About me

Oliver Melle

Software Developer · Linux Enthusiast · Entrepreneur
📍 Bassum (near Bremen), Germany

Who I Am

I’m a -year-old software developer with over ten years of professional experience building and deploying web applications. I hold a certified qualification as a Computer Science Expert (Software Development) (Fachinformatiker Anwendungsentwicklung) and have spent my career turning complex technical challenges into clean, maintainable solutions.

Beyond writing code, I’ve always taken ownership of the full lifecycle of the software I build — from development through deployment, server administration, and ongoing maintenance. I’m as comfortable in a terminal configuring a production server as I am in an IDE architecting a new feature.

What I Do

Web Development

My core expertise lies in PHP-based web development, with deep experience in:

  • TYPO3 — both as an administrator and as a developer of custom templates and plugins; I published and distributed my own TYPO3 template during my time as a freelancer
  • Symfony — including building and operating a SaaS web application for ticket entry control as a self-employed developer
  • Magento 2 (now Adobe Commerce) & Shopware — administration as well as custom template and plugin development for e-commerce clients

DevOps & Infrastructure

I handle my own deployments and infrastructure, using:

  • Docker and CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI/CD) for repeatable, automated deployments
  • Apache and nginx as web server administrators
  • A self-hosted VPS running Nextcloud and various other web services
  • Mail server — ran a self-hosted mail stack from around 2015 to 2020, built on Postfix, Dovecot, SpamAssassin, Sieve filters, DKIM, DMARC, SPF, and ClamAV; migrated to Google Workspace (then called G Suite) when deliverability became untenable — new domains and low-volume senders are disproportionately flagged as spam by large mail providers, a problem outside any server operator’s control

Web Quality & Compliance

Through years of client work I’ve developed strong expertise in areas that are often treated as afterthoughts:

  • SEO — technical and on-page optimisation
  • GDPR compliance — building privacy-respecting web experiences by design
  • Web Accessibility (WCAG) — making the web usable for everyone

Linux, Inside and Out

Linux has been my daily operating system for over fifteen years. I’ve used a wide range of distributions — Ubuntu, Debian, Arch Linux, Fedora, and Gentoo — and I’ve even built a complete system from the ground up using Linux From Scratch.

I maintain a working knowledge of the Linux ecosystem at a level most developers never reach, including:

  • Creating and maintaining software packages in DEB, Snap, Flatpak, and AppImage formats
  • System administration, shell scripting, and low-level troubleshooting

This isn’t just a hobby — it directly informs how I think about software: reproducibility, portability, and reliability matter.

Currently Exploring

I’ve recently integrated Claude Code into my personal developer workflow and have been exploring how AI tooling can enhance software development without replacing good engineering judgement. This very blog’s theme was built with Claude Code’s assistance.

I’m also in the planning stages of a start-up centred around a complete, user-friendly Linux ecosystem — a project aimed at making Linux genuinely accessible to people who’ve always been curious but never made the leap.

Outside the Terminal

When I’m not building software, I build computers. I’ve assembled multiple custom machines over the years and currently game on a Mini-ITX small form factor PC — a fun constraint that demands the same attention to detail as good software design.

I’ve hauled that rig to DreamHack in Jönköping and Stockholm multiple times (by train), which says something about my commitment to the LAN party experience.

This Blog

This site is built with Hugo, uses a theme I developed with the help of Claude Code, and is served from my own nginx server — naturally.

Get in Touch

If you’re a recruiter, a potential collaborator, or someone building something interesting in the Linux or open-source space, I’d be glad to hear from you.