Posted by h3rald
Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:41:00 GMT
Yesterday I got a rather annoying early Christmas present: when visiting my site, I noticed that the raw source code of my dispatch.fcgi file (yes, I’m on shared hosting with FastCGI, for now) was displayed “as it is” instead of being interpreted.
After the initial moment of anger and stress (I immediately realized it was BlueHost’s fault, not mine), I opened two tickets and went to bed, hoping to see everything solved in the morning.
Unluckily it wasn’t the case, so I posted on BlueHost forum trying to be as polite as possible complaining because the issue wasn’t being dealt with. It turns out that for such issues you’re supposed to use the “Live Chat” feature instead of the tickets, so that’s what I did.
After a quick chat with “Christian”, it turns out that BlueHost decided to perform a server upgrade “silently” upgrading to Apache2, PHP5, MySQL4.1, etc. etc.
Cool, pity that nobody told me that!
I was expecting some sort of PHP upgrade (not that I care like that), which was supposed to happen according to the last BlueHost newsletter:
“To alleviate any issues in the future with certain scripts that only run on one
version of PHP we have developed the ability to run PHP4 and PHP5 on the same server
simultaneously. This will be rolled out to all users in the next couple of weeks. Some
servers already have this ability while most will see it in the next two weeks.”
But… hang on? Does it say anything about migrating to Apache2? I don’t think so! What’s worse, is that quite a few things changed with Apache2, in particular the way FastCGI handlers are declared:
# Apache 1.3:
AddHandler fastcgi-script .fcgi
# Apache 2:
AddHandler fcgid-script .fcgi
See? Different. This is due to the fact that mod_fcgid is used instead of mod_fastcgi on Apache 2.
The fix was easy, of course, and now my site is up and running again (and actually running faster)… but, I wonder, why the hell wasn’t I informed? Is it acceptable? It sounds like I might end up on a VPS sooner than expected, unless BlueHost doesn’t roll out some new exciting feature soon, as I think it might…
Posted in Blog | Tags Rails, website | 6 comments | no trackbacks
Posted by h3rald
Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:24:00 GMT
When it comes to software, I definitely like to try out new things. My collegues takes the piss out of me because every week day I come up with “some new tool they have to start using” and so on.
As a matter of fact, I like reviewing software as well. I enjoy writing and analyzing new things, evaluating all the new possibilities they may offer, and I also tend to have a rather critical eye for what doesn’t feel right. I’ll use a tool for months but still try out new ones which claim to do the same thing — but better — as they come out.
Unfortunately — or fortunately, depends how you look at it — when it comes to software, there are very few silver bullets, and things keep changing: that’s the way it is and the way it will be.
I must try to write up a page (and ideally update it regularly, that’s the hard part) listing all the tools I use, at some point… but at any rate, if you coded some new app you think kicks ass or you found a hidden jewel in the labyrinth of freeware, just let me know: I’ll definitely try it out, and if it’s worth a post I’ll blog about it.
The same applies to books, actually, as I like reading, especially those which are related to Ruby or programming, nowadays.
The cost of such reviews and articles? Depends! Certainly I wouldn’t mind donations or some compensation of some form, especially from publishers or software companies. It may be money, books, software or even nothing: it really depends on what I have to review.
Please be aware that I am not doing this full time, and I already have a job and a fiancée to look after, but I’ll do my best to publish as much as I can on my site or even elsewhere elsewhere [Note: on e-zines, magazines & similar, not on your brother’s friend’s mother-in-law’s crappy blog!].
For any inquiries, contact me (h3rald [—at—] h3rald.com).
Posted in Blog | Tags books, personal, review, tools, website | 1 comment | no trackbacks
Posted by h3rald
Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:59:00 GMT
I’m back. I was so eager to go on holiday that I didn’t even bother writing a post about it, too bad. I actually when on holiday for a week but I thought I’d take three weeks off from my blog duties in favor of laziness and relax, but unfortunately my laptop decided to go wrong as well, so I didn’t actually manage to relax that much.
Now everything is fine. I still have to send in my laptop for assistance but it’s usable at least, and I finally found the time (and the money) to buy a desktop PC. I always wanted to build my own, actually, but in the end I decided to opt for a pre-made Fujitsu Siemens, mainly for econimic reasons and time constraints. I won’t publish the specs, but it’s alright for me and my fiancée.
So what now? Well… the usual: more posts will soon be added to the Simply On Rails series, a Ruby-related article is on the way (it will be edited by the excellent CyberArmy Publication Editing Staff this time), I may venture in a site upgrade whenever they decide to release version 4.2 of Typo which is supposed to be imminent and I’ll eventually complete another pet project of mine, but that will take more time…
Stay tuned.
Posted in Blog | Tags personal, website, writing | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by h3rald
Sat, 07 Jul 2007 13:43:00 GMT
The first thing I do when I start developing a new application is write down some ideas.
Pen and paper normally do the job, but nowadays there are some valid online and offline applications which work as good if not (probably) better.
I’ve never been a fan of Mind Mapping. I’ve been to a seminar on problem solving and creativity and they were showing how mind mapping can unleash your creativity, but it didn’t really work for me. I found the concept-idea-concept-idea sequences a bit too restrictive for my liking.
So I decided to try something different: bubbles! Bubbl.us is an interesting online flash application which lets you create bubbles. You can create bubbles and relationships between them, change their color, their dimensions etc. And above all it’s absolutely fun to use.
Read more...
Posted in Blog | Tags Rails, web20, website | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by h3rald
Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:38:00 GMT
…or better, on Rails.
Yep, this 7th (!) version of the H3RALD website is powered by the overly-popular Ruby web framework and by the Typo blogging platform.
Nope, I decided not to re-develop my website entirely from scratch this time, although I was tempted to, for three simple reasons:
- My “coding time” is close to non-existent nowadays, and even with a framework like Rails re-developing a site from scratch would have taken at least some time, which at the moment I don’t have.
- Typo is a fairly robust and feature-rich blogging platform, and after learning a little bit of Rails I could customize it to my needs straight away. URLs didn’t break thanks to Rails’ routing system, migration was easy enough, and developing the missing bits (like a rudimentary BBCode parser and a TextLinkAds sidebar) wasn’t hard at all.
- I wanted to take a break from my site, not code it again.
Read more...
Posted in Blog | Tags Rails, website | 5 comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Fabio Cevasco
Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:53:00 GMT
As a few of you might have noticed, I decided to disable comments on all the sections of this site, as a temporary measure against spam.
Hopefully I’ll try implementing something more effective and less drastic soon, but meanwhile this seems the quickest way to get rid of approx 600-800 spam comments per week.
Posted in Blog | Tags website | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Fabio Cevasco
Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:07:00 GMT
Quite a bit of time passed since the last blog post, and I’m actually sorry about that, but as I thought, I don’t have as much free time as I used to be. Work is work, after all!
This post will be multipurpose as actually I bluid up a few things to write about in the last few days… erhm, ok, weeks.
New Website Design
Something different eh? Yep, definitely! Some time ago I started a small project called h3raLd.com Re-design hoping that some GFX guru could provide a new template for this website, and actually in the end I decided to accept the work of Bartus F. Teipel a Brazilian CakePHP enthusiast.
Bartus is obviously (MUCH) more talented than me when it comes to design, and I was amazed at the quality of the template he provided, in a really short time.
Unfortunately he didn’t yet provide a link to his main website/portfolio, but for now all I can show you is his website for party pics, CircusCircus.
The new template sports a more contemporary Web2.0-ish look which I like a lot, and Bartus used libraries like prototype, moo.fx and Nifty Corners Cube for the AJAX effects and functionalities.
A really outstanding work, thanks Bartus!
The CakePHP Herald project has been completed
With my latest article about CakePHP published on SitePoint, the CakePHP Herald project was completed.
I must say that I really enjoyed writing all those articles about CakePHP, and the only thing I regret is not to have written anything (yet) about some more advanced topic about CakePHP. This was mostly due to – again – lack of time to focus on advanced topic and produce some quality examples.
However, judging by the positive feedback I received about the articles, I am really happy of the final result: even more people discovered the power of CakePHP and became bakers. Happy baking to all of you!
So… no more articles about Cake? Maybe not for a while, I think I’ll be rather busy in the following months. Curious? Read on :-)
My biggest and most important project
I actually got really pissed off with Larry, Garret & the other Master Bakers because of what they wrote on the announcement for the latest CakePHP release:
“[…]In other news, some new articles were published on Sitepoint [3] and in the International PHP magazine [4]. Fabio Cevasco [5] is the man behind these articles. Together with Fabio, we will be writing a book that will be published […]”
After all this time I spent trying desperately not to say a word about it they came out and heralded it out of nowhere. Sigh… they ruined the surprise effect! Oh well, it’s too late now, isn’t it?
So yes, when I say that I’m spending at least 60% of my time (at work and at home) writing I really mean it. The rest? Well, I do have a lovely girlfriend after all!!!
Posted in Blog | Tags CakePHP, design, website | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Fabio Cevasco
Sun, 14 May 2006 12:26:00 GMT
Yes, I know, I’ve been slaking a little bit, and haven’t posted on my blog in a while. Well, I actually didn’t slack at all in these days getting ready to start my job, looking for a damn fitted kitchen for my house and… writing more articles.
Nothing special, and nothing too technical, to be honest, but equally interesting. First of all I updated my An IE Lover’s Guide to Firefox a little bit and people at SpreadFirefox.com and FirefoxFacts liked it. Glad to hear that, unfortunately some guy who wrote about Firefox Myths wasn’t too impressed, but at any rate he read it anyway.
OK, this wasn’t a new article at all, but this one is fresh, at least. It’s about a Swedish guy who decided to emigrate to India pursuing an ideal: writing for his own opinions and ideas. And he gets paid for that too! After reading more about him on his website I decided to write something about him. An interesting and rather unusual read. Pity that some sections of his homepage are in Swedish only.
Finally, yesterday I felt inspired and decided to write another roundup featuring ten popular social bookmarking websites. Trying all those services was fun, with a few exceptions of course. The bad news is that there are already various reviews about social bookmarking sites and thus the Digg folk doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in reading another one, but hey! After all I can’t expect of getting dugg for every roundup I write, can’t I?
That’s about it. And what about the CakePHP article I promised long ago to CakePHP beginners? It’s done, written and ready to be published! Unfortunately the magazine I submitted it to is taking quite a bit to review it and – most important – to tell me whether they’ll publish it or not. Let’s hope for the best.
Posted in Blog | Tags website, writing | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Fabio Cevasco
Thu, 27 Apr 2006 20:47:00 GMT
Today is my birthday! Not too happy, but still my birthday after all. What presents did I get from my relatives and friends? Well, various things, but I told my parents and uncles I actually needed some web space… “What? Didn’t you have the hosting sorted out?”
Well, I had, up to a few days ago when my friends and hosting provider, DeWayne Lehman, decided to close down his company. The reason being, to cut a long story short, that he can’t keep up with competition: he doesn’t have enough customers, and he can’t afford server upgrades, while other companies are literally giving space away.
That was a pity, not only because Block House used to host various non-profit orgs and initiatives, but also because the guy who run it was an excellent admin, always offering excellent support.
Anyhow, in the end I’ll have to transfer all five of my sites to a new host, so here we go again: what’s the best hosting company?
Obviously it depends a lot on what you’re looking for, and here’s what I need:
- At least 4GB of space
- At least 30GB/month bandwidth
- PHP of course, but also other languages like Perl, Python and Ruby (+ Rails support)
- MySQL databases… at least 10-20
- Be able to host 5-6 sites minimum
- Subdomains allowed (10 in total?)
- FTP and SSH access
- Subversion, if possible
All this for less than 10$/month, ideally 5$, on shared hosting. I already made my choice and if you’re reading this post it means everything worked fine, but anyway, let’s have a look at what the market can offer for my needs. I only went for US-based hosts: Italian hosts are terrible and US hosts are normally more reliable and cheaper.
The first hosting company I was tempted by was DreamHost. They can literally sell you anything but their mother, at stupidly cheap rates for what you get (apparently):
- 20GB of space
- 1TB (!) bandwidth
- PHP4, PHP5 Perl, Python and Ruby + RoR support
- Unlimited databases
- Unlimited hosted domains
- Unlimited hosted subdomains
- FTP and SSH access
- Subversion and CVS
- …and more
For 7.95 if you pay two years in advance. And the first time you can get up to 97$ off by using one of the thousands referrer’s coupons available on the net. OK, where’s the catch? Well, there’s a bad review about them which points out that their reliability is not too great, for example, and that the seem to be rather dodgy in general. “They are overselling, they’ll soon enforce CPU restrictions” etc. etc.
…let’s move along
I might try out Ruby on Rails someday, so perhaps I thought it would be wise to choose a host supporting it, for a change. The first Rails friendly I thought about was RailsPlayground, which started off as FREE Rails host and then ended up offering interesting commercial hosting plans. They are not bad, and I’d have probably gone with them if I had only one site to manage: for 60$ a year you get:
- 3GB of space
- 30GB bandwidth
- PHP4, PHP5 Perl, Python and Ruby + RoR support
- Unlimited databases
- Unlimited add-on domains
- Unlimited hosted subdomains
- FTP and SSH access
- Subversion and CVS
- …and more
Well, the only reason why I didn’t go with them was that I did slightly more space, only that. The plan for 5GB of space costs 11$/month, which was too expensive for my liking.
Since we’re talking about Rails, why not Textdrive? Founded by 200 IT professional, hosts high quality sites, it’s the official Rails host… An “elite” solution, here’s what you get:
- Use Apache and Lighttpd web servers side-by-side
- Host PHP4 and PHP5 web pages and applications
- Host a weblog using Textpattern, Wordpress, MovableType, Typo, etc
- Host Ruby and Ruby on Rails applications (including FCGI and hundreds of gems)
- Host Perl applications (including 100’s of Perl modules)
- Host Python applications like Django
- Manage your code base with version control (Subversion, SVK, Darcs, Monotone & Arch)
- Share iCal files over WebDAV
- Mount a WebDAV drive on your desktop (like iDisk)
- Easily create free subdomains with wildcard DNS
- Store your Basecamp file uploads over SFTP
- Access your account via SFTP and SSH
- Add domains, unlimited IMAP and POP mail boxes and mail aliases through a control panel
- Check your email through Webmail
- Host Mailman mailing lists complete with archives
- Use MySQL (default), PostgreSQL, SQLite and Berkeley databases
Plans start at 12$/month for 1GB of space and one website… The 3GB one is 40$/month, for 20 sites in total. Too bad it’s too expensive for me as they are truly the top for shared hosting – I think.
Host Gator, which seems to be one of the most frequently recommended at SitePoint.com forums, is not bad either. They have a “hatchling” plan for 3,5GB at 6.95, which wasn’t bad, but it only allows one domain to be hosted. The “Baby” plan allows unlimited domains and is 9.95$/month, which is kinda dear. You get:
- 5GB of space
- 75GB bandwidth
- PHP4, PHP5 Perl and Python
- Unlimited databases
- Unlimited add-on domains
- Unlimited hosted subdomains
- FTP access
- …and more
No SSH, no SVN and no Rails: out.
Site5 is also one of SitePoint’s favourite, but still has limitations on the number of sites. I would have got the SuperHosting XTREME, for 7,77$/month:
This site is currently hosted on
BlueHost, a hosting company established in 1996, which seems to be reliable enough (not many complaints on the net) and seems serious enough. They don’t offer subversion and WebDAV for “security reasons” and in order to get a shell account you have to send them a copy of an ID card. Annoying? Well, perhaps for some: this made me understand that they don’t allow just anybody to get
SSH access unconditionally, and I didn’t mind. I sent them a scansion of my ID card and I got a friendly support email after a few minutes, confirming that it was activated. Here’s what I got:
- 15GB of space
- 400GB bandwidth
- PHP4, PHP5 Perl, Python, Ruby + RoR support
- 20 MySQL databases + 10 PostgreSQL databases
- 6 domains hosted in one account (easier for me!)
- 20 subdomains + 20 parked domains
- FTP and SSH access
- …and more
For 6,65$/month, 2 years pre-payment. One of the good things is that they are not fussy about giving the money back if you cancel. Anyhow… let’s hope for the best, so far, so good.
Posted in Blog | Tags hosting, review, website | no comments | no trackbacks
Posted by Fabio Cevasco
Thu, 06 Apr 2006 22:57:00 GMT
Yes, it works. Perhaps it’s a tiny bit slower than expected but the new h3raLd.com seems to work.
I’ll probably find some new exciting bugs to fix in the next few hours, as usual – that will be annoying but perfectly normal.
The good thing is that the new template seems to load faster, mostly due to the fact that I hardly used images <- [not true, te new site appears to be slower, maybe not due to the images], at any rate, let’s see how it goes. I can imagine I’ll have to implement some sort of caching system for the tagging system in particular, but fortunately CakePHP apparently comes with a built-in caching mechanism for views, models etc. etc. although the documentation available seems to be scarce at the moment, and I’ve been to lazy to investigate any further.
Posted in Blog | Tags CakePHP, website | no comments | no trackbacks
