GimmeSoda
The Blog of a Programmer
Updated Laconica Installer – Installing 0.7.3
Apr 23rd
Just finished testing the updated installer for laconica version 0.7.3 codenamed “You Are The Everything“. I’ve gone ahead and cleared out the old laconica install at http://laconica.gimmesoda.com and tested the installer there with no problems. Also, there was a bug which allowed the installer to continue running even after failing to select the database. This has been fixed as well.
The installer can be downloaded from the usual location:
http://www.gimmesoda.com/laconica_installer.zip
One last thing, you have to call the install script from gimme_install.php instead of install.php (laconica now has it’s own installer at that location).
If people still need help with this I do offer an install service, just contact me.
NextGEN Gallery – Feature Addition – Import Zip From URL
Apr 21st
So I work with the NextGEN Gallery plugin pretty often for various websites and one of the things we constantly find ourselves doing is downloading zip files of content, then uploading them to the system in order to import them. From time to time I would run into a max upload size problem which meant uploading outside the usual interface or doing things in portions.
I decided I needed to get around this problem so I went ahead and made what turned out to be a pretty simple modification of the NextGEN Gallery plugin. Here’s what I did:
- I modified admin/functions.php and added a function:
import_zipfile_from_url($galleryID) - I modified admin/addgallery.php in various spots
The first modification is easiest, I just took the code from the import_zipfile function and modified it so that rather then expecting the file from the $_FILES variable I used curl to grab the zip file from the URL, save it to the /tmp directory with a random name, then followed the process from the original function. Easy!
The only other modification that was needed was the admin form for adding a gallery. The file that handles that is admin/addgallery.php and after taking a look at it I found it really wasn’t a complex form at all. I did the following:
- I modified the <ul> with the id “tabs” adding the following pointing the link to the following: <a href=”#zipimport”>
- Then I added a div with the actual form with the id “zipimport” – it takes in the url for the zip file and the gallery selection
- Finally I added another POST variable check: $_POST['zipimport'] which executes the new function which was added to functions.php
Test it out, as long as PHP was compiled with cURL this should work pretty smoothly. You can grab a copy of the files I modified from here:
http://files.gimmesoda.com/nextgen/nextgen_gallery_mod.zip
Let me know if you have any questions!
Recent Laconica Install
Apr 19th
I had to do another install of laconica the other day and because of that I figured I would try out the installer that it comes with.
I’m sorry to say I was actually pretty disappointed. The config file that was generated had just a few lines in it, and when I loaded the site everything was basically broken theme wise.
I had to manually go in and fix up the config file. Looks like I will be updating my own installer after all – expect a release real soon.
Forcing MP3 Downloads on Apache
Apr 6th
I keep seeing this more and more often. Apparently the proper mime-types keep getting set for mp3 files and browsers are properly responding – so rather then downloading (depending on your setup) the file might just end up playing from your browser! The horror! (People, just save the target file!)
Anyhow, if your application is meant to send the file as a download you really should be forcing it rather then relying on your visitor’s settings. Put the following into your .htaccess file to force the download:
AddType application/octet-stream .mp3
You can also add more extensions to that line in order to force the download of more file types such as:
AddType application/octet-stream .mp3 .flv .mov .wav
You get the idea! Any questions? Enjoy!
Generating Thumbnails from FLV using FFMPEG
Mar 15th
I had to make some modifications to a zenGallery system which was going to hold a lot of flash video files and I was too lazy to create a thumbnail for each image so for awhile it had the default thumbnail.
After a few, “what’s with the thumbnails?” I decided to write a script that executed ffmpeg to create a thumbnail for each video (from the frame 10 seconds into the video) and write out a jpg image.
The filename currently just replaces .flv with .jpg and my settings for the call are pretty generic. If anyone has questions about this feel free to ask.
Grab the .phps file from here: Generate Thumbnails from FLV files using FFMPEG
In the mood for tequila…
Mar 11th
Okay so I’m normally in the mood for some good tequila however, tonight/this morning, I’ve really been craving two very specific bottles, however I wouldn’t mind some of the third about now.
First we have La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila, which I’ve been craving for awhile but have been too lazy to go pick up or order.
The next is Tres Generaciones Anejo, which anyone who has been introduced to tequila by me has very likely had a taste of. It’s among my favorites and goes down smoothly even for those people who aren’t big on tequila.
I’ve only had this one twice Milagro Select Anejo tequila, super smooth tequila that’s just a little sweeter then most anejo’s I’ve tasted. Wonderful, a great tequila for special occasions, or the nights you want to get messed up – with class.
As my buddy Sambeano would say, “Goulet!”
Now, if you happen to feel like being REALLY REALLY kind to me and want to feed my habit, you could always send a bottle of Herradura Tequila Seleccion Suprema my way, I promise it won’t impede my programming for tooo long. I probably wouldn’t open it until I finish up with WhereToHost.net and get a few extra patches/additions out for my installer framework.
zenPhoto and DreamHost Easy Install Video
Feb 22nd
My wife and I finished the first of many videos we’ll be doing on application installs and compatibility over on http://www.WhereToHost.net/news/. Find out more about Zenphoto and DreamHost!
Thanks for reading!
Updating the Laconica Installer Again…
Feb 11th
I really got to get an easier way to detect if there are any newer versions of laconica… in any case while I work out that problem I’d just like to report that the newest update to the installer should be out tomorrow. It does work smoothly with the newest 0.7.1 version – which btw is an awesome update (0.7.x) by the people over Control Yourself, Inc., and all the devs working on this project!
I’ll be putting out the newly updated code tomorrow as I’ve got a few bug fixes to finish up.
It took me awhile to get it all sorted but all known bugs have been taken care of and the script seems to be working smoothly. Verified to work on DreamHost (of course :) and BlueHost. Mixed results on MediaTemple (MySQL doesn’t meet requirements for some people).
Enjoy! The Installer!
GoDaddy SSL and Hosting Sales!
Feb 4th
$12.99 SSL Certificate
Sometime ago GoDaddy was selling SSL certs for around $14.99 a year. A great price back then, but they’ve recently started selling them at an even lower price. Go pick up a cheap SSL certificate, no clue how long this sale will last!
GoDaddy Hosting Discounts
Also if you’re interested in hosting with them check out their specials here:
Where To Host
Jan 18th
I’ve been pushing forward on a personal project over the last two weeks or so, it’s called WhereToHost and I think it’s brillant. If you’ve heard me talk about it, you already know this, but what you may not know is that the initial beta system is ALMOST ready! I need some help though, would you mind?
Lots of my readers here are webmasters and programmers, you’ve encountered many different systems, scripts, and apps that you like working with. So here is what I need to know and how you can help me….
What PHP apps are your favorites? What scripts are so important that, you believe, this new site of mine wouldn’t be complete without?
Let me know in the comments and I’ll add the systems as they come in! Oh and if you get a chance you should read about my somwhat difficult choice, over on the news blog to the new site.
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