Before
After trick
I am often logged in to my servers via SSH, and I need to download a file like a WordPress plugin. I've noticed many sites now employ a means of blocking robots like wget from accessing their files. Most of the time they use .htaccess to do this. So a permanent workaround has wget mimick a normal browser.
Linux bash wget
Example shell scripts (bash or sh) that automate and easyate tasks from within the dreamhost ssh env
Shell Scripting
If you want to pre-load .flv / .mp3 files into a visitors browser cache using flash, here's the actionscript I use to do it, and some ideas behind a good javascript implementation using swfobject or ufo.
Optimization
This is all new, experimental, and very very cool. It literally uses .htaccess techniques to create several virtual "locked gates" that require a specific key to unlock, in a specific order that cannot be bypassed. It uses whitelisting .htaccess tricks to specify exactly what is allowed, instead of trying to specify everything that isn't allowed. Also, by setting specific cookies/tokens after successfully passing through a gate, we can then require the exact cookie/token from the previous gate, which stops an attacker from skipping or bypassing gates.
Htaccess
This article shows how to save and modify php session data, cookies, do anything really... without using ajax or iframes or forcing the user make a request.
PHP
Implementing an effective SEO robots.txt file for WordPress will help your blog to rank higher in Search Engines, receive higher paying relevant Ads, and increase your blog traffic. Get a search robots point of view... Sweet!
SEO Google meta robots robots.txt SEO
WordPress robots.txt file can make a huge impact on your WordPress blogs traffic and search engine rank. This is an SEO optimized robots.txt file. SEO robots.txt
WordPress blogs show the same duplicate content for https://www.askapache.com/index.php and https://www.askapache.com/. If you've read about using a robots.txt file for WordPress SEO, than you already understand this setup results in Duplicate Content penalties being levied against your Blog and Web Site by Search Engines.
Htaccess
- gzip's previous .htaccess file and sends it as an attachment to the logged in users email account along with password user setup.
- Now also works for sites running on SSL (PHP version >4.3.0)
- Rewrote the security module code in the form of snort, nessus, and mod_security rules and signatures
- Added a *real* check to see if mod_rewrite is installed
- Added Modules that remove directoryindexes
- Much more on the way..
WordPress
Often I am programming a plugin, or modifying my .htaccess rules, or editing a WordPress template file and I get stuck when it comes to how WordPress rewrites url's internally. This simple plugin displays all the internal WordPress rewrites.
WordPress
If you have files on your site that you don't want indexed by malicious search engines, grabbed and leeched by malicious spammers, or stolen and made available elsewhere, you can use mod_rewrite to drastically reduce or totally reduce that activity.
Htaccess Htaccess malicious search engines mod_rewrite Spamming
Its really nice to be able to print out a webpage you are reading using your browsers built-in print feature. Using CSS you can easily transform your site into a print-friendly site.
Today I received an email from a visitor to my site requesting that I add a way to print site articles on AskApache
CSS Cascading Style Sheets nicer printing Style sheet
I've had a lot of people ask about the FeedBurner FeedCount image on AskApache. Specifically how to set it up with custom messages and different colors each page view... It is pretty sweet..
Hacking Feed Count FeedBurner Htaccess
Top 3 ways to speed up websites that use Google Analytics. Host Script Locally, Fix Google-Analytics Cookie Domain, and Failsafe Loading for optimum tracking statistics.
Google
Since I was disqualified and accused of cheating, which is absolutely false, I decided to go ahead and do the crime I have been punished for. That's right, I'm going to show YOU how I could have rigged the DHSOTM contest to hopefully make the statement that I absolutely did not cheat and I absolutely want to be re-instated as the winner. Hosting
Here's an example of validation links from the AskApache footer.
RSS | XHTML 1.1 | CSS 2.1
document.getElementById("validat").innerHTML += ' | <a href="http://feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=https://www.askapache.com/feed/">RSS</a> | <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer?ss=1;outline=1;sp=1;debug">XHTML 1.1</a> | <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer?warning=0">CSS 2.1</a>'; Javascript Firebug JavaScript
If you desire SPEED from your WordPress blog, the #1 speed improvement comes from using the WP-Cache Plugin. If you still desire SPEED after installing the Plugin, you can modify the WP-Cache Plugin code to make your blog even faster!
Optimization Cache wordpress WP-Cache
These are a few of the mod_rewrite uses that BlogSecurity declared pushed the boundaries of Mod_Rewrite! Some of these snippets are quite exotic and unlike anything you may have seen before, also only for those who understand them as they can kill a website pretty quick.
Htaccess Htaccess mod_rewrite RewriteCond RewriteRule wordpress
Htaccess php tips and tricks for the Apache HTTPD Web Server, mostly these tips show you how to run customized versions with customized php.ini files, I require custom php.ini files because they are so useful!
PHP
How to password-protect, Allow or Deny a visitor based on a condition. If you are having trouble getting htaccess-based password protection to work see: Troubleshooting htaccess Authentication: Getting it to work
Htaccess AuthName AuthType FilesMatch Htaccess Password Password Protection Require
My improved version of the common printenv / test-cgi scripts for debugging Apache environment variables set in .htaccess files
Shell Scripting
Server and Environment Variables are used by The Apache HTTP Server by provides a mechanism for storing information. This information can be used to control various operations such as logging or access control.
Htaccess
Thought I'd give you all the tips and tricks that I've learned and use when developing WordPress plugins.. which can be quite fun!
WordPress
There are so many WordPress plugins out there now that I wanted to post my favorite 3 plugins for speeding up a WP-Powered blog. These are the 3 plugins that I install for pretty much all of my WP-Powered sites, which I run about 300 now. They work together to provide a very optimized blog for speed.
DB-Cache Reloaded does something entirely different, it saves the mysql queries that are made to the WP-database, as well as the mysql results to static files, and then through php serves those cached-files instead of re-querying the mysql database. Most mysql databases are stored on separate servers, and although many are on the same local network there is a limit to how many queries, and how many connections can take place.
So DB-Cache Reloaded basically makes WP-Super Cache work alot faster when generating the cache files, and DB-Cache Reloaded helps in a number of areas un-related to WP-Super Cache, like in the admin panel. And DB-Cache without WP-Super-Cache is a joke because it still uses the application-level and php for everything. Gotta use both (or just WPSC).
WordPress Cache Web server wordpress
Comprehensive .htaccess example file with advanced examples in 1 htaccess sample skeleton .htaccess file with the very best apache htaccess examples... Updated frequently based on detailed info from the Apache htaccess tutorial.
Htaccess Allow AuthUserFile Deny Htaccess Redirect RewriteCond RewriteEngine RewriteRule
As an example, here is the boot line that I am using at the moment on an older Dell Desktop, just to illustrate module parameters and environment vars.
title Arch Linux X-256
linux /vmlinuz-linux root=UUID rw rootfstype=ext4 elevator=noop selinux=0 plymouth.enable=0 raid=noautodetect ipv6.disable=1 video=DP1:d rcutree.rcu_idle_gp_delay=1 i915.panel_ignore_lid=-1 i915.modeset=1 TERM=rxvt-256color
Linux Arch Linux Boot GRUB Kernel
Look at the text "askapache". That's pretty boring huh? It would be cool to have a nerdy textual representation of that for extra nerdy stuff like styling my /robots.txt file, email list signatures, forum sigs, etc. But who has time to create that by hand? If only there were an online tool to create it..
Bam.

Web Design
It shows a semi-transparent box on the document you are viewing that tells you if its a page, single, feed, category, etc..
WordPress
Htaccess Apache HTTP Server Htaccess Redirect rewrite RewriteBase RewriteCond RewriteEngine RewriteLock RewriteLog RewriteMap RewriteOptions RewriteRule
A hit-list of some of my favorite mod_rewrite code snippets for .htaccess files
Htaccess

Well what can I say, other than this is sooo DOPE! Here is a list of the modules this plugin (version 4.7 unreleased) will automatically detect. I compiled the list myself using every module included with any default Apache installation for ALL the versions listed below, 1.3 to 2.2+
Want to know something else I'm including in this plugin? For each and every module that is detected, this plugin can then detect ALL of the modules .htaccess Directives! For instance, RewriteRule, AccessFileName, AddHandler, etc.. are each a directive belonging to a module that is allowed to be used from within .htaccess files.
Talk about sick.. these tricks have the diamond disease!
WordPress Advanced Anti-Exploit Anti-Spam Htaccess RewriteCond RewriteRule security SSL THE_REQUEST
Google
If you use Apache to auto-generate directory index listings of files/dirs, and you have a large number of files and directories in the root directory and/or slow IO speed, then generating the index could take Apache over a minute!
Shell Scripting Apache bash DirectoryIndex Htaccess IndexOptions rsync
Learn how to make YOUR DreamHost promo codes work much better for YOU! This is not about promo-codes, this is about a simple method you should implement.
Hosting
This amazing bash linux prompt does more than meets the eye. If you want to know how to become really good with technology, linux is the secret sauce behind the AskApache articles. Open Source is elixir of the web. Thanks to everyone who helped me for the past 20 years. I use linux/bsd because homey don't play, so this is geared to be as productive a prompt as I can make it.
Don't have much time.. or just don't care? Not a problem, here are the 3 lines to copy and paste - you can just paste them right in your shell to test it, or add to a startup script.
export AA_P="export PVE=\"\\033[m\\033[38;5;2m\"\$(( \`sed -n \"s/MemFree:[\\t ]\\+\\([0-9]\\+\\) kB/\\1/p\" /proc/meminfo\` / 1024 ))\"\\033[38;5;22m/\"\$((\`sed -n \"s/MemTotal:[\\t ]\\+\\([0-9]\\+\\) kB/\\1/p\" /proc/meminfo\`/ 1024 ))MB\"\\t\\033[m\\033[38;5;55m\$(< /proc/loadavg)\\033[m\";echo -en \"\""
export PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a;((\$SECONDS % 10==0 ))&&eval \"\$AA_P\";echo -en \"\$PVE\";"
export PS1="\\[\\e[m\\n\\e[1;30m\\][\$\$:\$PPID \\j:\\!\\[\\e[1;30m\\]]\\[\\e[0;36m\\] \\T \\d \\[\\e[1;30m\\][\\[\\e[1;34m\\]\\u@\\H\\[\\e[1;30m\\]:\\[\\e[0;37m\\]\${SSH_TTY} \\[\\e[0;32m\\]+\${SHLVL}\\[\\e[1;30m\\]] \\[\\e[1;37m\\]\\w\\[\\e[0;37m\\] \\n(\$SHLVL:\\!)\\\$ " && eval $AA_P Linux bash Prompt PROMPT_COMMAND PS1 sed ssh
Just a very brief look at speeding up form submission by delegating the processing and bandwidth to your server, not your client.
PHP bottleneck cURL form fsockopen PHP snoopy
Mod_Security rivals Mod_Rewrite in the amount of features it provides. I decided to go ahead and post what I learned about it today, even though its tough to give away such awesome htaccess and apache tricks.. Learn how to control spam once and for all, conditionally log/deny/allow/redirect requests based on IP, username, etc.. Mod_Security is so fine!
Htaccess Htaccess mod_security security
If your WordPress blog uses AdSense, and you love Firefox you will love this plugin. When a user downloads and installs Firefox through your referral, we'll credit your account with up to $1.00 (more details).
WordPress