danieljdoughty

moving a wordpress install from a Mac to a Hosted Solution

2007-06-25T13:17:41Z

I was moving a wordpress install from our Graphic Designer's desktop this morning. I was doing fine following these instructions, http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress#Using_phpMyAdmin, until I tried to import the DB from my export. Then I got the following error:

ERROR 1064 at line 20: You have an error in your SQL syntax. Check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'DEFAULT CHARSET=latin1 AUTO_INCREMENT=4' at line 13

Upon further examination of the .sql file I found that the old DB was a 5.0 instance of MySQL:

-- Server version: 5.0.19

And then I logged into the destination DB and found that it was older than the developer's box:

root@host [/home/example]# mysql -h localhost -u example -p example
Enter password:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor. Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 288107 to server version: 4.0.27-standard

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.

mysql> quit

So I found that I needed to set backwards compatibility in the phpMyAdmin to MYSQL40. Did that, reimported and whammo we're up and running. I have very little experience with Wordpress, but feel free to ask questions. Perhaps I'll have learned more by the time you ask.

danieljdoughty @ 2007-06-18T14:31:00

2007-06-18T19:42:41Z

Needed to set up 3 workstations today. Finally convinced the boss to buy 3 of the same computers at once. So instead of building them all manually, I used clonezilla, http://clonezilla.sourceforge.net/, to build the second and third workstation. Basically the process went like this:

Build the original box.

That means stripping the junk off it with the PC Decrapifier, http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ because I don't want my poor co-workers to have to deal with 20 versions of conflicting crippleware.

Then I set up the box with clamwin, http://www.clamwin.com/, a freeware anti-virus product. I also installed 7-zip, http://www.7-zip.org/, a WinZip alternative, Microsoft Office, set up automatic updates and then patched the holy heck out of it for the next few hours. Then it was time to clone with clonezilla.

WHAT I DIDN'T SET UP

I didn't join the XP box to the domain or give it a name. I also didn't install LogMeIn as each computer needs a separate ID in LogMeIn.

CLONEZILLA

I set the BIOS up to boot to the CD-rom before disk and inserted the 1.9 version of the Gparted-Clonezilla LiveCD. Then I chose the clonezilla first option.

When prompted for starting clonezilla I instead selected to drop to the command line. Then I mounted the remote filesystem I was going to save the image to. The box in question has a non-standard SSH port for added security. So I mounted it with

sudo su -
sshfs -p 8021 root@192.168.1.91:/backup/image /home/partimag

This creates what appears to be the local filesystem /home/partimag that actually is being stored on the remote server 192.168.1.91. Then I exited the shell and went back into the standard Clonezilla setup. From there I created an image of the system and then shut the system down.

SETTING UP THE CLONE

Start up a new system with the clonezilla CD. Use the same command to create the filesystem and restore as normal. Then tell the system to reboot. Eject the CD and move on.

Now it's time to rekey the XP edition.

ReKey the box
regedit -> HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Currentversion\WPAEvents
modify OOBETimer. change just one character. exit regedit. this deactivates windows
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a -> Yes I want telephone -> Change Product Key -> enter key -> update -> remind me later -> reboot
log in as the administrator. register online. reboot.
verify new key with SIW.EXE, http://www.gtopala.com/,

Now join the computer to your domain and give it a name. Then register it to logmein.com Finally set the home page to something better than MSN.

Finally test the monitor with http://tichmind.org/lcd and then test the CPU and memory with memtest86, http://www.memtest86.com/.

Google calendar integration problems(not really)

2007-04-23T15:17:04Z

Prior to my last job change I used SyncMyCal to keep my Google calendar in sync with my Palm TX and my desktop. Unfortunately that didn't work when I moved as SyncMyCal doesn't like Outlook 2000.

Recently I finally upgraded to Outlook 2003 and that allowed me to start using SyncMyCal again. Unfortunately my calendars had all become so hosed in the interim that I had to manually fix a lot of the data.

First I started with Outlook. Thanks to Brien Posey's post, http://searchexchange.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid43_gci1243815,00.html, I was able to take care of some unruly recurring appointments that had grown very large. I literally had to delete hundreds of duplicate recurring appointments.

Then I moved on my Palm. I didn't remove anything from my palm manually. I hoped that it would pick up all the deletions. Well it picked up the recurring deletions but many ghosts had popped up in the meanwhile. By ghosts I mean recurring appointments that had been slightly altered and now were no longer recurring. But I still had about 40 duplicates here and there. So I synched the palm, those duplicates were pushed back into Outlook. I removed them in Outlook and then synched again. The exorcism was complete and the ghosts were eliminated.

Finally to my google calendar. Unfortunately it had become so damaged that I couldn't even interact with it. I would attempt to delete an appointment. It would disappear from my view but would tell me that an error had occurred and that I should try it again later. If I refreshed the page, then the deleted appointment would still remain.

For this move, I had to use the big guns. I simply deleted the entire calendar and recreated it. Then I synched via SyncMyCal. This worked like a dream and I am now back up and running again.

a few greasemonkey hacks

2007-04-18T14:14:06Z

and here are a few other things I'm playing with at the moment:

MP3s inline player:
http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Greasemonkey%20User%20Scripts/1682085

and a lifehacker nested comments greasemonkey script:
http://lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Greasemonkey%20User%20Scripts/1682221

Outlook hack

2007-04-18T13:31:02Z

Get a lot of email that's not just for you? This Outlook hack will help you notice emails that only have you listed on the destination line.

http://lifehacker.com/software/email/outlook-tip-color-code-messages-addressed-only-to-you-157935.php

It's an oldie but a goodie

2007-04-13T13:54:50Z

You change monitors on your linux system and next thing you know you get a Frequency out of Range error on the monitor. Well for my latest CentOS fix I found that a CTRL-ALT-F1 dropped me to the command line, then a "system-config-display --reconfig" did wondors for the system. Kudos to sandgroper and Matt Lawrence for these posts:

http://www.hostingforum.ca/264692-how-configure-x-windows-text-mode.html
http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2005-July/049481.html

Thanks,
Dan Doughty

XP stuff

2007-04-02T01:23:33Z

Things I like set up on my XP system(obviously not complete, but it will help me get set up at the new job tomorrow):

Turn off filterkeys:
http://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/zanswers/463

Useful windows scripting tool. allows you to process everything in a directory recursively:
http://www.dailycupoftech.com/2007/03/29/quickly-perform-a-function-on-several-files/

Install this good stuff:
7-zip: http://www.lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Free%20Windows%20Downloads/1650986
Foxit Reader: http://www.lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Free%20Windows%20Downloads/1650966
SyncBack: http://www.lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Free%20Windows%20Downloads/1650910
Notepad++: http://www.lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Free%20Windows%20Downloads/1650562
Textpad:
YIM:
Gtalk:
of course, FIREFOX!!!!: http://www.lifehacker.com/photogallery/LH%20Top%2010:%20Free%20Windows%20Downloads/1650166
VLC: http://www.videolan.org/vlc
K-lite Codec pack
Winamp: http://www.winamp.com/
Media Player Classic: http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/
John's Background Switcher:
gVim:
Putty/PSCP/PSFTP:
TightVNC: http://www.tightvnc.com/
CygWin: http://cygwin.com/
ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
GDS: http://desktop.google.com
PDFCreator: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/
XP PowerToys: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
IrfanView: http://www.irfanview.com/
Crap Cleaner: http://www.ccleaner.com/
Torpark: http://www.torrify.com
AVG:
DVD Decrypter:
DVD Shrink: http://www.dvdshrink.org/
DVDFabDecrypter:
Soulseek: http://www.slsknet.org/
Ad-aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
Spybot S&D: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
md5sum:
Windows Defender: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=435bfce7-da2b-4a6a-afa4-f7f14e605a0d&\1displaylang=en
mp3DirectCut: http://mpesch3.de1.cc/mp3dc.html
RealAlternative: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm
Exact Audio Copy: http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/eac.html
TClockEx: http://www.rcis.co.za/dale/tclockex/about.htm
Eraser: http://eraser.sourceforge.net
DBAN: http://dban.sourceforge.net
JDiskReport: http://www.jgoodies.com/freeware/jdiskreport/index.html
AutoHotKey: http://www.autohotkey.com/
CPU-Z: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
Ethereal:
memtest86:
contig: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Contig.html

Firefox Extensions:
Aging Tabs
AllPeers Beta
Download Sort
Download Statusbar
DownThemAll!
El Jay Icon Maker
FireFTP
Flashblock
Forecastfox
Greasemonkey
IE Tab
Stumbleupon
WebmailCompose

Greasemonkey Scripts:
Google Calendar Display Current Time

I want to check this stuff out:
Windows Powershell: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/management/powershell/download.mspx
SysInternals Utilities: http://thepiratebay.org/search/sysinternals/0/0/0
GAIM
Miranda IM:
450 freeware solutions: http://www.econsultant.com/i-want-freeware-utilities/
WinMerge: http://winmerge.sourceforge.net/
Gmail Drive: http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm
Heavyload: http://www.jam-software.com/freeware/index.shtml
Business Plan: http://www.planware.org/busplan.htm

It's not freeware, but essential for dual-monitor love:
Ultramon:

A few links

2007-04-01T10:40:11Z

I've been on the internet since '93. If you dig around you can find me in this newsgroup even back in 93 but here is some posting from '94. I was talking with some guys about how PGP would be useful to slow down NSA's attempts to monitor communications:
http://cypherpunks.venona.com/date/1993/11/msg00127.html
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.cyberpunk/index/browse_frm/month/1994-06?_done=%2Fgroup%2Falt.cyberpunk%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F1994-06%3F&
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.cyberpunk/tree/browse_frm/month/1994-06/b694b2474f6170f5?rnum=121&_done=%2Fgroup%2Falt.cyberpunk%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F1994-06%3F#doc_3017e6be3d93b718
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.cyberpunk/tree/browse_frm/month/1994-06/4153396b09ef4da9?rnum=191&_done=%2Fgroup%2Falt.cyberpunk%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F1994-06%3F#doc_15c926f7d112ab6e

God only knows what I was saying here. I'm sure it wasn't important enough for encryption, but I was in college and playing around with the tech available.
http://groups.google.nl/group/alt.security.pgp/index/browse_frm/month/1994-05?hl=nl&_done=%2Fgroup%2Falt.security.pgp%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F1994-05%3Fhl%3Dnl%26&hl=nl
http://groups.google.nl/group/alt.security.pgp/tree/browse_frm/month/1994-05/f04205a5c85b034a?rnum=131&hl=nl&_done=%2Fgroup%2Falt.security.pgp%2Fbrowse_frm%2Fmonth%2F1994-05%3Fhl%3Dnl%26#doc_c51bd1ef7f0b9d34

I'm a contributor at lifehacker, ITRC(HP's support portal), and iMDB:
http://lifehacker.com/commenter/daniel.j.doughty/
http://mirrors.develooper.com/hpux/quotes.html
http://german.imdb.com/title/tt0254151/usercomments-index
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0487229/

Of course there's also my domain:
http://www.danieljdoughty.com

This is a fairly useful link on how to get Red Hat or CentOS up and running on a PERC RAID controller:
http://www.tuxyturvy.com/blog/index.php?/archives/4-Installing-RHEL4-on-Systems-with-Legacy-Megaraid-Drivers.html

A few years ago I was really big into triathlons. Here's a 15k that I ran after doing a very long data migration all night long:
http://www.olathe.org/sports/marathon/2004/results/olamara04_15k.HTM
http://www.olathemarathon.com/sports/marathon/2004/results/olamara04_15k.HTM

I contribure spare CPU cycles to a project that is researching how proteins fold and mutate:
http://jetskr9.net/boincstats/user-project-2-id-244978.htm

KU's Slavic department runs the Lawrencian Chronicle. They have a few blurbs about me in this PDF:
http://www2.ku.edu/~slavic/lawrencian_chronicle/lc06.pdf

Kids, don't mix old and new technology, like cast-iron and ceramic topped stoves:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CeramicTopRange.htm

Hi

2007-03-29T15:17:34Z

So I've decided that I need a blog to capture decent business ideas as they come up. At the moment I'm working to legitimize my website by auditioning over at lifehacker for a position.