More Fables of the Reconstruction
Some people might have lives, but I have a webserver.
I think I’ve now upgraded just about everything (software-wise) that’s upgradable on this machine:
- Apache 1.3.33 -> 1.3.37 (Thanks for hiding the win32 binaries under “Archives” when the *nix version is out in plain view, guys)
- PHP 5.0.3 -> 5.1.4 (This required ditching my old
php.inifile and doing a new one from scratch) - MySQL 5.1.8 -> 5.1.11 (Dead easy, even on Windows - yea, TEAM!)
- Perl 5.8.7 -> 5.8.8
- Python 2.3.2 -> 2.4.3
- Tcl 8.4.12 -> 8.5.0
- BlogCMS .3.4.6 -> WordPress 2.0.4 (The RSS feed was broken, I was getting tired of seeing my posts quoted elsewhere sans formatting, and every time I tried messing with the code, it just got worse)
- Singapore 0.9.11 -> 0.10.0 (The one part of BlogCMS that I still really liked after switching to WordPress, especially after finding that the upgrade fixed most of my outstanding annoyances with the old version of Singapore)
- Cygwin 1.4.16 -> 1.5.21 (Because trying to use DOS as a shell makes me want to bang my head against the monitor until one or the other breaks and puts me out of my misery)
I also invested a few hours yesterday learning some basic ins and outs of Apache’s mod_rewrite, which is a pain to deal with (as is anything when you’ve no idea WTF you’re doing), but the results are quite nice. Especially when you’re getting pings to files that no longer exist following a makeover of your server.
For now, I’ve *cough* integrated *cough* the new gallery by means of an IFRAME, which makes it easy to view in its own window if desired. There’s a Singapore mod for this that I might try out, but it appears to be a pain if you want to use the same gallery both within and independently of WordPress, so I might just leave it the way it is.
I also updated the OS. Why is it, Microsoft, that I can patch 5 Linux systems in less time than it takes for the Windows Update “Checking for the latest updates for your computer…” to finish flashing green at me? And that I invariably wind up rebooting the Windows machine 3 or 4 times, whereas patching the Linux machines almost never requires a reboot - just if and when I feel like upgrading the kernel? I think that’s what I find most annoying about Windows - other than the fact that I’m stuck with a single desktop, there’s no shell worth mentioning, it’s a haven for viruses (an issue that basically doesn’t exist on other operating systems), and that an install of the base OS alone takes 2-3 hours not counting drivers and Windows Update, and only then can you think about installing some apps so you can actually get any work done on the thing - everything requires a FREAKIN’ REBOOT. How on Earth can people consider this “normal”?
I suppose I’d better quit ranting and get some work done on my Linux laptop PC while I wait for the server to reboot. And ask myself why I even still have a Windows machine in the house.
Hi Jon!
So, you never explained… why *do* you still have a Windows machine?
-jay :) Good to see your feeds coming through again!
Hi, Jay!
Sentimental reasons, oddly enough… as explained here.
Any specific reason for not upgrading to Apache2? It is a way better piece of software (especially on windows)
Hi, Alexey!
I’ve just heard that configuring Apache 2 is quite different from configuring 1.3, and I’m too lazy to learn the new stuff, I guess. ;)
Also, I’ve heard there were some issues with PHP 5.0/5.1.
Of course, if I’m wrong about those things, feel free to tell me.
configuring is very similiar, actually. basically apache2 just has more options, while old ones still do work
php5.x doesn’t have any issues with apache2. we use it at our hosting-server for quite a much time. it works just fine :)
apache2 has problems with php, if (at the same time):
1) you have configured apache2 to be multithreaded
2) you use some php-extensions, which are not threadsafe (gettext and imap, for example)
I couldn’t get either Apache 2.0.59 or 2.2.3 to play nice with PHP 5.1.4, so I’ve put things back the way they were for now. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I’ll try setting them up in a Win2K VM on another machine where I don’t have to worry about having the site out of order whilst I attempt to work things out.
I like the artsy look of your gallery. I’m in the market for a gallery cms and was planning to use ‘Gallery’, but your endorsement of Singapore is making me reconsider that. The last time I checked out Singapore (2 years ago?) it had not been developed very much, but it seems to have improved enough since then that it’s worth trying now. I like their emphasis on aesthetics, minimal features, valid markup, etc.
Your ‘Welcome Reception’ lizard photo is great, by the way.
That looks like a good use for IFRAMES. Maybe they aren’t totally evil, then? ;-)
How did you upgrade Perl from 5.8.7 to 5.8.8? I tried — but although it successfully installed, I don’t think it overwrote enough of the old Perl.
Any advice on switches/files to copy afterwards, etc.?
Thanks,
Matthew
Oh, and my e-mail address — if anyone wants to help me :) — is
matthew (at) tanbooks (COMmercial domain)
D9r,
Hey there!
Yeah, Singapore seems pretty good now. I’m using the Darkroom theme; haven’t modified it any (yet).
I think I’ll just leave the IFRAME the way it is. I like being able to display the gallery inside the blog or independently of it, and I don’t really mind administering the two separately.
The WordPress theme I’m using is a customised Fluidity, BTW.
Matthew,
I completely uninstalled the previous version of Perl first, then installed the new one. In fact, ActiveState’s MSI installer forced me to do so, IIRC.