Peacebringers

Something has been severely getting on my nerves lately, and it has hit the point where I just need to rant, and MAYBE someone out there agrees with me. Many websites, mainly the websites with good web programmers, check for incorrectly formatted, fake email addresses, and do so incorrectly. Addresses like PR4tcHE{T,teRry-NO}^T@spam-me.com, are not legit… though emaillist-manager+subscribe@somemail.com is totally legitimate. Another example: jaraeth+pbspam@gmail.com, is totally legitimate, yet so many providers DENY me to sign up for service using such an email address. Why would I? I use it to detect spam.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/technology/companies/04oracle.html?_r=1 … You’re kidding right? Let’s just give up MySQL and then cause the Open Source Community to have to make a spinoff of it in order to keep it alive and out from under the large thumb of Oracle.

I don’t like this. My hope is that the EU blocks this merger.

So one of a few webhosts I use decided to disable PHP’s readfile() function. Now I have a reason to dislike them. Why do people assume readfile() is a security benefit when disabled? Let’s just disable half of PHP’s core functions, you know… the ones used to manipulate files, send/receive data across the web like xml-rpc (which would kill blogs like this one), etc. While XML-RPC has always been a subject of heated discussion as some people, (even myself in the past) believe “RPC” to be exactly like native Linux RPC. Education … please?

So I was faced with a disabled readfile() which Gallery uses to display random remote images from it’s array of images stored in your personal gallery. Overall, it’s touchy on Gallery’s past history of security flaws, but they’ve released updates and fixes as they’re made aware. And still, readfile() gets the rap, and gets disabled.

How to overcome it? It was easy, but involved more lines of code without readfile(). Here’s how:
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The fact that people make money off of, and don’t find it offensive that they take part in the spamming of forums really annoys me. The fact that 90% of these spammers are from Russia, Asia, Africa, and other various countries is also highly annoying. I run a few websites which use phpBB3 for their forum software, and I consistently find them spammed. Setting the forum software to block requests from these countries is too time consuming, and I find it easier to just block them server side with an .htaccess file and a line stating something along the lines of “Deny from 94.0.0.0/8″ and then add another 50 IP ranges in CIDR format, some /8, /16 and some /23 or /24. No matter how up to date the software, spammers notoriously attack the system in question until they’ve been perma-banned with a null route, or hard coded smack in the face permanently denying them access.

I don’t like blocking entire ranges, as it punishes a few good visitors for the deeds of the rotten apples that also use that persons ISP. Sometimes, smaller countries only have one, or a handful of Telecom companies… block the Telecom, block the entire country. It sucks, but until those people find some way to retaliate and make those ISP’s take a stand on spam, I will keep having to block nearly every country except the UK/GB, Canada & the U.S.

Peace.

A few days ago, or maybe it was yesterday? I don’t recall… but I tried updating my server, only to find out the commands: rpm, rpmbuild, rpmdb and yum; would not work.  They reported “Illegal Operation” no matter what I tried.  Today, I go to to post, realizing I left MySQL off, and upon restarting the service, I found that “rpm -qa” works…  Yay. My system sporadically decided to fix itself, or something.  Either way, now I will have to scan my system for rootkits, security exploits, and everything else to cure my paranoia that someone got through.  I’m not security-minded & anal retentive, but I do not run my systems without taking precautions and closing most security prone areas of an OS.

Now comes the part everyone else in the “blog-o-sphere” is talking about… the purchase of Sun Microsystems by Oracle.  I won’t commit to writing prose, technical white papers and a dissertation on my fears for those things that Sun owns… but let’s just say: I’m worried.   I’m worried foremost, about MySQL.  With Oracle DB, what will Oracle do with a RDBMS that they consider far inferior to their flagship product?  Sun *just* purchased MySQL from MySQL AB, well… it feels like it.  I was just getting used to Sun doing decent with MySQL.

Then, there is VirtualBox and Java.  Oracle just made a mess in their pants… they have Java.  My lips are pursed in curiosity and hesitation… Just what will Oracle do with it?  My gut feeling is they won’t mess too harshly with a good thing.  Then there is VirtualBox, the virtual server system that Sun also acquired shortly after acquiring MySQL.   I use both MySQL & VirtualBox almost religiously… and now I’m contemplating wearing Depends, the adult diapers, just in case Oracle goes and does something stupid.

Like the rest of those on the Internet, I sit here in trepidation, wondering and waiting for Oracle’s first move.

I just completed converting a blog of mine from Drupal 6 to WordPress.  In my opinion, there is nothing better suited for blogging than that.  I tried GeekLog, and moved to Drupal. GeekLog had issues, and Drupal was…. overkill.  Unfortunately, there are no converters either.   Given the capabilities of Drupal, I’m not really that surprised: Drupal is rarely used as “just a blog”.  Again, it’s overkill for that.  Considering my other site had about a dozen or so entries, I figured it would be less time consuming to just cut, paste & back date entries in WP, than try and find a converter, configure and tweak it and have it “not quite work”.

Oh, and apparently MySQL just released 5.1.34, which I’m now going to have to upgrade.  At least there is no major upgrade hassle from 5.1.33 to 5.1.34

I’m combining all my blogs and letting the dozen or so random old sites go.  In the end, I should have a personal blog, a professional blog, and a specialty blog which I have for kicks.  I’m one step closer… (to the edge).

Early this morning, I upgraded the server that runs this site from MySQL 5.0.77 to 5.1.33.  The last time I attempted this, it borked and didn’t like what I attempted to do.  This time around, it’s golden.

MySQL’s upgrade instructions basically state the best way to upgrade is to do a complete dump of all databases, uninstall the old MySQL version, install the latest stable 5.1 version, and then import the data back in.  My first attempt borked.  I’m thinking it was due to some oversight, such as not repairing all the tables beforehand, or some such.  This time, I had one issue with a table that contained cache data.  Since I wasn’t keen on keeping cache data, or rather, since cache data is not vital, I removed it… and voila, we’re back up and running.

Now comes the part where I watch the system like a hawk, and see if any of my web app’s have issues working with MySQL 5.1.  So far, no problems.

Welcome to one of my many little spots on the web.   My goal is to use this particular spot as a professionally minded blog.  I’m not always good at my “enuncipation proclimamification” but I’ll try to elaborate and enunciate as best as I can, when I post.  I will also try to make no apologies and to stand up for my own opinions, even when they differ from everyone else.  However, I do intend to fully admit when wrong, so don’t think I’m out to be a jerk, I’m just going to stand up and not allow myself to be walked on… as much.

For those that know me, they know I correct a lot of what I do and say, for fear of either being rejected, or for fear of offending people.  Here however, this is my world, my opinions, spilled out for everyone.  If that’s a good thing, or if I keep up with this, is a different issue.