage
- 4 × 24 TB · ZFS RAIDZ2
- Services
- Apache · PHP · MySQL · exim4
- Network
- nftables · nginx · TLS · DNS
- Backup
- rsync · ZFS snapshots
THE PEOPLE BEHIND HOW
A small team.
Close to the work.
Peter Favrholdt, engineer.
And a future robotics engineer.
HOW is a small team: Peter Favrholdt and a student assistant studying robotics engineering at SDU. We build solutions in close collaboration with each other and with our clients.
I started HOW in 1996. My background spans software development, Linux operations, robotics research and entrepreneurship. I hold an MSc in Computer Systems Engineering and have also taught at SDU Robotics as an external lecturer.
As a client, you work directly with me. I enjoy understanding the problem, getting the technology right and helping the people who use it.
From theory to robots.
Our student assistant puts the theory he learns at SDU into practice by building robot systems alongside me. I bring experience and technical guidance; he brings his academic knowledge, curiosity and hands-on work.
This collaboration can keep development costs down while giving him practical experience and an income to help pay the rent. We learn from each other, and we have fun along the way.
- Based in
- Odense, Denmark
- Languages
- Danish and English
- Open source
- Linux kernel · ROS2 · HPE AMS/iLO
PRICING & COLLABORATION
Let's start
with your project.
A specific problem or an idea to explore? Together, we clarify needs, scope and priorities so you know what we are working towards.
| Service | Hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Standard hours | DKK 1,570.00 |
| First 100 hours 15% introductory discount | DKK 1,334.50 |
| Travel time When travelling | DKK 785.00 |
| Abroad/offshore Hourly surcharge from departure to return | DKK 295.00 |
The initial conversation is without obligation or charge. I'm happy to share my experience and offer practical advice on your project.
If we decide to work together, we'll discuss the scope, expected costs and budget before work begins.
CONTACT
Let's make
it work.
A Linux platform, a legacy system, local AI or a robot prototype. Email or call us about your project, and we'll work out the next step together.