SYSTEM ONLINE — BACKEND & INFRASTRUCTURE

I build systems
that don't fall over.

Charles — CS student and backend engineer. I spend most of my time in servers, databases, and the space between them: game backends, Linux infra, and the occasional Minecraft world that shouldn't scale as well as it does.

View deployments →Hire me →Open comms channel
C++JavaPythonTypeScriptDockerLinuxSystem Design
guest@charles.dev — boot.sh
~/about

Origin story

Click any entry to expand. This is the compressed version — the full changelog is longer.

2019Started with Python, C++, and Java — all at onceorigin▸
No single 'first language'. I picked up all three in the same stretch, which meant learning syntax three ways and figuring out what was actually the same idea underneath. Slower start, better instincts.
2020OOP for real (Java) and memory for real (C++)skill▸
Java taught me what a class is actually for. C++ taught me what happens when nobody cleans up after you. Built a game inventory system that never shipped and a handful of programs that leaked.
2021First Linux server, hosting Minecraft badlyinfra▸
Broke a droplet six times trying to keep a Minecraft server alive. Learned SSH, cron, systemd, and the hard way that backups are not optional.
2022Discord bots — Aki Bot and YuzaAllBotproject▸
Two separate bots: one for moderation and utility, one for economy and leveling. First time writing something other people used daily, which changes how carefully you handle errors.
2023Minecraft server architectureproject▸
Designed a plugin system with a proper event bus and a custom networking layer, supporting 200+ concurrent players without falling over.
2024Docker and a containerized homelabinfra▸
Containerized every hobby project and wrote Compose files for reproducible environments. Started treating "it works on my machine" as a bug report, not an excuse.
2025StrixVerse — C++ client and server from scratchproject▸
Own networking protocol, world simulation, and server-authoritative client sync. The project where all three early languages finally paid off at once.
2026Commissions open, studying distributed systemsnow▸
Taking on bot, server, and backend work while reading far too much about consensus protocols for a hobby project.

// philosophy

Boring technology, used well, beats exciting technology used poorly. I'd rather ship a Postgres table and a cron job than a distributed system I can't debug at 3am.

// current goal

Landing a backend or infrastructure role at a company where correctness and uptime actually matter — and where I can keep breaking things in a homelab on weekends.

// currently

Taking commissions, rebuilding a Minecraft server around a proper event bus, and reading way too much about consensus protocols for a hobby project.

~/stack

Tech constellation

Languages at the centre, the frameworks built on them next, and the infrastructure and tooling underneath it all. Hover a planet for details — the orbits pause so you can actually read it.

CHARLES.CORE
⚙️
C++
7 yrs experience
☕
Java
7 yrs experience
🐍
Python
7 yrs experience
🔷
TypeScript
3 yrs experience
🟢
Node.js
4 yrs experience
🤖
Discord.js
4 yrs experience
🧱
Spigot / Paper
4 yrs experience
🐳
Docker
2 yrs experience
🐧
Linux
5 yrs experience
🌐
Networking
3 yrs experience
🧩
System Design
2 yrs experience
🗄️
PostgreSQL
3 yrs experience
🌿
Git
6 yrs experience
Languages
Frameworks
Infra & Systems
Data & Tools
0
years coding
0
repos shipped
0
servers configured
0
production outages caused (learned from)
~/projects

Deployments

Each card is a live deployment record. Filter by language, category, or difficulty — or just look for the green light.

IN DEVHard

StrixVerse ★

A custom game client and server built from scratch in C++ — own networking protocol, world simulation, and client-server sync running server-authoritative.

C++Custom NetworkingMultithreading
client+serverscope
customprotocol
activedev status
🔒 Closed source
IN DEVHard

StrixMC ★

A Minecraft server website with the server integrated directly into the frontend — live player count, server status, and store, all wired to the backend in real time.

JavaScriptNode.jsWebSocket
liveplayer count
real-timestatus sync
in devstore
🔒 Closed source
IN DEVMedium

School Student Portal ★

A student portal for school use — grades, attendance, and announcements, backed by a relational SQL database and role-based access for students and staff.

SQLPHPHTML/CSS
3user roles
SQLschema
in devrollout
↳ GitHub
LIVEMedium

GameBoostPH

A storefront for a game-boosting service — service listings, order intake, and a customer-facing dashboard, built in PHP.

PHPMySQLJavaScript
PHPbackend
MySQLstorage
livestatus
↳ GitHub
IN DEVMedium

Aki Bot

A Discord bot handling moderation, utility commands, and community engagement for an active server.

Node.jsDiscord.jsMongoDB
moderationcore role
24/7uptime target
in devcommands
🔒 Closed source
IN DEVMedium

YuzaAllBot

A separate multi-purpose Discord bot covering economy, leveling, and admin tooling — built independently from Aki Bot.

Node.jsDiscord.jsSQLite
economy+ leveling
SQLitestorage
in devcommands
🔒 Closed source
LIVEEasy

Library Book Manager

A book management system for tracking inventory, checkouts, and returns in a library setting.

PythonSQLite
CRUDcore ops
SQLitestorage
livestatus
↳ GitHub
LIVEEasy

File Sorter

A small automation tool that sorts and organizes files by type, date, or custom rules — built to tame a chaotic downloads folder.

Pythonospathlib
rule-basedsorting
batchprocessing
livestatus
↳ GitHub
LIVEEasy

Terminal Portfolio Engine

The engine behind this very site — an OS-styled component system with a fake terminal, command palette, and easter eggs, rebuilt on Next.js and Tailwind.

Next.jsTypeScriptTailwind
staticexport
5themes
20+easter eggs
~/commissions

Open for work

Things I build for other people. No fixed price list — every job is scoped and quoted, because a moderation bot and a 200-player server are not the same week of work.

commissions: OPEN— taking new work now

Discord Bots

1–3 weeks

Custom bots built for your server, not a reskinned template. Two of mine run daily for active communities.

  • Moderation, logging, and auto-mod rules
  • Economy, leveling, and engagement systems
  • Admin tooling and staff-only commands
  • Slash commands with proper permissions
  • Hosting setup so it stays online
Node.jsDiscord.jsMongoDBSQLite
↳ Join Discord

Minecraft Servers & Plugins

1–4 weeks

Server setup and custom plugins. I have run a plugin architecture holding 200+ concurrent players without falling over.

  • Server setup, hardening, and backups
  • Custom plugins built to your spec
  • Performance tuning and lag diagnosis
  • Networking, proxies, and multi-server setups
  • Migration from an existing host
JavaSpigot / PaperLinuxDocker
↳ Join Discord

Websites & Web Apps

2–5 weeks

Full-stack sites that do something — storefronts, portals, dashboards. Built to be handed over and maintained.

  • Full-stack sites and storefronts
  • Admin panels and customer dashboards
  • Authentication and role-based access
  • Responsive frontends that work on phones
  • Deployment and domain setup
TypeScriptNext.jsPHPMySQL
↳ Join Discord

Backend & API Work

1–4 weeks

The part behind the interface: APIs, schemas, and servers that stay up. My actual specialty.

  • REST and WebSocket APIs
  • Database design and schema migrations
  • Linux server provisioning and hardening
  • Docker and reproducible environments
  • Debugging an existing backend you inherited
C++JavaPythonNode.jsPostgreSQL
↳ Join Discord

Not sure which one you need? Describe the problem in the comms console below, or ask in Discord — scoping it is part of the job.

~/experience

Mission log

Command-center view of what got shipped, when. Click an entry to expand the debrief.

2024
✓Built MMORPG-style Minecraft server▸

Custom plugin architecture, event bus, and networking layer supporting 200+ concurrent players.

✓Designed backend APIs▸

REST + WebSocket APIs for game state sync, leaderboards, and player inventories.

✓Developed multiplayer systems▸

Tick-synced world state with conflict resolution for concurrent player actions.

2025
✓Linux server deployment▸

Provisioned and hardened production Linux hosts across a small homelab cluster.

✓Docker infrastructure▸

Containerized every service; wrote Compose files for reproducible environments.

✓Networking deep dive▸

Set up reverse proxies, VLANs, and a WireGuard mesh between home and cloud nodes.

2026
✓Opened commissions▸

Started taking on Discord bot, Minecraft server, web, and backend work for clients.

✓Rebuilt this site on Next.js▸

Ported the whole OS-styled portfolio to Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind — statically exported, same look, typed data.

~/playground

Playground

A real (fake) terminal and some live system widgets. Try typing help.

charles-terminal v2.0 — type 'help' to get started
guest@charles.dev:~$
~/contact

Comms console

No forms that vanish into a void. Send a transmission and watch it actually go somewhere (well — to your own mail client).

GitHubLinkedInDiscord
> awaiting transmission...