MindDump. Photos. And random ramblings.
Magento (the popular open-source online shop system) likes to store its PHP session files in ~/public_html/var/session/
Most debian servers don’t have that in their cron job that deletes old session files.
So, you probably want to set it to store it’s session files in the default location (/var/lib/php5) or alter your cron job (/etc/cron.d/php5)
Fun!
Cycling home tonight, I had just left work’s place, onto a stretch of road with no streetlights. Picture the scene, it’s just stopped bucketing it down with rain, now spitting. I’m in wet-weather gear, and it’s dark. Quite dark. My backpack has a reflective cover, and I’ve a reflectctive jacket, with a particually annoying LED flashing backlight. (I’m paranoid – shortly will have red LED flashing in my helmet.)
Got out safely, clipped my feet in fine (I now have special shoes that clip onto my pedals), accelerating towards my average 15-17mph on that particular bit of road, the wind decided to push me, hard, towards the edge of the road. A very small shallow there, with a grassy bank. Wheels in the culvert, uncontrollable de-acceleration, equals me flat across the A road, with one car passing me and another just behind it.
Promtly to the sound of car-horns telling me just how close I’d come to getting run over, I dragged myself off the road *sharpish*, and dragged my bike off as quick as I could after I was off. I’ve a couple of very minor abrasions on my ankles. Lucky. Very lucky.
Note to self. When it’s wet and windy, piss drivers off by sticking a meter off from the side. It’s far better than getting run over.
So, ran into this one. Firefox is throwing this error, along with ‘SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG’. Turns out, apache was serving plain HTTP on port 443, as it hadn’t been given a default SSL config.
Other causes may be: Corrupted SSL cert (rare). Mis-configured proxy. Not adding “SSLEngine On” after configuring an SSL cert. But mostly, you’re trying to talk HTTPS to an HTTP serving webserver.
`a2ensite default-ssl` (on debian) fixed it. Well, fixed in in that the default server now has a snake-oil self-signed cert, but, you know, fixed it. 
If you get these errors:
W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8105e-1.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168e-2.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168e-1.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168d-2.fw for module r8169 W: Possible missing firmware /lib/firmware/rtl_nic/rtl8168d-1.fw for module r8169
Do this as root (or using sudo):
# apt-get install firmware-realtek
Win!
If you have other firmware issues, n1md4 suggested installing: firmware-linux and firmware-linux-nonfree in the comments (thanks!)
I’ve finally downloaded all the photos I took whilst wanding around london for half a day. The majority are rubbish, but a few are quite interesting.
Let’s start with a couple of street scenes. I’ll hopefully post some more sooner or later
Eaccelerator is insanely useful in my line of work. However, their main downloads are down right now, so I’m mirroring the latest version here:
http://kirrus.co.uk/stuff/eaccelerator-0.9.6.1.tar.bz2
http://kirrus.co.uk/stuff/eaccelerator-0.9.6.1.zip
You can see the files sha1sums here: https://eaccelerator.net/wiki/Release-0.9.6.1
Alternatively, if you’re scripting (we are), you can use the following to get my (‘up-to-date’) version:
http://kirrus.co.uk/stuff/eaccelerator-latest.tar.bz2
bz2.. because that’s the version we use here 
Here’s something for all you windows network admins out there.
(I apologize in advance to Johnathon’s linux followers)
Here’s a little script I wrote to be used as a group policy logoff script to remind users to remove their USB memory sticks/keys when logging off.
I wrote it while working in IT Support for a High School, to help out our IT teachers and ourselves as we were weekly gathering a collection of various USB Memory Sticks and memory keys (and since i was the one trying to reunite them with their owners each week.)
It’s written in VBS so it’s perfect for using as a group policy in active directory on say a Windows 2003 server/XP network. I haven’t tried it on Vista, Windows 7, or Server 2008 because I wasn’t using those technologies at the time, but it will most likely work with Vista and Windows 7 when deployed from a 2k3 or 2k8 server.
It detects removable drives (the type it looks for can be modified) that are connected and won’t pop-up without a drive detected.
If a USB drive is connected, it pops up a dialog reminding the user to take their memory stick with them and then auto-closes after a few seconds (as not to hang the logoff procedure).
I hope this is usefull to someone. If you use it, please leave me a comment.
[LICENCE GPL? NC-SA?]Also, feel free to modify and redistribute this script, but please don’t remove my details, as I’d like to know if it gets used and of any usefull additions others can think of.
[code]
' Script to display a list of drives connected to this machine
' http://authors.aspalliance.com/brettb/VBScriptDrivesCollection.asp
' MODIFIED to detect only removable drive. GTinsley 2008 @ Wallington County Grammar School.
' May cause false positives on some SATA 'puters.
' Tested working on 'puters with card readers.
Set FileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") 'Create a filesystem object
Set Drives = FileSystemObject.Drives 'Create a drives collection
' Step through the drive collection, and get both the drive letter and the drive type.
' There are 6 distinct types of drive:
'Select Case DriveType
' Case "0" DriveType = "Unknown type of drive"
' Case "1" DriveType = "Removable drive"
' Case "2" DriveType = "Fixed drive"
' Case "3" DriveType = "Network drive"
' Case "4" DriveType = "CD-ROM drive"
' Case "5" DriveType = "RAM Disk"
'End Select
For Each DiskDrive in Drives
DriveLetter = DiskDrive.DriveLetter
DriveType = DiskDrive.DriveType
' Check for a removable drive connected that:
' Is not the drive letter A B or C
' Folder exists (proves the drive exists)
IF Drivetype = "1" and not driveletter = "C" and not driveletter = "A" and not driveletter = "B" and FileSystemObject.FolderExists(driveletter & ":\") then
' Old method. Waits until user has clicked OK before logoff completes.
'WScript.Echo "The removable disk drive " & DriveLetter & " is a still connected. Don't forget your USB drive!"
' New method waits 5 seconds then logs off.
time_out = 5 ' wait max. 5 seconds
title = "Forgetting something?"
button = vbOKonly ' vbOKOnly
message = "The Removable Disk (" & DriveLetter & ":\) is a still connected. Don't forget your USB drive!"
Set objWSH = WScript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell") ' create object
objWSH.Popup message, time_out, title, buttons ' popup
end if
Next
' Clear objects and collections
Set Drives = nothing
Set FileSystemObject = nothing
[/code]
Grandpa passed today, after loosing his fight with pancreatic cancer.
See you when I’m dead. Till then, miss you Grandpa.
It’s probably about time I got around to tapping out another book review post. So, here goes.
I’ve just finished this one. It’s an interesting book, although slightly confused. It starts off with a serial murder, introducing the main antagonists slowly. The murders, however, are not the books real aim, you know ‘who-dun-it’ by 75% of the way through. It’s more a social/character discourse, with elements of romance mixed in.
The book does start slow, because of the focus on inital character building. However, it doesn’t grab me as similar books have, I assume because I have already become too used to that world, so am not being introduced to much I’ve no experience of.
The book did annoy me though, for one abuse of technology-speak. Yes, techy-speak may be confusing for those not used to it, but email is not passed through more than two UAs, and normally no more than 2 MTAs; a UA is a User Agent, i.e. your email client, so Outlook, Thunderbird, or your web-mail. MTA stands for Mail Transfer Agent, and is one of the computer programs email is passed through as it transits the internet. Specific abuse stems from trying to fill out a 1-dimensional computer tech character.
The book finishes on a slightly strange note, murders solved, good guys slightly victorious (with requisite battering), but the relationships we’ve been following throughout not yet tied off or stable. I assume this is leading to a possible follow up book, but it just annoys me. It’s one reason I like Elizabeth Moon’s work, she does tie up immediate stuff, and leaves characters stable, whilst allowing the greater narrative to hang for the next book.
It’s a good enough read, though not one I’d particularly recommend or lambast.
This is the second in a trilogy from one of the masters of sci-fi/fantasy. It’s basically a sci-fi romance, but the story is enthralling. One in my permanent collection, this would have been a third re-read. Follows Killashandra as she leaves Ballybran to save a lover’s life, gets caught up in planetary political wrangles, and finds a love she’ll never forget. If you’ve not read this series, and are into Sci-Fi, I’d recommend picking it up. First in the series is ‘Crystal Singer’, Killashandra is followed by the finale, ‘Crystal Line’.
Meh. I finished this book in a day. It’s not a hard read. I saw one of the major twists coming too early, and it’s a pointless boring twist. I can think of at least 3 different better ways to finish this plot.
Basically, read if you want another bond story, but don’t expect it to be a particularly challenging or rewarding read. Of course, the good guys win, but I do like in when they win in a bit more style!
That’s the books I’ve read this week. Now I’m starting to run out of fresh ones. I’m going to be mainly re-reading stuff I guess. Any suggestions in what to look out for gratefully received. Sci-Fi/Fantasy is my preference, but I’ll read almost anything apart from horror. (And mills and boon types.)
Web 3.0 is coming soon…
Linking
IMHO the Web 3.0 revolution will consist of websites and web apps from the 2.0 era becoming closer.
I think that it will become easier to link together content across web sites to create new forms of content.
In the Web 2.0 revolution was helped by blogs with authors linking together information in posts. (This I might add has been very useful to combat the slew of dodgy sites that sit high in Google’s results but just spit back the search terms as results, nullifying your search. Nowadays I find use ‘blog’ in search terms, especially when looking for reviews.)
I can’t wait until someone puts together a really good way of visualizing all this data. As the internet grows the importance of being able to sift through the available data and collate it into collections on particular topics is becoming paramount.
I have been looking out for a system to visualize my internet links in some kind of subject oriented way with a timeline / time axis. So far the only thing that comes close is Basket Notes for KDE (screenshots). If only that were a web app! (if i had the motivation and focus, I’d turn my meagre php programming skills to that task myself, but alas like my sketched design for a social networking site written in my design book pre the advent of facebook, I think I’ll leave it to someone else!)
I guess the closest web based similar system (I’m aware of) currently in operation is Wikipedia!
Retrieval
Look at the useful plugin Ubiquity, and the fantastically useful cross platform application and search launcher, Launchy for example. Both of these are designed to give us quicker access to and search abilities for our data.
Workflow
Making computers integrate seamlessley to our lives rather than inturpting them.
Today the focus of computing is shifting from _ to the workflow -how we get things done. I think this is essential because your average end user doesn’t care how things get done, just as long as they can get done.
Digital Photographers often use a prescribed workflow when working on digital photos – ‘developing them’ as it were to bring out the best. PCPro Magazine suggests 1. Levels and Curves then 2. Colour adjustment followed by Sharpening. But I’m talking more than just the best sequence of events to achieve the best quality output. I’m talking about the process itself.
Our brains think sequentially, each action is broken down step by step and steps performed one after another. A break in our concentration, or ‘flow’ impacts our effectiveness. This is especially true for people with ADHD (like me). Reducing the need for context switching.
“Consider that it takes 15 minutes for a developer to enter a state of flow. If you were to interrupt a developer to ask a question and it takes five minutes for them to answer, it will take a further 15 minutes for them to regain that state of flow, resulting in a 20 minute loss of productivity. Clearly, if a developer is prevented from flowing several times during the day their work rate declines substantially. “
(Retrieved from http://softwarenation.blogspot.com/2009/01/importance-of.html)
For example, downloading pictures from your digital camera and uploading them to facebook. Recently I’ve been using ‘Windows Live Photo Gallery’. Ugh, I know, but the point is it that Vista offered it to me, and it was an easy to find and add plugin that allows me to upload direct to facebook, where most of my photos end up these days.
To download the pictures I simply flip out the SD card from my camera, and insert it into my laptop (useful laptop buying advice)’s SD card slot
And that’s the point, people will take the path of least resistance/effort.
Path of least effort Principle
According to my observations
like people walking down the high street striving to avoid collision with other pedestrians, my observation leads me to believe that everybody is operating on the principle of least effort, where the person you are approaching will attempt to take a path that will need the least amount of diversion from their original path in order to avoid collision, while you yourself will attempt to do the same thing.
how does this come back to web 3.0?
How many clicks does it take while searching for some long forgotten but relevant piece of information before a user will get bored and move on? [research advertising, google hotspots, number of clicks] Could it be as low as 3, and as high as 8?
Unified User Interface
Facebook for example. I was trying to find my note on laptops to include a link in this article, but alas my click on Notes from the home page only brought up a ‘feed’ of Notes. Where I ask is the Filter options that preside on everyone’s profiles? Why can’t I select ‘Just Garreth’ here too?
If something like that is useful, it should also be Unified, that is available everywhere!
In the time it took me to discover the ‘workflow’ to access my notes in this ‘fast/bitesize/information obsessed’ age my poor overloaded ADHD (video: ADHD impact on life) brain might easily have become bored frustrated and more importantly distracted and moved on…
Availability
Cloud computing and Rich Web Applications (Blog: Google and Rich Web Application)
Organisation of Data
TOC
Concise
It’s an inverse law – As our attention spans decrease, so the conciseness of the data we consume must increase ceterus paribus.
Why do my spidey senses tell me facebook, not google may be the winner in the Web 3.0 revolution?
What do you think? Leave some comments of your vision, and what you think of my ideas.