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((2002))
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Holy shit. Last night was intense. Me and Ericka went to the doctor where she got checked and found out that she is dilated 2cm and the doctor did her the favor of removing her mucus plug. So around 10pm last night she starts having contractions. I timed them every 3-7 minutes for three hours. Sometimes they would go 15 minutes, then get back into the rhythm. It was a bit frightening, but they did finally wane and no baby came (yup, that rhymed).

Hehe, check out the neato Jeremy Wedding pics. I had forgotten what a good time I had had there until seeing some of those. Great stuff I tell ya, it was a wonderful ceremony and I'm proud to be in one of the suits behind the man himself. Too bad about the car, but I suppose that was the only mishap of the evening. Anyway, check out those pics. Neat stuff in there.

Hmm..slash. Gotta love it. I'm almost finished with my HOWTO, which I promised I would write. I certainly didn't want anyone else to go through the struggles I went through getting the damn thing to work. As soon as its done you'll see it here.

Welp, time to run.

Jimmy, are you still alive? It's been a week and no blog activity. Tsk tsk.

Peace.

Evan Erwin from URL @ 9:48 AM

YES YES YES YES YES YES!!

Oh baby oh baby. The proof is in the motherfucking PUDDING:

editing /usr/bin/safe_mysqd to include the GMT time zone thing

Remember to go here to see the easiest way to add a database and user for slash.

Download Apache 1.3.24 and mod_perl 1.2.6, unzip, and go into the mod_perl directory

Use the compile instructions as seen in the Slash INSTALL document. Set APACHE_PREFIX=/usr/local/apache

Run "perl -MCPAN -e shell"

First thing, upgrade your CPAN: "install Bundle::CPAN"

Now install your XML Parser: "install XML::Parser"

install Compress Zlib "install Compress::Zlib"

run "install Net::Cmd"

now run "install Bundle::Slash"

when DBIx::Password installs, create a virtual user (remember to look at these neat-o instructions for an easier time at it) and passwords, etc

Remember to setup DBD::Mysql correctly (tell it /usr for the "include" directory its looking for)

Now unzip the latest slash you've downloaded, probably slash 2.2.5.tar.gz (find it at slashcode).

run "make GROUP=nogroup"

run "make GROUP=nogroup install"

now do this: "echo 'Include /usr/local/slash/httpd/slash.conf' >> /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf"
Now do a "cd /usr/local/slash/bin" and run "./install-slashsite -u my_virtual_username_here" - This will run the correct scripts to get everything working. It will set your hostname, admin account, etc.

Now go into your /usr/local/apache/bin directory and run "./apachetcl stop" and "./apachetcl start" - if you get errors here, you probably didn't correctly install all your CPAN modules. I personally had to "force install Email::Valid" because I didn't have sendmail installed.

AFTER httpd has been stop'd and started (DON'T restart it, stop and start it), (I've been doing this prior, which could also be a problem but I'm pretty sure it was perl that fucked me), go into your /etc/rc.d/init.d directory and run "./slash start"

Go to your favorite web browser and type "http://x.x.x.x" (your ip) to load the site. Slash will automatically turn it into a hostname, so you can just your IP if you'd rather.

Evan Erwin from URL @ 11:57 AM

I think I've found the answer. While I can't repeat the PerlModule error from work, I did find out why that error is showing up:

Apache isn't sure which binary to use. Translation? The apache rpm installed (along with the mod_perl rpm as well) is fucking with it. I'm just not sure how to best approach this. I'd much rather reformat and install Linux with no apache, no perl, and go from there. That way when you compile and run the perl source, it will put things in the right place. As it stands, I have both /usr/local/bin/perl and /usr/local/bin/perl5.6.1 binaries on this system and the system at work. If you run (perl_binary) -MCPAN -e shell, to get to the CPAN shell to install perl modules, if you use perl5.6.1, it works, or, at least it seems to. You can run an install, such as "install XML::Parser" and everything will download/compile/install just fine. However, you can run the same command and the exact same things will happen. This, as you might have guessed, is a problem. While I haven't looked to see if the /usr/local/bin/perl is a symbolic link (I highly doubt it), if I just do a "perl -MCPAN -e shell" and install modules, everything works just as it supposed to. Ugh. I'm so conflicted.

Here's a question: what's the best way to remove all of the binaries and files and libraries you installed from source packages, eh? And they wonder why everyone likes package managers. GRRR...

Tomorrow, since I have the time, I might just try that. Reinstall Mandrake, it'll be quick since it has a) Ultra Wide SCSI and b) no graphical interface needed, and c) it's a nice, blank canvas to work with. Sheesh. And you thought this was going to be easy? If I can get it to work, please please please if I can...I'll reformat this machine and do it on this one as well. I'm THIS CLOSE. I can smell the sweet aroma of success. Man, I tell ya, you work three weeks on something and damn if the finish line don't look as far away as ever. Now I'm getting a strange error on this machine, but the real work is at my workplace, so updates on that tomorrow.

Tommy and Amanda came by with little 3-week-old Dylan. Cute bugger, squinches up his face when he tries to cry and looks around all curiouslike. I cooked steaks and beans 'n rice as well as shells n' cheese. Good stuff. I also made the no-bake cheesecake, which I'm about to partake in. I know I don't need it, but oh well. That's what the gym was created for I suppose.

Hmm...anything else? Not really. Apart from these things nothing much else has come into the picture. It certainly nice to see Jeremy updating a blog, its been awhile since I've heard day-to-day stuff from him, though Jimmy is strangely silent since last Friday. He may have updated his blog, not sure. Tony's page is also D.O.A. You think the guy would've taken the I've-linked-to-your-site-so-please-put-something-up-thanks message :) Oh well, all in due time.

Was late again this morning. I had to fib my ass off (I woke up at 9:15am -- was supposed to be at work at 9!) and tell them Ericka had a few false labor pains and wouldn't let me leave the room until then. =]

Peace out.

Evan Erwin from URL @ 10:39 PM

Taking a quick glance at Jeremy's page, or specifically, Jeremy's blog, all I got say is: 100 Megs worth of pics?! Holy shit man, JPEG is your friend. Or perhaps PNG. PNG is a really nice all-OS friendly format. But damn, at least compress it with JPEG at the highest quality. Save the anguish :)

Hmm...today I got to work at 9:30 and had forgotten I was supposed to be in Sneedvegas at 9am. Oops. So I spent all morning over there and the rest of the afternoon with this or that. Mainly I got Mandrake up and running on our old mainframe. No X this time, so the install was much quicker. Unfortunately telnet is disabled by default. Sure its a security thing, but damn, I wish I didn't have to go fuck with xinetd.conf to get the thing working. We'll see if I can get it up and possibly run some stuff this evening before I head home. Tomorrow will be a better time to mess around, I'll have it configured for use and all.

The kernel last night didn't compile, broke on "make bzImage". Not sure why however, the conf seemed pretty standard to me. I disabled sound, serial ports, LPT1, and anything else I could so I could get a nice, fast, clean kernel. Hrm. I'll get 2.5.20 this evening and see if it broke. Turns out, having looked at the HOWTO (God bless howtos ya'll), I had forgotten "make xconfig" which provides a nice little GTK+ interface to click and point your way through. I might compile one for the new mainframe, but I'd rather just stick with the one its got, running SMP (hell yeah), and try to get slash working.

Well, I think I've found out quite a bit concerning slash and why its not working. So, basically, I did everything the instructions tell you. Let me share some knowledge real quick and give you the rundown on how to get the fuckin thing working, at least up to the point where I'm at:

install perl 5.6.1 by actually compiling it (don't fuck with the rpm, not worth the hassle)

install mysql-devel rpm. The instructions don't mention this at all but Bundle::Slash will ask for your mysql include directory, and this is where the files are located. When it asks for that directory, tell it "/usr" (the rpm puts the files /usr/include).

download expat-1.95-2.tar.gz and compile/install

read the slashcode install directions and make sure you edit the appropriate files (specifically regarding the safe_mysqld GMT (time zone) stuff) and that you setup the appropriate users and passwords in the mysql database. Check this out regarding how best to do that. Those instructions are a bit off, but most of it is on the money. Plus it provides quick access on how to best add a user and passwords. These directions are the best I have found as of yet.

download the latest apache and mod_perl tar.gz's. Again, check the Slash install directions and compile mod_perl correctly. However, this seems to be my problem. But I'll get to that in a second.
run "perl -MCPAN -e shell" to get into cpan
type "install Bundle::Slash" it should download and install/upgrade all needed modules. Remember to input the correct information on the mysql include directory (/usr) and to correctly input your DBIx::Password stuff. Don't run the DBIx::Password tests. Not needed and they'll probably fail anyway.

now tar -zxvf slash.2.2.x and go in there and run "make GROUP=nogroup"

Next run "make GROUP=nogroup install" (Because there is no group of "nobody", which it tries to default to).

Now after that finishes, run this command: "echo 'Include /usr/local/slash/httpd/slash.conf' >> /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf"
Now go into /usr/local/slash/bin and run "./install-slashsite -u virtual_user_here"

After you setup that stuff, you need to restart apache. This is where I hit problems. I'm getting a problem with a command Directory initiative, and the best thing I could find regarding it says I haven't loaded the mod_access module into Apache. Which, I think, is bullshit. You see, when you compile/install mod_perl, you give it a EVERYTHING=1, which means to install all modules. But apparently it doesn't do that. However, in the slash instructions there are slashes "/" after some of the make options. This is where I'm getting confused. I'll figure this out. The rest of that, however, I think is correct. And if I ever do get this shit working, by God I'm writing a HOWTO to save everyone else the pain and torture I've went through on trying to get this perl website crap to work. And don't get me started on the win32 attempt.

More of everything else. Peace.

Evan Erwin from URL @ 4:56 PM

Woohoo! I'm compiling my own specialized kernel as we speak. 2.5.19. Yes, I know 2.5.20 is out, but I already spent 20 minutes downloading 2.5.19 and I'm sure there isn't a HUGE difference between the two.

I'm trying slash again. Dammit, I need to get off this and try something else, but I'm in the Determined Mode and by God it'll work somehow. Firstly I setup Bundle::Slash but didn't have perl 5.6.1 installed. Okay, so I installed that and tried to compile slash, but got a shitload of errors. Well, I already said I didn't have mod_perl and apache configured, and of course Mandrake's installs weren't good enough. This must be the problem, since I meet all of the requirements for slash other than this. So that's what I'll install next. I'm trying to decide when a good time to sleep is. It's going on 2:15am, and I'm ready to go till 3am, simply because I'm psyched about the kernel compile and slash actually working again. I got it to compile and even ran the install-slashsite script, setting up the administrator accounts and everything, when I started to get permission errors and then I got apache errors (running as root, something I won't do again). Now I'm just gonna start from scratch, literally for the sixth or seventh time now, and will just go step by step (other than setting GROUP=nogroup on the "make install" of slash, because their default group of "nobody" doesn't exist in Mandrake/Redhat/Debian).

Word of caution: DiaryLand is a pretty scary place. Not a lot of blogs on there, mainly schoolkids, no, scratch that, mainly fucked up schoolkids. Suicide-chik's diary is pretty damn disturbing, the most disturbing I found, while others aren't as bad. One is even from a teacher. Pretty interesting stuff, but it can get mundane quick, at least, it can at 2am :)

Hmm...lemme just state right now how pleased I am with life. I am totally infatuated with my lovely wife, I'm very very excited about the new life coming into the world, and I'm fairly happy with my job. I'm thinking of making some bold moves in the workplace, most specifically the directions we should go in terms of servers and networking stuff, but we'll see. Anyway, just stating for the record my gladness in being me. Having read a few people's disdain for their current situation makes one realize how good life is right now. It'll get better and worse, but as of right now it's managable and I'm glad.

Time for other things. Like sleep, if I ever get around to it.

*poof*

Evan Erwin from URL @ 2:18 AM

Busy, busy. Today we went to K-town for the sole purpose of paying on my Zales bill. I'm sure its late anyway, but at least I paid it for another month. Thereafter we went to Target and Ericka picked up a gown she wanted while I managed a few pairs of shorts. Though I wanted to get a DVD, I hate to say that I couldn't find much of anything to buy. Though Harry Potter was somewhat appealing, I hate to say that time hasn't been very good to that film and I doubt I'll be watching it again any time soon. The books are so much more enriching and just plain better produced (ie, made) that the film pales and the music sucks and the ending left out the wonderful potions puzzle that Hermione solves. So, in that regard, I think I can wait.

Finally got the store where we bought $86 worth of goods. I was expecting a higher total, but that's fine with me. This evening I got to cook steaks, mac n' cheese and a baked potato, precluded by a salad. Nice little meal, but I'll be damned if I know the correct setting for cooking a baked potato in the microwave we have. Grr...the damn thing gets too hot and only cooks part of the potato. Unfortunately each new experiment with a new setting costs me another potato that someone has to eat. So we'll have to wait and see if I can figure that one out later.

Watched The Wire on HBO, their new one hour drama. Considering that Oz is going off after next season, I'm sure they're banking on it to make a dent and continue their Fine Producing Efforts. Unfortunately they have the We Must Show A Naked Person On Every Show virus and this time it included a strip bar (imagine that) as the base of operations of the bad guys (imagine that!) and just before it went off we got a shot of tits (imagine that!!). Ugh. Otherwise it did have a nice little story arc of this guy who fucked himself over by sharing info that didn't need to be shared, and it didn't reek of NYPD Blue. It also showed the side of the drug dealers, but not well enough. On this episode it definitely wanted to establish the detectives and Homicide agents. We'll see where it goes if I'm around to watch next Sunday. I'm not marking my calendars or anything, but if I'm there and it's there I wouldn't mind soaking it in.

Installed Mandrake, so if my personal web server shows up Mandrake you know where I am. I have a lame little text HTML page for my WinXP box, so there's an easy way to tell. I installed Dreamweaver XM and will see if I can play around with that for awhile. I must say that every since Jimmy proclaimed one of his web ventures was "entirely comprised of Cascade Style Sheets" I've been a bit jealous and maybe I might actually learn something.

Talked to my sister who should be over tomorrow evening. If all goes as planned I'll be cooking lasagna and making cheesecake. Mmm, sounds good, eh?

Lastly, I beileve that if worse comes to worse I'd be glad to just setup a non-XFree86 box with the bank's old mainframe. More than anything I'd probably just keep the thing off a monitor and keyboard, so its no big deal if I don't get a neat little graphical interface for everything. The point is I want to get some database/web stuff working and thats the box to fuck with, not the email server. Every time I've messed with the email server its either brought the email down and/or the ability to ping 10.1.x.x addresses other than that of our current mainframe (Dual Xeons, 512MB, etc). Of course as soon as I get anything half-ass working Dennis will tell me to trash it, but since we don't have to return the machine until next June, I think I have a bit of time for play :)

Hmm...slash again. I tried to install Bundle::Slash from CPAN (perl -MCPAN -e shell, type: install Bundle::Slash) but it crapped out on me. I have a feeling its because of the lack of perl 5.6.1, which I'm compiling right now. However I didn't install mod_perl and apache, since mandrake installed them for me at the beginning, but that may also be a problem. We'll see. Anyway, if it works, you'll know it.

Adios

Evan Erwin from URL @ 11:22 PM

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as of 5/28/02
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