edmann.com 2.0.1 alpha

Ok here are some docs on how to do virtual hosts. I do this allot on Unix machines, but found that windows has a little different setup.
I have learned that in the httpd.conf file you need to look for /conf/extra/httpd-xampp.conf. This is the start of the extra config files that you can include in apache. What i would recommend is that you create a new directory under extra called sites or enabled_sites. Then add a new line to the httpd.conf file as such.
Include conf/extra/sites/*.conf

After saving the file make or change into the extra/sites directory. We are going to make a new config file naming it dev1.conf. You can change the name to something that will work for you, i however will use the dev1 name in this post.

The dev1 file should contain the following code more config options can be added, but what is posted will get you started.

Note: You will need to change the DocumentRoot before you restart Apache
Note2: Also wrap your Document Root path in double quotes and don't include a trailing slash.

<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName dev1.edmann.com
DocumentRoot "C:\Documents and Settings\ed_mann\workspace\dev1"
ErrorLog logs/dev1-error.log
CustomLog logs/dev1-access.log common
<Directory />
Order deny,allow
Deny from none
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>

Edit the httpd-vhosts.conf file in the extra directory and uncomment the NameVirtualHost *:80 line.
I like to keep my logs for each project separate. This helps trouble shoot problems... At least for me it does.
Now you need to edit your etc/hosts file. Windows has one and it is found in the following directory.

C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc

We need to add a new host for our dev1 Virtual host. Something like the following will work: 127.0.0.1 dev1.mysite.com
or just 127.0.0.1 dev1
Create a index.php file in the directory of you new dev1 site. You can put the following content. <? php phpinfo(); ?>
Now start or restart apache and try to go to the dev1 website. You can just type in dev1 and it should take you to the index page and display the php info.
Let me know if you have any problems. Once you have one dev project working, just copy the dev1.conf file to dev2.conf change the path and restart apache. Edit your hosts file, and you should be good to go.

Trying out Firefox 3.0b1, and i have to say that i can see the difference between this version and FF 2.0.0.9. The speed improvements are there, but i am not sure if that's just me thinking that it's faster. The forms look like they are picking up the Gnome theme settings. The fonts look better. This may because i am using Fedora 7 and FF2 just did not pick them up correct. I checked some of my websites and they all still work, and don't look like they need any modifications. This was not the case when IE7 came out. Heck i still have some sites that need major work because IE7 does not render them correct. I still need to check some of the new applications that i am working on to insure that they are still working. But so far this looks very nice. I think i will keep it as my default for a while just to get a better feel for it. In other news the DlzSync tool for bind that i have been working on is almost complete enough for me to use full time. I still need to edit the code and use cursors, but i don't think this will take long. "Famous last words". Also we have a new domain for dlzSync, it will be online in a few more weeks. Documentation should be coming soon as well. This is for the people that want to role there own. Just use our java version as a reference. I can do one in php, perl, and maybe python. I won't have time for it anytime soon, but it can be done.

I finished Slandering Jesus the night before last. The book was written by Dr. Erwin Lutzer. The link that i have found for his website goes to Moody Church where Dr. Erwin Lutzer has been the Sr pastor since 1980. I have not read any of Dr Lutzer's other works, so this is my first exposure to his writings. I usually read fiction books, but this book is classified in the apologetics category. I have more books in my read list that are not fiction, because there are just more things that i want to know.

I wanted to know what Slandering Jesus was all about. I have felt that people have picked Jesus apart to try and make him fit what they want to believe. Dr. Lutzer addresses that topic in this book. He explains that there are many Jesuses, and that the Jesus that i know and follow may not be the Jesus that you know.

Why is this. I guess because people don't like the narrow path that you must follow. Here are some complete passages from the bible about the path. These are from NIV translation.

Matthew 7:13 "¹³Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Luke 13:22 ²²Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. ²³Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, ²⁴"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' ²⁶"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' ²⁷"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' ²⁸"There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ³⁰Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

People today, and i would say long ago, the reason is all the works from antiquity that they are finding (Gnostic writings), that this path to God that Jesus taught was not what many wanted to follow. So out come the new writings that are more acceptable to people.
When writing this article i had imagined the work that was being done on the interstate where i live. Before the work started it was a 4 lane route with 2 lanes for each direction. Now the same route is 8 lanes with 4 going in each direction. I know some people that live in larger cities will still think that is small with 8 or more lanes for each direction, but stick with me. I am going to show some age when i say i remember traveling on 2 lane roads. It was fun passing in those days. But back to the point. Jesus laid out the path, with his teachings he showed us the way to eternal life with Him in heaven. However many people did and do not like this path. This is that very old school 2 lane road. It's not as enjoyable to be on than the 8 lane express. People want to widen the path. Bring in the bulldozers and make this 2 lane road into a 16 lane express way. Heck make it like the autobahn. Also make it more accessible to everyone, easier to pass, and put a Starbucks exit every so often.

So now Jesus is being changed into what is more acceptable to the current society. He is more tolerant of the lifestyles that people chose. Dr. Lutzer brings this up in his book about the different Jesuses that are being created. People are using Jesus like a buffet. Picking the pieces that they like and will fit with there personal agenda, and leaving the rest.

This is a book that i will read again. It did not take me that long to finish it, but the next time i will make some more detail notes.

I do recommend this book to anyone that wants more insight into the different interpretations of Jesus, and people working to change him into the Jesus that is more acceptable and easier to follow.

Saturday i did my first install of Bacula backup software. I have to say that the install was easy, and i was able to get a backup going in a relatively short amount of time. Granted i played around allot with it to see what it would do. I did this work for Riverside Community Church in Peoria, Illinois. Using a Dell Powervault 124T. The only problem i have is i cannot get the mtx tool to export the tape to the import/export slot. I am going to open a case with Dell on it, supposedly that unit does not adhere to the eepos command sets. So that stinks. I cannot automate the ejection of tapes at the moment, however everything else with the unit worked great.
As i said the install of Bacula was very easy. I had to build the rpms myself, but since i do that allot with other software i utilize it was not that hard. I should post the links. I am using CentOs 4 on that machine, but on my own hardware i have CentOs 5 so builds will come for that as well.
I am thinking about writing a gui setup tool. I have been doing more Java lately, but Bacula has Python extensions, so i think Python will be what i will use. I have to pace myself, PHPEclipse is about to release the new 1.2.0. This has been on the agenda for some time now. And i want to do more development on that application for the next release.
It is my goal to get some tape hardware in for my own business and move away from disk based storage. Currently i am using Amanda but have started to dislike it more and more. At my day job i use Tivoli Backup Storage and like the ability to run a backup when i need to from a specific host. I have not found a way to do that with Amanda, but i have not looked that much either. Well i need to go move some servers. So i am gone.